There are many ways you can prevent pregnancy. Birth control options abound, but some work better than others. The key is to make sure you are using them the right way.
Here’s what you can do:
Hormonal birth control methods like the pill, patch, ring, implant, shot, or IUD can significantly reduce your chances of getting pregnant, but they don’t eliminate your chances.
These experts say that the methods work in different ways. For example, IUDs prevent sperm from reaching an egg, while the pill, ring, and patch prevent ovulation.
Although it is not impossible to get pregnant during your period, your chances are very low.
Your lowest chance of getting pregnant during your period is the first day of bleeding. But the chances increase with each passing day as you get closer to your ovulation window. If your typical menstrual cycle is closer to an average 28- to 30-day cycle, you are less likely to get pregnant during your period. But the shorter your cycle, the higher your chances of getting pregnant during your period.
- You use the ‘pull-out’ method
The pull-out method may be the oldest birth control method in the world.
The pull-out procedure, also known as withdrawal, involves pulling the penis out of the vagina before ejaculation.
Although some studies have found withdrawal with perfect use to be 96% effective, maintaining perfect use with this method is not easy.
When using a condom to avoid pregnancy (or sexually transmitted infections, for that matter), using it correctly is essential. Proper use means that the condom is rolled over the penis (or inserted into the vagina in the case of internal or female condoms) before any contact is made between the genitals and the skin.
According to research, the chance of getting pregnant with male condoms is about 18% and with female condoms, it is 21%. With perfect condom use every time, that odds drops to 2%.
Some nursing parents use the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) or “breastfeeding method” to prevent pregnancy after delivery. LAM as a form of birth control relies on a temporary pause in ovulation that accompanies breastfeeding during the first several months postpartum.
Experts say that while breastfeeding, estrogen, the hormone that causes you to get your period every month, is suppressed, thus preventing pregnancy.
