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• Reproductive Years
• Birth Control
• Hormonal Contraception

Hormonal Contraception

With each of these methods you take a hormone–usually progestin or estrogen–similar to those that your body makes naturally. These hormones prevent ovulation; you have no egg to be fertilized, so you can’t become pregnant. Hormonal contraception is generally over 95% effective, and for most women, has few serious side effects.

One caveat: if you're over 35, and a smoker, you may want to talk to your doctor about whether this method is right for you, since hormonal birth control may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Birth control pills

Oral contraceptives are one of the most popular forms of birth control. There are many different brands of “the pill” with differing levels of hormones. Talk to your doctor about choosing the right pill for you.

Hormone injections

If it’s not convenient to take a pill every day, you may prefer to receive hormone injections. Some are given each month, and some are effective for as long as three months. Irregular bleeding is one potential drawback of this method.

Vaginal ring

This is a flexible plastic ring with controlled-release progestin and estrogen. You wear it for 21 days, remove it for 7 days – during your period – and insert a new one. You can insert and remove the ring yourself, without a doctor visit.

Skin patch

This is ready-to-wear birth control, a small patch like a band-aid on your skin. It releases controlled doses of hormones, which you absorb through your skin. You wear each patch for a week, replacing it the same day of the week for 3 weeks. During the fourth week, you don’t wear the patch, and your period occurs. Here again, you can wear and replace it yourself, without visiting your doctor.

The “morning after” pill

If you have sex without any birth control, or if a method has failed (a condom slipped or broke), just remember there are emergency alternatives available. By taking certain combinations of birth control pills, within 72 hours of unprotected sex, you can greatly reduce your chances of becoming pregnant. If you need a “morning after” solution, talk to your doctor right away. 

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