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What is the best method of birth control (or contraception)?

All women and men should have control over if and when they become parents. Making decisions about birth control, or contraception, is not easy - there are many things to think about. Learning about birth control methods you or your partner can use to prevent pregnancy and talking with your health care provider are two good ways to get started.

There is no "best" method of birth control. Each method has its own pros and cons. Some methods work better than others do at preventing pregnancy. Researchers are always working to develop or improve birth control methods.

The birth control method you choose should take into account:

• your overall health;
• how often you have sex;
• the number of sexual partners you have;
• if you want to have children;
• how well each method works (or is effective) in preventing pregnancy;
• any potential side effects; and
• your comfort level with using the method.
  

Bear in mind that NO method of birth control prevents pregnancy all of the time. Birth control methods can fail. But you can greatly increase a method's success rate by using it correctly all of the time. The only way to be sure you never get pregnant is to not have sex (abstinence).

What are the different birth control methods that I can use?
There are many methods of birth control that a woman can use. Talk with your health care provider to help you figure out what method is best for you. You can always try one method and if you do not like it, you can try another one.

Keep in mind that most birth control does NOT protect you from HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like gonorrhea, herpes, and chlamydia. Other than not having sex, the best protection against STDs and HIV is the male latex condom. The female condom may give some STD protection. Other birth control methods that involve using a spermicide (a cream or jelly that kills sperm) also may give some protection against chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Don't forget that all of the methods we talk about below work best if used correctly. Be sure you know the correct way to use them. Talk with your health care provider and don't feel embarrassed about talking with her or him again if you forget or don't understand.

Know that learning how to use some birth control methods can take time and practice. Sometimes health care providers do not explain how to use a method because they may think you already know how. For example, some people do not know that you can put on a male condom "inside out." Also, not everyone knows that you need to leave a "reservoir" or space at the tip of the condom for the sperm and fluid when a man ejaculates, or has an orgasm.

The more you know about the correct way to use birth control, the more control you will have over deciding if and when you want to become pregnant.

To read the extensive list of birth control options, please click here and to go the National Women's Health Information Center at: http://www.4woman.org/faq/birthcont.htm