This book can assist you with any questions you may have about obtaining and using birth control. It is designed to provide simple answers to anyone who wants more information on contraception or who is concerned about the method they use or are considering using.

Deciding which method suits you

The best way for you to quit depends on a variety of factors, including your age, whether you smoke, your medical and family histories, and any medications you’re taking. Some females prefer taking a regular pill such as Microgynon which is taken every day.

How effective are the different methods?

The table below shows how effective each of the 15 distinct strategies is, as well as how often you should employ them or consider them (frequency of use). According to the NHS, each approach’s effectiveness is calculated by determining how many women become pregnant if 100 women use it for a year.

Contraceptives more than 99% effective include:

• the contraceptive implant which lasts up to 3 years
• an intrauterine system, or IUS which lasts up to 5 years
• an intrauterine device, or IUD which lasts up to 5 to 10 years
• female sterilisation which is permanent
• male sterilisation or vasectomy which is permanent

Contraceptives that are more than 99% effective if used correctly all of the time, but less than 95% effective when used incorrectly:

• the contraceptive injection which is renewed every 8 weeks or every 12 weeks, depending on the type
• the combined pill which is taken every day for 3 weeks out of every month
• the progestogen-only pill which is taken every day
• a contraceptive patch which is renewed each week for 3 weeks in every month
• a vaginal ring which is renewed once a month

If used correctly, 99% effective contraceptives with failure rates of less than 1% include:

• a symptothermal method of natural family planning which includes daily monitoring of body temperature and cervical mucus

Contraceptives that are 98% effective if used correctly:

• male condom which is used every time you have sex

Contraceptives that are 95% effective if used correctly:

• the female condom which is used every time you have sex

Contraceptives that are 92 to 96% effective if used correctly:

• diaphragm or cap with spermicide which is used every time you have sex

Can you incorporate birth control into your daily routine?

If you’re a well-organized individual with a regular routine, you have a much bigger contraceptive alternative than those who aren’t as organised. This is because you’re less likely to forget about your contraception by forgetting to take a pill or reapplying a patch, for example. Whether you want to use a method that you only need to use when having sex, such as the male or female condom, or something that you must take every day, like the pill, is up to you. You might also want to think about treatments like the patch, injection, or implant, which you don’t need to use every day or when having sex.

Would you prefer a birth control method that doesn’t need to be remembered every day?

Not all contraceptives must be taken every day or on each occasion you have intercourse. Some contraceptives don’t need to be thought about for months or years. The contraceptive injection may be administered 1 of 2 ways: intramuscular injections into the buttock, or subcutaneous injections into the thigh or belly.