Contraceptive Management
As a woman, you have a lot of choices about when and if you want to get pregnant. The ideal method of birth control (contraception) is the one that fits your individual needs, health considerations, lifestyle and preferences. We can provide information and guidance about all the options that are available, so you can make the choice that is best for you.
There are many things to consider before you choose a method of birth control, including:
- Future childbearing
- Your age and overall health
- How often you have sex
- How many sex partners you have
- How effectively each type of birth control works to prevent pregnancy
- Potential side effects
- How comfortable you feel using a particular birth control method
The various methods of birth control fall into categories based on how they function:
- Abstinence(avoiding sexual contact)
- Natural family planning(also referred to as the ‘rhythm method,’ when you avoid having sex during the time of ovulation in your cycle)
- Barrier methods (preventing the sperm from reaching the uterus)
Condoms
Spermicides (a substance that makes sperm inactive) - Hormonal methods (using hormones to regulate or stop ovulation)
Oral Contraceptives
The Patch (Ortho Evra®)
Shot/Injection (Depo-Provera®)
Vaginal Ring (NuvaRing®)
- Implantable Devices
Intrauterine device/IUD (Mirena®, Kyleena®, or Paraguard®, different options of a t-shaped device inserted into the uterus)
Implantable rods (Nexplanon®, which is surgically inserted under the skin of the upper arm where it releases progestin to prevent eggs from leaving the ovaries)
- Permanent birth control (sterilization)
Surgical sterilization (tubal sterilization or removal)
- Emergency contraceptive pills (the “morning-after pill”)