Method
|
How
effective is it ? |
Advantages
|
How to Use
|
Possible
Problems |
Male Latex
Condom |
85-98%
|
Easy to buy in drugstores, markets
Can help relieve early ejaculation
Protects against many infections, including HIV |
Must be used every time you have sex |
Latex allergy
Loss of feeling
Can break or slip off
|
Female
Condom
 |
79-95% |
Easy to buy in drugstores, markets
Good for people with latex allergy
Protects against many infections, including HIV |
Must be used every time you have sex |
May be noisy
May be hard to insert
May irritate vagina, penis
May slip out of place during sex |
Spermicide
cream, gel,
foam, inserts
 |
71-85% |
Easy to buy in drugstores, markets
Comes in many forms: cream, gel, foam and inserts |
Must be used every time you have sex
Should be used together with a
condom or diaphragm |
Using spermicide nonoxynol-9 may increase risk of
HIV infection
May irritate vagina, penis
Cream, gel, and foam can be messy |
|
Diaphragm
 |
84-94%
|
Can last several years
Costs very little to use
|
Must be used every time you have sex
Must be used with spermicide
Must be fitted by a health care provider |
Using spermicide nonoxynol-9 may increase risk of
HIV infection
Allergy to latex or spermicide
Should not be used during vaginal bleeding or
infection
Increased risk of bladder infection
Can be left in place for no more than 24 hours |
|
Cervical Cap
 |
60-91% |
Can last several years
Costs very little to use
|
Must be used every time you have sex
Must be used with spermicide
Must be fitted by a health care provider |
Using spermicide nonoxynol-9 may increase risk of
HIV infection
Allergy to latex or spermicide
Should not be used during vaginal bleeding or
infection |
|
The Pill (combination birth
control pills)
 |
92-99% |
Can make periods more regular and less painful
Can improve acne
Lowers risk of ovarian and
endometrial cancer
Ability to become pregnant returns quickly when
use is stopped |
Must be taken daily |
May cause side effects but these can be relieved
by changing to a different pill
Should not be used by women over 35 who smoke |
Progestin-
Only Birth
Control Pills
(minipills) |
95-99% |
Ability to become pregnant returns quickly when
use is stopped |
Must be taken at the same time daily |
May cause spotting
May be
used by women who cannot take estrogen. |
The Patch
(Ortho Evra)
 |
95-99% |
Can make periods more regular and less painful
No pill to take daily
Ability to become
pregnant returns quickly when use is stopped |
A new patch is worn each week for three weeks per
month |
May cause skin rash under patch
May not work as well for women who weigh more than
198 pounds Has slightly higher
hormone levels than the pill or ring
Should not be used by women over 35 who smoke |
The Ring
(Nuvaring)
 |
95-99% |
Does not require a fitting by a health care
provider
Does not require spermicide
Can make periods more regular and less painful
No pill to take daily
Ability to become pregnant returns quickly when
use is stopped |
A small ring is inserted into the vagina
A new ring is inserted each month |
Can cause increased vaginal discharge
Should not be used by women over 35 who smoke |
The Shot
(Depo-
Provera)
 |
99% |
Each shot works for 12 weeks
Helps prevent cancer of the lining of the uterus
(womb)
No pill to take daily |
Must get shot every three months |
Loss of monthly period, spotting, weight gain,
depression, hair changes, skin rash, change in sex
drive
May cause delay in getting pregnant after shots
are stopped
Side effects may not stop until medi- cation wears
off (up to 6 months) |
IUD
Intrauterine
Device:
ParaGard,
Mirena
|
97-99%
|
Nothing to put in place before sex
ParaGard may be left in place for up to 10 years,
and Mirena for 5 years
No pill to take daily
IUDs with hormones (Mirena) may reduce period
cramps and bleeding
Ability to become pregnant returns quickly when
IUD is removed |
Must be inserted by a health care provider |
ParaGard may increase cramps and cause heavier
and longer periods
Mirena may cause lighter or fewer periods
Spotting between periods
If a woman gets a sexually
transmitted disease, there is an increased chance of tubal infection
Rarely, wall of uterus is punctured during
insertion |
Emergency
Contraception
(Plan B)
 |
85-99% |
Can lower the risk of pregnancy if taken within 5
days of unprotected sex |
Take 2 pills together as soon as you can after
unprotected sex |
Side effects other than nausea are rare but can
include vomiting, fatigue, headache, dizziness and
breast pain
The next period sometimes comes a few days early
or a few days late |
