Find Your Method

The intrauterine device (IUD) is a small, T-shaped piece of plastic that you can have a health care provider put inside your uterus. The IUD makes it harder for sperm to move efficiently, preventing it from fertilizing an egg. In the U.S., there are five brands of IUDs available: Kyleena, LILETTA, Mirena, Paragard, and Skyla.

The implant (Nexplanon and its generic versions) is a small rod, about the size of a matchstick, that’s inserted under the skin of your upper arm (after you get numbing medication!). Once it’s inserted, it’s not visible in most cases.

The implant slowly releases a single hormone, progestin, that prevents pregnancy primarily by thickening cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm and egg to meet. It’s FDA-approved to prevent pregnancy for up to three years, but research shows it’s effective for up to five years. You can always get it removed sooner if you want to.

The birth control shot is an injection you get in your arm, belly, thigh, or butt that keeps you from getting pregnant. Both types of birth control shots contain progestin which is the synthetic version of progesterone, a hormone made by the body. The shot prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation from happening, which means that the ovaries don’t release an egg.

The birth control ring (brand names: Annovera and NuvaRing) is a small, bendable plastic ring that you insert into your vagina. You leave it in place for three weeks at a time, then take it out for the fourth week. The main way the ring works is by giving off hormones that prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs.

There are two types of birth control rings, one that you can use over and over for up to a year (Annovera) and one type that is replaced monthly (NuvaRing or its generic versions).

The patch is a birth control method that sticks to your skin like a small Band-Aid or a patch you would use to help you stop smoking. It contains two different kinds of hormones, estrogen and progestin, that work together to prevent pregnancy. These hormones are absorbed through your skin. The main way they prevent pregnancy is by stopping ovulation from happening, which means that your ovaries don’t release an egg.

The birth control pill, also called “the pill” or “oral contraception” is a pill you take once a day to prevent pregnancy. There are lots of different brands of pills on the market, and new ones come out often. Most work by using hormones that keep your ovaries from releasing eggs.

The diaphragm is a small, flexible cup made of silicone that you insert into your vagina, along with spermicide, before penis-in-vagina sex. The diaphragm covers your cervix, preventing sperm from entering your uterus and fertilizing an egg. The spermicide you use with it makes sperm less able to move.

External condoms, which are usually just called condoms, are one type of barrier method of birth control, which means that they prevent pregnancy by physically blocking sperm from getting to eggs. Condoms fit snugly over the penis so that when ejaculation happens, the semen (the whitish fluid that contains sperm) stays inside the condom and out of the vagina, which keeps sperm away from any eggs. Each condom can only be used one time.

The internal condom (sold under the brand name FC2) is a pouch that feels and works a lot like the external condom, which is usually just referred to as a “condom.” Internal condoms are a type of barrier method of birth control, which means that they prevent pregnancy by physically blocking sperm from getting to eggs.

The cervical cap is a reusable silicone cup you fill with spermicide and insert deep into your vagina before penis-in-vagina sex. The cervical cap covers your cervix and keeps sperm from entering your uterus and fertilizing an egg. The spermicide you use with it makes sperm less able to move. FemCap is the only brand of cervical cap available in the U.S. today.

Fertility awareness methods (also sometimes called FAMs, “natural family planning,” or “the rhythm method”) are all about tracking your body’s signs and symptoms to determine which days of the month you can get pregnant, also known as your fertile days.

To find out when your fertile days are, you’ll need to pay very close attention to your body and its patterns, and you’ll also need to keep careful track of what’s happening. There are several different signs and symptoms of fertility that you can track, and there are multiple ways to monitor them.

The sponge is a round piece of white plastic foam with a little dimple on one side and a nylon loop across the top that looks like shoelace material. It’s pretty small—just two inches across—and you insert it way up in your vagina before you have sex. The sponge works in two ways: It blocks your cervix to keep sperm from getting into your uterus, and it continuously releases spermicide. Think of it like a bouncer at the nightclub door to your uterus.

“Spermicide” describes a bunch of different creams, films, foams, gels, and suppositories that you insert deep into your vagina before sex to prevent pregnancy. On its own, spermicide provides some pregnancy prevention, but pairing it with another method is way more effective. Some condoms come coated in spermicide, or you can use a separate spermicide along with a condom.

Withdrawal, also called the “pull-out method,” is one of the oldest forms of birth control on the planet. Withdrawal is when, during penis-in-vagina sex, the person with the penis pulls their penis out of their partner’s vagina before they ejaculate (cum). They can then ejaculate outside of the vagina if they like, but it’s important not to ejaculate on the vulva (the parts on the outside, which include the labia and the clitoris), as that can also lead to pregnancy.

Sterilization is permanent birth control. It’s one of the most effective kinds of birth control available, but it’s also the biggest commitment. Sterilization is for people who are sure they will never want to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. There are sterilization procedures both for people with a uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes (this procedure is called tubal ligation) and for people with testicles and a penis (this procedure is called vasectomy).

“Not right now” as a method for pregnancy prevention means not having penis-in-vagina sex. That means no sex where your partner’s penis goes into your vagina, and no other sexual activities that involve your partner’s semen (the whitish fluid that comes out of their penis when they ejaculate) getting on your vulva.

Emergency contraception (EC) (sometimes called the “morning after pill”) can stop a pregnancy before it starts by delaying ovulation. There are three different kinds of EC: an over-the-counter pill, a prescription-only pill (called ella), and certain IUDs.

The intrauterine device (IUD) is a small, T-shaped piece of plastic that you can have a health care provider put inside your uterus. The IUD makes it harder for sperm to move efficiently, preventing it from fertilizing an egg. In the U.S., there are five brands of IUDs available: Kyleena, LILETTA, Mirena, Paragard, and Skyla.

The implant (Nexplanon and its generic versions) is a small rod, about the size of a matchstick, that’s inserted under the skin of your upper arm (after you get numbing medication!). Once it’s inserted, it’s not visible in most cases.

The implant slowly releases a single hormone, progestin, that prevents pregnancy primarily by thickening cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm and egg to meet. It’s FDA-approved to prevent pregnancy for up to three years, but research shows it’s effective for up to five years. You can always get it removed sooner if you want to.

Sterilization is permanent birth control. It’s one of the most effective kinds of birth control available, but it’s also the biggest commitment. Sterilization is for people who are sure they will never want to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. There are sterilization procedures both for people with a uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes (this procedure is called tubal ligation) and for people with testicles and a penis (this procedure is called vasectomy).

“Not right now” as a method for pregnancy prevention means not having penis-in-vagina sex. That means no sex where your partner’s penis goes into your vagina, and no other sexual activities that involve your partner’s semen (the whitish fluid that comes out of their penis when they ejaculate) getting on your vulva.

External condoms, which are usually just called condoms, are one type of barrier method of birth control, which means that they prevent pregnancy by physically blocking sperm from getting to eggs. Condoms fit snugly over the penis so that when ejaculation happens, the semen (the whitish fluid that contains sperm) stays inside the condom and out of the vagina, which keeps sperm away from any eggs. Each condom can only be used one time.

The internal condom (sold under the brand name FC2) is a pouch that feels and works a lot like the external condom, which is usually just referred to as a “condom.” Internal condoms are a type of barrier method of birth control, which means that they prevent pregnancy by physically blocking sperm from getting to eggs.

“Not right now” as a method for pregnancy prevention means not having penis-in-vagina sex. That means no sex where your partner’s penis goes into your vagina, and no other sexual activities that involve your partner’s semen (the whitish fluid that comes out of their penis when they ejaculate) getting on your vulva.

The intrauterine device (IUD) is a small, T-shaped piece of plastic that you can have a health care provider put inside your uterus. The IUD makes it harder for sperm to move efficiently, preventing it from fertilizing an egg. In the U.S., there are five brands of IUDs available: Kyleena, LILETTA, Mirena, Paragard, and Skyla.

The diaphragm is a small, flexible cup made of silicone that you insert into your vagina, along with spermicide, before penis-in-vagina sex. The diaphragm covers your cervix, preventing sperm from entering your uterus and fertilizing an egg. The spermicide you use with it makes sperm less able to move.

External condoms, which are usually just called condoms, are one type of barrier method of birth control, which means that they prevent pregnancy by physically blocking sperm from getting to eggs. Condoms fit snugly over the penis so that when ejaculation happens, the semen (the whitish fluid that contains sperm) stays inside the condom and out of the vagina, which keeps sperm away from any eggs. Each condom can only be used one time.

The internal condom (sold under the brand name FC2) is a pouch that feels and works a lot like the external condom, which is usually just referred to as a “condom.” Internal condoms are a type of barrier method of birth control, which means that they prevent pregnancy by physically blocking sperm from getting to eggs.

The cervical cap is a reusable silicone cup you fill with spermicide and insert deep into your vagina before penis-in-vagina sex. The cervical cap covers your cervix and keeps sperm from entering your uterus and fertilizing an egg. The spermicide you use with it makes sperm less able to move. FemCap is the only brand of cervical cap available in the U.S. today.

Fertility awareness methods (also sometimes called FAMs, “natural family planning,” or “the rhythm method”) are all about tracking your body’s signs and symptoms to determine which days of the month you can get pregnant, also known as your fertile days.

To find out when your fertile days are, you’ll need to pay very close attention to your body and its patterns, and you’ll also need to keep careful track of what’s happening. There are several different signs and symptoms of fertility that you can track, and there are multiple ways to monitor them.

The sponge is a round piece of white plastic foam with a little dimple on one side and a nylon loop across the top that looks like shoelace material. It’s pretty small—just two inches across—and you insert it way up in your vagina before you have sex. The sponge works in two ways: It blocks your cervix to keep sperm from getting into your uterus, and it continuously releases spermicide. Think of it like a bouncer at the nightclub door to your uterus.

“Spermicide” describes a bunch of different creams, films, foams, gels, and suppositories that you insert deep into your vagina before sex to prevent pregnancy. On its own, spermicide provides some pregnancy prevention, but pairing it with another method is way more effective. Some condoms come coated in spermicide, or you can use a separate spermicide along with a condom.

Withdrawal, also called the “pull-out method,” is one of the oldest forms of birth control on the planet. Withdrawal is when, during penis-in-vagina sex, the person with the penis pulls their penis out of their partner’s vagina before they ejaculate (cum). They can then ejaculate outside of the vagina if they like, but it’s important not to ejaculate on the vulva (the parts on the outside, which include the labia and the clitoris), as that can also lead to pregnancy.

Sterilization is permanent birth control. It’s one of the most effective kinds of birth control available, but it’s also the biggest commitment. Sterilization is for people who are sure they will never want to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. There are sterilization procedures both for people with a uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes (this procedure is called tubal ligation) and for people with testicles and a penis (this procedure is called vasectomy).

“Not right now” as a method for pregnancy prevention means not having penis-in-vagina sex. That means no sex where your partner’s penis goes into your vagina, and no other sexual activities that involve your partner’s semen (the whitish fluid that comes out of their penis when they ejaculate) getting on your vulva.