What are my options for birth control and preventing pregnancy?
You need to know how effective the methods are. For girls, the choice will depend on your health, some health problems prohibiting the use of some methods. The choice will also be made according to the type and stability of your relationship, your personality, the cost, your tendency to comply with a particular method, like taking a pill every day, the willingness of the boy to use a condom regularly, etc.
Abstinence (not having sex)
Abstinence means that you are not having sexual intercourse at all. Abstinence is the best form of protection against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). Abstinence is 100% effective.
Outercourse
Outercourse includes different forms of lovemaking (oral sex, mutual masturbation) that don’t involve vaginal sex. This is a very effective method of preventing pregnancy as long as you make sure that any sperm stays far away from the vaginal area. However, you can still get STI’s from oral or anal sex. But remember that a girl can get pregnant if her partner ejaculates close to her vagina, since sperm can still get inside her.
Birth Control Pill
The birth control pill is a pill that you have to take everyday. It usually contains two hormones that are also found in your body. It is very effective if taken properly.
Emergency Contraception
Yes, if you’ve had unprotected sex in the last 3 to 7 days, you can get emergency contraception so you don’t get pregnant. Unprotected sex means that:
There are 2 main types of emergency contraception:
Male condom
A condom is made of a thin material that is put on an erect penis to stop the sperm from going into the woman’s body. The best condoms are latex condoms. If a condom is used every time you have sex and the instructions are followed every time, condoms are 97% effective – this means that out of 100 women, 3 women will get pregnant if their partner uses a condom. If a condom is used, but not all the time or the instructions aren’t followed every time, then it is 86% effective meaning that out of 100 women, 14 will become pregnant.
Condoms reduce the chances of getting sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) like HIV, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. But condoms can tear or slip off. Some people may be allergic to the latex of the condom or to the spermicide that some brands of condoms have. If you want to use a lubricant, always use a water soluble one. Learn how to put on a condom properly.
The male condom costs about $0.50 (50 cents) each. Because condoms protect against STI’s, they should be used in addition to other forms of birth control. For example, even if a woman is on the birth control pill, her partner should use a condom to protect against STI’s.
Female condom
The female condom is a thin pouch that the woman puts in the vagina before having sex. One end covers the cervix inside her, and the other end covers the genitals outside. It stops sperm from getting into the woman’s body. If it is used every time you have sex and if you follow the instructions every time, it is 95% effective meaning that out of 100 women, 5 will become pregnant. If you don’t use it all the time or you don’t follow the instructions every time, then it is 79% effective, meaning that out of 100 women, 21 will become pregnant. The female condom protects against STI’s. But it can be messy or it can tear or slip out. The condom can also make funny noises when you’re having sex. You can buy the female condom at a drugstore without a prescription. It costs about $5 for each condom.
Depo-Provera (Injectable Contraceptive)
In this method, a hormone is injected in a woman’s buttock or arm every 3 months. This hormone is a kind of progesterone that your body already makes. It is more than 99% effective meaning that out of 100 women, less than one will become pregnant. It starts to work as soon as you get the injection. But it doesn’t protect against STI’s. You may not be able to get pregnant for a year after you’ve stopped using it. Depo-Provera can cause irregular bleeding, lighter or heavier periods, shorter or longer periods, or no periods at all. You may gain some weight but you can help maintain your weight by eating healthy and exercising regularly. It may also cause some bone loss. Some women can’t use this method because of some medical problems, and yet on the other hand, Depo-Provera may be a very good choice instead of the Pill for some women. For girls who tend to forget the contraceptive pill, it could be a good alternative method to use temporarily, for 6 to 18 months. So it is best to talk to your doctor. It costs $30-$40 for each injection.
Diaphragm
A diaphragm is a soft rubber dome that is placed inside the woman’s vagina before having sex. It covers the cervix and stops sperm from getting inside the woman. If you use it every time you have sex and if you follow the instructions every time, it is 94% effective, meaning that out of 100 women, 6 will become pregnant. If you don’t use it all the time or you don’t follow the instructions every time, then it is 80% effective, meaning that out of 100 women, 20 will become pregnant. You can put the diaphragm in up to 2 hours before having sex, so you don’t have to interrupt sex to put it in. But you have to put a spermicidal cream or jelly with the diaphragm. You also have to keep the diaphragm inside for 6 hours after you have sex. The diaphragm can be messy or hard to put in. You have to go to a doctor or nurse to get fitted for a diaphragm. It costs about $40 and the tube of spermicide costs about $20.
Cervical Cap
The cervical cap is a small rubber dome with a firm rim that fits around the cervix to stop sperm from getting inside a woman’s body. If you use it every time you have sex and if you follow the instructions every time, it is 94% effective meaning that out of 100 women, 6 women will become pregnant. If you don’t use it all the time or you don’t follow the instructions every time, then it is 82% effective, meaning that out of 100 women, 18 women will become pregnant. The cervical cap doesn’t protect against STI’s. It can be put in ahead of time so it doesn’t interrupt sex, and it can be left in for up to 48 hours. It has to be fitted by a doctor or nurse because it comes in different sizes. Some women find it hard to put in. It costs about $40.
Contraceptive Sponge
The sponge is a donut-shaped foam sponge that has spermicide in it. The woman puts the sponge in the vagina before sex. It covers the cervix and stops the sperm; the sponge absorbs sperm and the spermicide kills sperm. The sponge is 87% effective, meaning that out of 100 women, 13 will become pregnant. The sponge is effective for 12 hours and it has to stay in for six hours after you have sex. It doesn’t protect against STI’s. You don’t have to be fitted for it and you can buy it without a prescription. The cost is about $8 for a package of 3 sponges.
Intrauterine Device (IUD)
An IUD is a small T shape piece of plastic or copper that has to be placed in a woman’s uterus (womb) by a doctor. It can stay in place for between 1 and 10 years, depending on the kind. It can be removed at any time. It is 99% effective, meaning that out of 100 women, only 1 will become pregnant. An IUD can also be used as an emergency contraception method. It can prevent pregnancy if it is placed within one week of unprotected sex. The disadvantage of the IUD is that it can increase your risk of infection and pelvic inflammatory disease, which can sometimes lead to infertility (not able to become pregnant). So this method is not good for women who are not in a long-term steady relationship. It may also make you have more bleeding during your period. The IUD costs about $100 if it is inserted in a doctor’s office and $40 if it is done in a clinic.
Norplant (Implants)
Implants are six tiny rods (the size of a matchstick each) that are placed under the skin of a woman’s arm. They release a kind of progesterone. The implants protect against pregnancy for 5 years and then they need to be taken out and new ones placed. But they can be taken out at anytime before 5 years. They are 99% effective meaning that out of 100 women, only one will become pregnant. They don’t protect against STI’s. They can cause irregular bleeding and some weight gain. But you can help maintain your weight by eating healthy and exercising regularly. The implants cost $500 for 5 years and have to be placed by a specially trained doctor. In some provinces, you also have to pay for the cost of having the implants inserted and removed. Some women can’t use this method because of some medical problems, so it is best to talk to your doctor.
Vasectomy
A vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure where the man’s tubes that carry the sperm are cut and tied. This is a permanent procedure and should not be done unless the man is absolutely sure that he will not want children in the future. A vasectomy is 99.9% effective. So, for most teenagers this is not the best choice, because you may decide to have children later on. In some provinces, this procedure would be refused in teenagers. However, it does not protect against STI’s. This procedure is done in a doctor’s office. The cost may or may not be covered by your provincial health insurance.
Tubal ligation
Tubal ligation (“having your tubes tied”) is a surgical procedure where the woman’s tubes that carry the eggs to the uterus are cut and tied. This is done in a hospital. It is a permanent procedure and should not be done unless the woman is absolutely sure that she will not want children in the future. It is 99.6% effective. So, for most teenagers this is not the best choice, because you may decide to have children later on. In some provinces, this procedure would be refused in teenagers. It does not protect against STI’s. The cost may or may not be covered by your provincial health insurance.
Natural Family Planning
Natural Family Planning or the Rhythm Method means that you do not have sex during the ovulation period (when a woman’s ovaries release the egg). The ovulation period is the time in a woman’s menstrual cycle when she is most likely to become pregnant. This is a type of birth control that is approved by many religions.
In order for this method to work, you need to figure out exactly when ovulation happens. A doctor or nurse can teach you. Women can get pregnant a few days before to a few days after they ovulate. Sperm can live for up to 5 days, and the egg lives for 24 hours. So you can’t have sex for about 5 days before to about 5 days after you ovulate. This method is not very effective if you have irregular menstrual periods or if you have an illness, because it is hard to predict when you will ovulate. This method’s effectiveness is different in different women. It is 70-90% effective, meaning that out of 100 women, 10-30 women will become pregnant. It does not protect against STI’s.
Many teenagers and young adults have irregular cycles, so it is very difficult to know exactly when you’ll be ovulating. Therefore, this method would not be very effective and the chances of getting pregnant would be too high.
For more information:
Contact your local Planned Parenthood organization, doctor, nurse, or health facility.