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| |    Birth Control Methods: A List of Available Options by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. reviewed and revised by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. Here is a list with brief definitions of commonly used birth control methods. For each type of birth control, you will find a link to a more in-depth article. In order to best understand how each method works, it may be useful for you to review what actually takes place during a typical menstrual cycle, as well as the events of conception. Abstinence-based methods
Abstinence means avoiding sexual intercourse. Also called natural family planning or the rhythm method, periodic abstinence requires timing intercourse for when there is the lowest risk of pregnancy, and avoiding it at other times.
These include foam, film, jellies, and suppositories that contain a sperm-killing chemical, usually nonoxynol-9. A small plastic implement placed into the uterus by the healthcare practitioner, the IUD primarily prevents sperm from reaching the egg by creating an environment in the cervix and uterus that is toxic to sperm. One currently available IUD is effective for 10 years unless removed or expelled. Birth control pills Also called a combination oral contraceptive pill, the Pill contains estrogen and progestin and generally prevents a woman from ovulating. The Mini-Pill is a daily pill that only has the hormone progestin. The birth control patch and the vaginal ring Birth control skin patches and vaginal rings carry the same two types of hormones as the pill, but deliver the hormones by different routes. Since these methods don’t require taking a daily pill, many women find them easier to remember. The morning-after pill As the name implies, the morning-after pill, also called emergency contraception, is taken to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. Depo-Provera and other injectable and implantable contraceptives Depo-Provera, also called "the shot," is a long-lasting injectable hormonal medication that provides contraception for three months. This article also has information about some new developments in the area of long-acting hormonal contraceptives. Vasectomy Men can have their tubes tied with a brief procedure that is done through the scrotum under local anesthesia in the doctor's office. Vasectomy prevents sperm from entering semen but does not affect ejaculation. Tubal ligation There are numerous methods for tying the tubes of the woman. Most involve making one or two small incisions in the abdomen. After tubal ligation, the egg is obstructed from traveling down the tube to meet a man's sperm. The woman's body absorbs the egg cell each month after ovulation. Tubal ligation does not affect her menstrual cycle.
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