The best birth control is the method youâre most likely to use. Here are some other things to consider as you decide.
Youâve got lots of birth control options. Hereâs how to get them, and what to do if costs get in the way.
If you plan to use birth control other than condoms, you'll need to see a doctor. First, you need to start the conversation.
Birth control can be an awkward topic. But itâs an important heart-to-heart talk to have before sex with your partner.
Mistakes happen. But when it comes to birth control, a mistake can have a big consequence: unplanned pregnancy.
While you may hope you never need it, itâs important to know about backup birth control.
If youâre a teen and want to have safe, consensual sex, itâs important for you and your partner to use birth control.
By the time you reach your 30s, the birth control you want, need, or prefer may have changed.
Unless youâre trying to get pregnant, chances are you still need to use some method of birth control in your 40s and 50s.
If you need birth control and are looking for options, you might face many systemic roadblocks along the way.
Black women ages 15 to 49 are less likely than other racial groups to use birth control regularly.
A recent survey shows a quarter of Hispanic high schoolers rely on the withdrawal method, or nothing at all.
What type of birth control is best while you breastfeed? When the time comes, you'll have many options for contraception.
There are several ways to stop your period -- for weeks, months, or even years -- by using birth control.
You have a lot of choices for birth control, from condoms to caps to pills. Find one that you're confident with.
The effectiveness of some birth control methods depends in part on how carefully you use them.
Nonhormonal birth control is any method that doesnât affect womenâs hormones. But they might not be ideal for some people.
If your goal is to prevent both pregnancy and STIs, there are only a few ways to make that happen.
If you want to avoid pregnancy without a prescription, you can buy several types of birth control in stores.
You donât have to take a pill every day for birth control. There are options that can last weeks, months and even years.
If you want to avoid pregnancy, you may choose an intrauterine device or birth control pills from the options available.
The birth control pill and patch are prescription birth control methods that contain hormones to prevent pregnancy.
The birth control shot and birth control pills are two types of contraceptives that use hormones to prevent pregnancy.
Both the pill and the implant slow your pituitary gland, which stops your ovaries from releasing eggs.
Both IUDs and implants are very effective -- your chance of getting pregnant is less than 1 in 100 the first year you use it.
Birth control pills and vaginal rings are both good ways to prevent pregnancy when youâre having sex without condoms.
There are many different methods of birth control, including hormonal contraception such as "the pill."
The minipill is a type of birth control made with progestin, an artificial form of progesterone that your body makes.
There are 91-day oral contraceptive programs that promise to prevent pregnancy and let you have fewer periods each year.
Estrogen may be to blame for the queasiness and dizziness you feel after you take a birth control pill.
Sometimes the pill can change your sex drive. There are ways to get things back on track, once you know whatâs happening.
Some women do gain a little bit of weight when they start taking birth control pills. Itâs often a temporary side effect.
If you want your birth control pill to work right, you need to avoid certain medications.
An association between estrogen and breast cancer risk has led to a debate about the role birth control pills may play.
Studies show the hormones in birth control can affect your heart. They may raise your blood pressure, for instance.
Birth control pills can prevent pregnancy and lower risks for certain cancers. They may also raise cervical cancer risk.
Once you stop the birth control pill, some of the effects you notice might depend on symptoms you had before you started.
Birth control pills donât prevent pregnancy 100% of the time. But they come close when taken as directed.
Birth control implants are devices that go under a woman's skin. They release a hormone that prevents pregnancy.
The link between the birth control implant and weight gain isnât strong. Studies show an average gain of 3 pounds or less.
You've had the implant in your arm for a while and you're ready for it to come out. Usually, it's a smooth process.
If youâre looking into your options for birth control, one method you may want to think about is the IUD.
Your doctor can help you decide which type of IUD is better for you. Here are a few things to think about.
IUDs are also very safe. Some women do have side effects, but they're usually mild.
The link between depression and birth control isnât clear and researchers disagree.
You can get pregnant while using an IUD, but itâs very unlikely. Less than 1% of women with IUDs get pregnant each year.
IUD removal is a quick procedure that's done in your doctor's office or a clinic. Hereâs what you can expect.
The birth control patch is a small, sticky square that you wear on your arm, back, belly, or other places on your body.
A vaginal ring is a birth control option that is a small, flexible contraceptive ring, about the size of a silver dollar.
Depo-Provera is a birth control method that you can get as a shot.
A condom is a thin, fitted tube worn over the penis during sex or inserted into the vagina before sex (female condoms).
Getting your condom to feel right can be tricky. If itâs not comfortable, it can cause you to stop wearing them.
Sometimes a condom may break, exposing you to the risk of getting STDs or the chance of becoming pregnant.
A female condom is one type of barrier method that prevents pregnancy and can help keep you safe from STDs.
The diaphragm is a flexible cup made of silicone or latex that goes inside the vagina to block sperm from reaching an egg.
Vaginal contraceptive gel doesnât have hormones in it. It doesnât have the standard spermicide nonoxynol-9 in it either.
The birth control sponge is a small doughnut-shaped device with an indentation in the middle.
The cervical cap is a soft, thimble-shaped cup made out of silicone or latex. It fits over the cervix to block sperm.
Looking for a more natural birth control method? Youâll want to know your options, whatâs involved, and the drawbacks.
The pull-out method is a form of birth control in which a man takes their penis out of a woman's vagina before ejaculation.
The lactational amenorrhea method is a type of birth control that relies on hormones your body makes while breastfeeding.
Birth control, like sterilization, is a way for men and women to prevent pregnancy.
Tubal ligation is surgery women can get to "tieâ their fallopian tubes. Itâs a type of female sterilization.
Tubal ligation is considered permanent, but there are exceptions. Pregnancy â intended and unintended â is still possible.
When you think about birth control, you probably think about the pill for women. Men have options to avoid pregnancy, too.
A vasectomy is a small operation to prevent pregnancy. It blocks sperm from getting to your semen when you ejaculate.
The no-scalpel vasectomy is less invasive than the standard procedure and has a shorter recovery time.
Over 60 years after women got access to a pill to prevent pregnancy, research is still ongoing to make an option for men.
Like other forms of birth control, emergency contraception prevents pregnancy. The difference is that you take it after sex.
If you're thinking about using emergency contraception, you may wonder: What will I feel like afterward?
Levonorgestrel is an emergency contraceptive pill taken by mouth after unprotected sex. Itâs used to prevent pregnancy.
Itâs important to consider the benefits and the side effects and risks you might have in choosing a form of birth control.
Breakthrough bleeding is a common side effect of hormonal contraceptive use.
When you start using hormonal birth control, your breasts might feel swollen or look bigger. This is usually temporary.
Could hormonal contraceptives trigger emotional swings? Or might they do the reverse and actually improve your moods?
Research shows that there could be a link between anxiety and birth control -- it just might not be because of hormones.
Researchers donât have enough evidence to say hormonal birth control causes depression. Most info suggests the answer is no.
Birth control such as the Pill and IUD are generally safe and effective, yet they do have risks you should know about.
If you use birth control, you might be wondering whether it affects your risk of getting cancer.
If you have high blood pressure or are worried about getting it, you may wonder if hormonal birth control should be avoided.
 If you have certain medical conditions, your doctor might recommend that you avoid one or more types of birth control.
Find out what to know about taking birth control if youâre transgender or nonbinary.
Yes, birth control pills can help prevent pregnancy. They can also treat a variety of hormone-related issues, and they offer other health benefits. Find out more in this slideshow from WebMD.
Find out what you need to know about new research on male birth control. Learn about the effectiveness, safety concerns, and risks.
See the mechanics, side effects, and failure rates for common birth control methods in this illustrated slideshow from WebMD's medical editors. Withdrawal, hormones, the IUD, and many more are explained with pictures.
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