Ways to Prevent Pregnancy
Statistics show that women who do not take any cautions during intercourse get pregnant within a year on average. It can even happen for the first time without protection. Luckily, there are many ways to prevent pregnancy. Depending on your preferences, you can choose the right method for yourself.
In this article, we are having a quick look at available ways to prevent pregnancy. Down here, you can read how to prevent pregnancy with various methods. Let’s see these methods.
Rhythm Method ways to prevent pregnancy
Instead of using medicines or some devices, you can also prevent pregnancy naturally. If you track your period cycles, and other signs, you can calculate the fertile days that you can get pregnant. So you can avoid risk on those days. This is called the rhythm method for birth control. Although this method is not as effective as some other methods when it is practiced properly, it offers high effectiveness.
Male condoms
Male condoms are one of the most commonly used methods to prevent pregnancy. As a barrier method, condoms also help you stay protected against infections. When used correctly, male condoms can offer high effectiveness to avoid pregnancy. If the male partner uses the correct size and wears it correctly, condoms can offer near 90 percent safety.
Birth Control Pills to prevent pregnancy
The second most popular way to prevent pregnancy is the use of contraceptive pills. These pills regulate the hormones in the body to change ovulation cycles. With proper use, these birth control pills provide near-complete effectiveness. Using these pills for birth control requires using them on a strict schedule for this protection.
Female condoms to avoid pregnancy
Although they are not as popular as their male versions, female condoms can offer a level of similar protection. Like the male versions, this method can offer protection against infections as well.
Spermicide
Using spermicides can be done together with various other methods. These products act as chemical barriers. Although they can be used alone to prevent pregnancy, for the best result, they should be used with physical barrier methods.
Diaphragm to prevent pregnancy
Another barrier method that you can use to prevent pregnancy is a diaphragm. By putting in one of these specially designed diaphragms a couple of hours before, you can block fertilization. For best effectiveness, keep it in for 6 hours after use.
Cervical caps to prevent pregnancy
Also known as FemCap, cervical caps work similarly to diaphragms. These silicone cups can stop fertilization by blocking the way. If it is used with spermicide products, this method offers high effectiveness to prevent pregnancy.
Birth Control Sponge to prevent pregnancy
Another barrier method to preventing pregnancy is by using the birth control sponge. These sponges are made out of polyurethane foam. With the spermicide in it, the sponge blocks the fertilization.
Birth Control Patches to prevent pregnancy
Another way to regulate the hormones is by using patches that you can stick to your skin. Instead of taking pills, women can get the same hormones through their skin with birth control patches. The difference is that they typically only require to get replenished weekly, expert a week skip each month for menstruation.
NuvaRing
Products like NuvaRing, work similarly to birth control patches. They are small rings that you put in your cervix. These rings release hormones for three weeks and prevent pregnancy. While the effectiveness rates are as high as the pills or patches, these methods can allow you to have less trouble with keeping up with the schedule. You need to be careful about the placement and chances for the ring to fall.
Injection ways to prevent pregnancy
Instead of taking pills or patches, you can regulate your hormones to prevent pregnancy by getting injections. You can visit a doctor once every three months. With this method, you do not deal with many factors to skip, so the effectiveness is quite high. But you would need to remember that you will need a long time before you can get off the injection’s effects if you don’t want to prevent pregnancy anymore.
Implants
If you wonder how to prevent pregnancy in longer terms without any trouble can consider getting a birth control implant. These implants are as small as a match stick, and they release hormones that prevent pregnancy. After getting such an implant in your arm, typically, it stops fertilization for the next three years, then it needs to be replaced.
IUDs to prevent pregnancy
To prevent pregnancy for even longer terms, you can use IUD methods. These are small devices that are put in the uterus. They do not change the ovulation cycles. But they can still stop the fertilization. There are two IUD types. You can use the hormone-based models which change the uterus environment and can prevent pregnancy for five years. There are also copper-based models that can act like spermicides. Usually, these models can be used for almost ten years without a problem.
Sterilization ways to prevent pregnancy
If you are certain about your decision to prevent pregnancy, and you want to do it permanently, you can also consider sterilization procedures. These procedures are available for both men and women. Sterilization can take away your worries about how to prevent pregnancy. But these procedures should only be considered if you are sure that you will not change your mind. Because these procedures may not be possible to reverse sometimes.
“The day after” solutions to prevent pregnancy
Although it is not recommended to use it as a long-term solution, there are some ways to prevent pregnancy that you can use after you had intercourse. Within the time window of a few days, you can take plan-b-style hormonal pills to avoid pregnancy. Alternatively, you can get a copper-based IUD within the same time window. Copper-based IUDs can stop fertilization even five days later.
