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Summary
Birth control, also known as contraception, is designed to prevent pregnancy. Birth control methods may work in a number of different ways:
- Preventing sperm from getting to the eggs. Types include condoms, diaphragms, cervical caps, and contraceptive sponges.
- Keeping the woman's ovaries from releasing eggs that could be fertilized. Types include birth control pills, patches, shots, vaginal rings, and emergency contraceptive pills.
- IUDs, devices which are implanted into the uterus. They can be kept in place for several years.
- 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.
NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Birth Control Methods (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
-
Birth Control: Medicines to Help You
(Food and Drug Administration)
-
Contraception and Birth Control
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- Unintended Pregnancy Prevention: Contraception (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
What Are the Different Types of Contraception? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Latest News
- FDA Explains Pros, Cons of Permanent Birth Control (11/18/2016, HealthDay)
- What Women Should Know About Essure Permanent Birth Control (11/15/2016, Food and Drug Administration)
Related Issues
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Contraception and Birth Control: Other FAQs (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- Douching (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
- Effectiveness of Family Planning Methods (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Noncontraceptive Benefits of Birth Control Pills (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - PDF
-
Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk (National Cancer Institute)
Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Barrier Methods of Birth Control: Spermicide, Condom, Sponge, Diaphragm, and Cervical Cap (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Also in Spanish
- Birth Control: How to Use Your Diaphragm (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Cervical Cap (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Combined Hormonal Birth Control: Pill, Patch, and Ring (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF
- Contraceptive Sponge (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Depo-Provera: An Injectable Contraceptive (American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Emergency Contraception (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Emergency Contraception (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Emergency Contraception Website (Princeton University, Office of Population Research)
- Essure (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Essure Permanent Birth Control (Food and Drug Administration)
- Female Condom (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Intrauterine Devices (American College of Nurse-Midwives) - PDF
- Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC): IUD and Implant (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Male Condoms (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Morning-After Pill (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Natural Family Planning (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Progestin-Only Birth Control Pills (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
- Progestin-Only Hormonal Birth Control: Pill and Injection (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Spermicide (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Withdrawal Method (Coitus Interruptus) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Images
- Barrier methods of birth control - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Birth control pill - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Condom application - slideshow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Statistics and Research
- FastStats: Contraceptive Use (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Key Statistics from the National Survey of Family Growth: Vasectomy (National Center for Health Statistics)
- Use of Emergency Contraception among Women Aged 15-44: United States, 2006-2010 (National Center for Health Statistics)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Family Planning Services (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Intrauterine Devices (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Contraception (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Also in Spanish
- Search for an Emergency Contraception Provider in the United States (Princeton University, Office of Population Research) Also in Spanish
- womenshealth.gov (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Abstinence (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Birth Control (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Birth Control Explorer (National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy)
- Birth Control Patch (Nemours Foundation)
- Birth Control Pill (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Birth Control Ring (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Birth Control Shot (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Can a Girl Get Pregnant If She Has Sex during Her Period? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- CDC Vital Signs: Preventing Teen Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Cervical Cap (Nemours Foundation)
- Condom (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Diaphragm (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Emergency Contraception (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Especially for Teens: Birth Control (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Fertility Awareness (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- IUD (Intrauterine Device) (Nemours Foundation)
- Spermicide (Nemours Foundation)
- Withdrawal (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Men
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How Effective Is Male Contraception? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
Patient Handouts
- Birth control - slow release methods (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Birth control and family planning (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Birth control pills - combination (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Birth control pills - overview (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Birth control pills - progestin only (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Condoms - male (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Deciding about an IUD (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Female condoms (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Intrauterine devices (IUD) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
