Also called: Also called: Contraception
Birth control, also known as contraception, is designed to prevent pregnancy. Birth control methods may work in a number of different ways. These include
- Preventing sperm from getting to the eggs - condoms, diaphragms and intrauterine devices (IUDs) work this way
- Keeping the woman's ovaries from releasing eggs that could be fertilized - birth control pills work this way
- Sterilization, which permanently prevents a woman from getting pregnant or a man from being able to get a woman pregnant
Your choice of birth control should depend on several factors. These include your health, frequency of sexual activity, number of sexual partners and desire to have children in the future. Your health care provider can help you select the best form of birth control for you.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Birth Control
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/birth_control.cfm
- Birth Control Guide(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/birth-control/BI99999/METHOD=print&PAGE=all
- Newer Contraceptives Don't Increase Heart Risk(01/15/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73874.html
- Young People Overestimate Condom Use(01/14/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73792.html
- Many Teens Don't Keep Virginity Pledges(12/29/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73263.html
- Birth Control Pill FAQ: Benefits, Risks and Choices(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/birth-control-pill/WO00098/METHOD=print
- Combined Injectable Contraceptives (CICs) FAQ(Family Health International) - http://www.fhi.org/en/RH/FAQs/CIC_faq.htm
- Contraception during Breastfeeding(Baylor College of Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.contraceptiononline.org/contrareport/pdfs/08_06_pu.pdf
- Emergency Contraception(National Women's Health Information Center) - http://womenshealth.gov/faq/emergency-contraception.cfm
- Facts about Injectable Contraception(Baylor College of Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.contraceptiononline.org/contrareport/pdfs/14_03_pu.pdf
- First Contraceptive for Continuous Use(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/lybrel052907.html
- How to Use a Condom(American Social Health Association) - http://www.ashastd.org/condom/condom_overview.cfm
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Lactational Amenorrhea FAQ(Family Health International) - http://www.fhi.org/en/RH/FAQs/lam_faq.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.fhi.org/sp/rh/faqs/lam_faq.htm
- Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System(Baylor College of Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.contraceptiononline.org/contrareport/pdfs/12_05_pu.pdf
- Morning-After Pill: Emergency Birth Control(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/morning-after-pill/AN00592/METHOD=print
- Postpartum Sterilization(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp052.cfm
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Spermicides FAQ(Family Health International) - http://www.fhi.org/en/RH/FAQs/spermicides_faq.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.fhi.org/sp/RH/FAQs/spermicides_faq.htm
- Truth about Contraceptive Implants(Baylor College of Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.contraceptiononline.org/contrareport/pdfs/08_03_pu.pdf
- Bone Density and Hormonal Contraception(Baylor College of Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.contraceptiononline.org/contrareport/pdfs/14_02_pu.pdf
- Changes in Menstrual Bleeding with Different Contraceptive Methods(Baylor College of Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.contraceptiononline.org/contrareport/pdfs/08_05_pu.pdf
- Contraceptives and HIV(Family Health International) - http://www.fhi.org/en/RH/FAQs/contraHIV_faq.htm
- Delaying Your Period through Oral Contraceptives(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/womens-health/WO00069/METHOD=print
- FDA's Decision Regarding Plan B: Questions and Answers(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) - http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/planB/planBQandA.htm
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Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/oral-contraceptives
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/oral-contraceptives-spanish
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Vasectomy(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/vasectomy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/vasectomyspanish/htm/index.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Reproductive Sterilization(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=%22Sterilization,+Reproductive%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Vasectomy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=%22Vasectomy%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Contraception(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=contraception
- Update to Label on Birth Control Patch(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/birthcontrolpatch012208.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Contraceptive hormone use and cardiovascular disease. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19147038&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Should the contraceptive pill be available without prescription? No. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19106139&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Should the contraceptive pill be available without prescription? Yes. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19106138&tool=MedlinePlus
- Birth Control -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=contraception[majr]+OR+contraceptive+devices[majr]+OR+contraception+behavior[mh]+OR+contraceptive+agents[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- ACOG's Physician Directory(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.org/member-lookup/disclaimer.cfm
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Search for an Emergency Contraception Provider in the United States(Princeton University, Office of Population Research) - http://ec.princeton.edu/providers/index.html
Also available in Spanish http://ec.princeton.edu/indice.html
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists - http://www.acog.org/
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
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National Women's Health Information Center(Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://womenshealth.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://womenshealth.gov/espanol/
- FASTATS: Contraceptive Use(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/usecontr.htm
- Unintended Pregnancy Prevention: Contraception(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/UnintendedPregnancy/Contraception.htm
- Abstinence(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/abstinence.html
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Birth Control Methods: How Well Do They Work?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/bc_chart.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/sexual/bc_chart_esp.html
- Birth Control Shot(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/sexual_health/bc_shot.html
- Birth Control: What You Need to Know(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/contraception.html
- Does Douching After Sex Prevent a Girl from Getting Pregnant?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/contraception_douche.html
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Talking to Your Partner about Condoms(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/sexual_health/contraception/talk_about_condoms.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/sexual/talk_about_condoms_esp.html
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Teen Talk: What You Should Know about Contraception(Office of Public Health and Science, Office of Population Affairs) - Links to PDF - http://www.opaclearinghouse.org/pdf/teentalk_vol3_contraception.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.opaclearinghouse.org/pdf/teentalk_spanish_vol3_contraception.pdf
- Why Did My Doctor Prescribe Birth Control Pills for My Acne?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/expert/sex_health/expert_birth_control.html
- Condoms: STD Protection Plus Effective Birth Control(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/condoms/HQ00463/METHOD=print
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Facts about Vasectomy Safety(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/vasectomy_safety.cfm
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Vasectomy
(Patient Education Institute) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/vasectomy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/vasectomyspanish/htm/index.htm - Vasectomy Reversal(American Urological Association) - http://www.urologyhealth.org/adult/index.cfm?cat=11&topic=154
- Teen Sexual Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teensexualhealth.html
- Female Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/femalereproductivesystem.html
- Male Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/malereproductivesystem.html
- Men - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/men.html
- Pregnancy and Reproduction - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pregnancyandreproduction.html
- Women - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/women.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Birth Control is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/