4 Types of Birth Control: Which Is Right for Me?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has called family planning, which is the ability to achieve birth spacing and family size, one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century. 

At the heart of family planning are the many different options in birth control. In fact, the sheer number of choices can be somewhat overwhelming, so we want to break them down a little.

Our team here at LaSante Health Center includes women’s health experts who head up our OB/GYN department. From puberty through menopause, our goal is to offer you the services you need for every stage of your reproductive life.

As part of that effort, we’ve created four different birth control categories below to help hone your search for the one that’s right for you.

Barrier methods

One of the simplest ways to prevent an unplanned pregnancy is to prevent sperm from reaching, and fertilizing, your eggs. Called barrier birth control, the following accomplish just that:

• Condoms
• Cervical caps
• Diaphragms
• Sponges
• Copper intrauterine devices (IUDs)
• Spermicide

Of these methods, only condoms can also protect you against sexually transmitted infections.

Hormonal birth control options

Another way in which we can prevent pregnancy is to regulate your ovulation through hormonal medications. Hormonal medications come in a variety of different formats, including:

• Oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
• Patches
• Injections
• Implants
• IUDs
• Vaginal rings

Hormonal birth control options tend to have very good efficacy rates. In fact, hormonal IUDs and birth control implants are 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.

Natural methods

If you’d prefer a more natural approach to preventing pregnancy, there are a few options you might want to consider.

First, you can try fertility awareness, a technique in which you track your ovulation and avoid intercourse or use protection such as condoms when you know you’re ovulating.

Outercourse and the withdrawal method are also good techniques for natural birth control.

Lastly, there’s abstinence, which for obvious reasons, is the only birth control method that offers 100% protection against pregnancy.

Permanent solutions

If you know you don’t want children in the future, you can opt for a more permanent solution, such as a tubal ligation. With this procedure, your fallopian tubes are blocked to prevent pregnancy. 

As effective, if you're in a monogamous relationship, your partner can get a vasectomy to prevent him from delivering sperm.

Breaking down your birth control options into four categories is just one way in which we help patients make the best choice for their circumstances. 

There are other considerations, such as ease of use and how well they work, and we’re happy to help you plug all of your goals and concerns into the equation to help you find the best solution for your family planning needs.

To explore your birth control options further, please contact our clinic in Brooklyn, New York, today to schedule an appointment. We serve the Flatbush and East Flatbush, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Little Haiti, Little Caribbean, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens communities.