Birth control is an essential step for sexually active women in cases where they do not want to get pregnant at the moment. Amongst women who are having sex without the use of any birth control methods, 85 out of every 100 would get pregnant within a year during their active relationship. When pregnancy is unwanted, fortunately, there are a relatively large number of options available to women today. Still, some of these methods do tend to provide a more effective approach to preventing pregnancy.
Women need to understand how birth control methods work, each works in its own way – and while some may provide an almost 100% reduction in the risk of pregnancy, others may not work effectively at all. Below, we are going to take a look at some standard options that people tend to use when it comes to using a birth control mechanism to help protect them from falling pregnant, and we will consider how effective each of these methods is.
- Abstinence would be the preferred choice to prevent pregnancy completely and can protect against STDs.
- A birth control implant and an IUD are both considered effective options with just a 1% chance of falling pregnant. These options do not, however, protect a woman from catching STDs.
- The three popular birth control methods include the patch, pill, and the ring. There is an estimated 9% chance of becoming pregnant when using any of these three popular methods.
- A birth control shot tends to be somewhat more effective than taking “the pill” or using birth control rings and patches, with a pregnancy risk of only 6%, compared to the 9% associated with the alternative options.
- Emergency contraception is a popular option after having unprotected sex and is a relatively effective option, with a pregnancy risk of 11%.
- Using a condom is undoubtedly a preferred option, as this reduces the risk of pregnancy and can help to protect against the transmission of STDs. Male condoms have an 82% success rate. Female condoms are a little less effective, with a success rate of 79%.
- A diaphragm is sometimes a preferred option for some couples and does offer a somewhat effective solution. This birth control method still holds a 12% chance of getting pregnant.
- Behavioral methods, such as the Green Zone safe day calculation, have a 3-4% failure rate when used perfectly.
Conclusion
Women who are not using birth control are at risk of getting pregnant, which can be inconvenient when an unplanned pregnancy occurs. There are different options for women and men to choose from when it comes to choosing a birth control method. Even though many are convenient, couples need to understand that specific options provide much better protection and a more effective birth control solution than others.