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Which Birth Control Method Is Best For You?
To assess which birth control method would be best for you, answer the following questions and check the interpretation.
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Do I: |
Yes |
No |
|
1. |
Need a contraceptive right away? |
Y |
N |
|
2. |
Want a contraceptive that can be used completely independent of sexual relations? |
Y |
N |
|
3. |
Need a contraceptive only once in a great while? |
Y |
N |
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4. |
Want something with no harmful side effects? |
Y |
N |
|
5. |
Want to avoid going to the doctor? |
Y |
N |
|
6. |
Want something that will help protect against sexually transmitted diseases? |
Y |
N |
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7. |
Have to be concerned about affordability? |
Y |
N |
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8. |
Need to be virtually certain that pregnancy will not result? |
Y |
N |
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9. |
Want to avoid pregnancy now but want to have a child sometime in the future? |
Y |
N |
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10. |
Have any medical condition or lifestyle that may rule out some form of contraception? |
Y |
N |
Interpretation
If you have checked Yes to number:
- Condoms and spermicides may be easily purchased without prescription in any pharmacy.
- Sterilization, oral contraceptives, hormone implants or injections, cervical caps, and periodic abstinence techniques do not require that anything be done just before sexual relations.
- Diaphragms, condoms, or spermicides can be used by people who have coitus only once in a while. Periodic abstinence techniques may also be appropriate but require a high degree of skill and motivation.
- IUDs should be carefully discussed with your physician. Sometimes the use of oral contraceptives or hormone products results in some minor discomfort and may have harmful side effects.
- Condoms and spermicides do not require a prescription from a physician.
- Condoms and, to a lesser extent, spermicides and the other barrier methods may help protect against some sexually transmitted diseases. No method (except abstinence) can guarantee complete protection.
- Be a wise consumer: check prices, ask pharmacists and physicians. The cost of sterilization is high, but there is no additional expense for a lifetime.
- Sterilization provides near certainty. Oral contraceptives, hormone implants or injections, or a diaphragm-condom-spermicide combination also give a high measure of reliable protection. Periodic abstinence, withdrawal, and douche methods should be avoided. Outercourse may be a good alternative.
- Although it is sometimes possible to reverse sterilization, it requires surgery and is more complex than simply stopping use of any of the other methods.
- Smokers and people with a history of blood clots should probably not use oral contraceptives or other hormone approaches. Some people have an allergic reaction to a specific spermicide and should experiment with another brand. Some women cannot be fitted with a diaphragm or cervical cap because of the position of the uterus. The woman and her health care provider will then need to select another suitable means of contraception.
To Carry This Further
There may be more than one method of birth control suitable for you. Always consider how a method you select can also help you avoid an STD. Study the methods suggested above, and consult Table 16-1 to determine what techniques may be most appropriate.
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