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 is the brand name; previously Implanon) is a teeny-tiny rod that’s inserted under the skin of your upper arm. It’s so small, in fact, most people can’t see it once it’s inserted—which means it can be your little secret, if you’re so inclined. The implant releases progestin, a hormone that keeps your ovaries from releasing eggs and thickens your cervical mucus—which helps block sperm from getting to the egg in the first place. It prevents pregnancy for up to 5 years. Not too shabby.

The shot is just what it sounds like—a shot that keeps you from getting pregnant. Once you get it, your birth control is covered for three full months—there’s nothing else you have to do. Some people call the shot “Depo,” short for Depo-Provera. (Pronounced like Johnny Depp-oh.) The shot contains progestin, a hormone that prevents your ovaries from releasing eggs. It also thickens your cervical mucus, which helps block sperm from getting to the egg in the first place. Worth considering even if you’re afraid of needles… Because what’s a little prick compared to a pregnancy?

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 thin, beige piece of plastic that looks like a Band-Aid. All of the patch options are little less than two inches across, two are square and one is round, and all of them come in one—and only one—color. (Beige.) You stick the patch on your skin and it gives off hormones that prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs. The hormones also thicken your cervical mucus, which helps to block sperm from getting to the egg in the first place.

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.

A diaphragm is a shallow, dome-shaped cup made of silicone. (Honestly, it looks like Meg Griffin’s hat on The Family Guy. Except it’s only a few inches in diameter.) You insert the diaphragm into your vagina. Then it covers your cervix and keeps sperm out of your uterus. One super important thing to remember: For a diaphragm to work effectively, you need to use it with spermicide.

Rubber. Jimmy-hat. Love sock. Wrapper. However you say it, condoms are one of the most popular forms of birth control out there. They slip over the penis to prevent pregnancy and lower the risk of STIs by keeping sperm inside the condom and out of the vagina. (There are also internal condoms that go inside the vagina.) Condoms come in hundreds of shapes and sizes, with lube and without.

The internal condom (sold under the brand name FC2) is a pouch that feels and works a lot like an external 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.

A cervical cap is a silicone cup you insert in your vagina to cover your cervix and keep sperm out of your uterus. The “cap” part of the name is pretty dead on—the thing looks like a little rubber sailor’s hat, maybe an inch and a half wide and one inch high. There’s only one brand of cervical cap available in the U.S. today, and it’s jauntily named the FemCap. One super important thing to remember: You need to use a cervical cap with spermicide for it to be most effective.

Fertility awareness-based methods—or natural family planning—are all about tracking your menstrual cycle to determine the days that you can get pregnant. The tricky part is actually knowing when those days are. To do that, you’ll need to pay very close attention to your body and its patterns. Here we list all the different ways you can monitor your day-to-day fertility.

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 is the oldest form of birth control on the planet. There’s not much to explain, really. The guy pulls out before he ejaculates. End of story. Some people call withdrawal the “pull out method.” Or you may hear people call it “coitus interruptus.” The key thing to remember is this: You’ve got to do it right—every single time—for withdrawal to be effective. And how many guys do you know with that kind of total control?

Sterilization is a procedure that closes or blocks your fallopian tubes so you can’t get pregnant. (Your tubes are where eggs and sperm meet. If they can’t meet, they can’t hook up.) Guys also have a sterilization option—a vasectomy blocks the tubes that carry a man’s sperm. It’s even safer and more effective than female sterilization. Talk to a health care provider to learn more and be sure to ask about state and federal requirements, like age restrictions and waiting periods.

“Not right now” is our way of saying “no vaginal sex.” It’s a great method as far as effectiveness is concerned—if you use it 100% of the time, you’re guaranteed to not get pregnant. And if you’re avoiding sexual activity altogether, you’ll be safe from STIs too. But it does involve a whole lot of self-control.

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 is the brand name; previously Implanon) is a teeny-tiny rod that’s inserted under the skin of your upper arm. It’s so small, in fact, most people can’t see it once it’s inserted—which means it can be your little secret, if you’re so inclined. The implant releases progestin, a hormone that keeps your ovaries from releasing eggs and thickens your cervical mucus—which helps block sperm from getting to the egg in the first place. It prevents pregnancy for up to 5 years. Not too shabby.

Sterilization is a procedure that closes or blocks your fallopian tubes so you can’t get pregnant. (Your tubes are where eggs and sperm meet. If they can’t meet, they can’t hook up.) Guys also have a sterilization option—a vasectomy blocks the tubes that carry a man’s sperm. It’s even safer and more effective than female sterilization. Talk to a health care provider to learn more and be sure to ask about state and federal requirements, like age restrictions and waiting periods.

“Not right now” is our way of saying “no vaginal sex.” It’s a great method as far as effectiveness is concerned—if you use it 100% of the time, you’re guaranteed to not get pregnant. And if you’re avoiding sexual activity altogether, you’ll be safe from STIs too. But it does involve a whole lot of self-control.

Rubber. Jimmy-hat. Love sock. Wrapper. However you say it, condoms are one of the most popular forms of birth control out there. They slip over the penis to prevent pregnancy and lower the risk of STIs by keeping sperm inside the condom and out of the vagina. (There are also internal condoms that go inside the vagina.) Condoms come in hundreds of shapes and sizes, with lube and without.

The internal condom (sold under the brand name FC2) is a pouch that feels and works a lot like an external 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” is our way of saying “no vaginal sex.” It’s a great method as far as effectiveness is concerned—if you use it 100% of the time, you’re guaranteed to not get pregnant. And if you’re avoiding sexual activity altogether, you’ll be safe from STIs too. But it does involve a whole lot of self-control.

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.

A diaphragm is a shallow, dome-shaped cup made of silicone. (Honestly, it looks like Meg Griffin’s hat on The Family Guy. Except it’s only a few inches in diameter.) You insert the diaphragm into your vagina. Then it covers your cervix and keeps sperm out of your uterus. One super important thing to remember: For a diaphragm to work effectively, you need to use it with spermicide.

Rubber. Jimmy-hat. Love sock. Wrapper. However you say it, condoms are one of the most popular forms of birth control out there. They slip over the penis to prevent pregnancy and lower the risk of STIs by keeping sperm inside the condom and out of the vagina. (There are also internal condoms that go inside the vagina.) Condoms come in hundreds of shapes and sizes, with lube and without.

The internal condom (sold under the brand name FC2) is a pouch that feels and works a lot like an external 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.

A cervical cap is a silicone cup you insert in your vagina to cover your cervix and keep sperm out of your uterus. The “cap” part of the name is pretty dead on—the thing looks like a little rubber sailor’s hat, maybe an inch and a half wide and one inch high. There’s only one brand of cervical cap available in the U.S. today, and it’s jauntily named the FemCap. One super important thing to remember: You need to use a cervical cap with spermicide for it to be most effective.

Fertility awareness-based methods—or natural family planning—are all about tracking your menstrual cycle to determine the days that you can get pregnant. The tricky part is actually knowing when those days are. To do that, you’ll need to pay very close attention to your body and its patterns. Here we list all the different ways you can monitor your day-to-day fertility.

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 is the oldest form of birth control on the planet. There’s not much to explain, really. The guy pulls out before he ejaculates. End of story. Some people call withdrawal the “pull out method.” Or you may hear people call it “coitus interruptus.” The key thing to remember is this: You’ve got to do it right—every single time—for withdrawal to be effective. And how many guys do you know with that kind of total control?

Sterilization is a procedure that closes or blocks your fallopian tubes so you can’t get pregnant. (Your tubes are where eggs and sperm meet. If they can’t meet, they can’t hook up.) Guys also have a sterilization option—a vasectomy blocks the tubes that carry a man’s sperm. It’s even safer and more effective than female sterilization. Talk to a health care provider to learn more and be sure to ask about state and federal requirements, like age restrictions and waiting periods.

“Not right now” is our way of saying “no vaginal sex.” It’s a great method as far as effectiveness is concerned—if you use it 100% of the time, you’re guaranteed to not get pregnant. And if you’re avoiding sexual activity altogether, you’ll be safe from STIs too. But it does involve a whole lot of self-control.