Dr. Bassel Noah has a lot of experience and can guide you a lot for the decision. He will help you to decide which method of birth control is suitable for you according to your medical conditions and relationship. 

Types of birth control

Generally, there are five categories of birth control methods. Each method works in a different way, like preventing sperm from getting to an egg or discouraging your body from releasing eggs. But every contraceptive technique has the same primary goal of helping you avoid unwanted pregnancy.

One thing to note before we dive in: Birth control and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention aren’t the same things. Only condoms protect against STIs when used correctly. If STI prevention matters to you, you’ll want to use condoms in combination with another method.

1. Short-acting hormonal contraception

Hormonal birth control involves adjusting your body’s natural estrogen and/or progestin levels to make pregnancy much less likely. Common methods include birth control pills you take every day, a patch you replace every week, a vaginal ring you change every month, or a shot your doctor gives you every three months. All of these methods require a prescription. For most women, they’re about 91% to 95% effective at preventing pregnancy.

2. Long-term contraception

Long-term contraception can be a good choice if you want effective, lasting birth control without much maintenance. Choices include an implant inserted into your arm or an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted into your uterus. These methods are 99% effective at preventing pregnancy. They’ll work for 3–10 years, depending on the particular method you choose. The implant (Nexplanon) and hormonal IUDs (such as Skyla, Mirena, Kyleena) work by adjusting your body’s progestin levels over time. Copper IUDs (ParaGard) do not use hormones. Instead, the copper stops sperm from fertilizing your eggs.

3. One-time barrier contraception

Condoms, sponges, diaphragms, cervical caps, and spermicide are all barrier birth control methods. They each work differently, but they all create a sperm “barrier” during sex to physically prevent sperm from reaching an egg. Barrier contraception methods don’t require a prescription and are available at many stores or online. Additionally, condoms help protect against STIs, the only birth control method to do so.

4. Permanent contraception

Tubal ligation (for women) or vasectomy (for men) are relatively simple surgical procedures intended to make pregnancy impossible. They’re almost 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. If you’re very sure you don’t want to have children in the future, they’re a great option to consider.

5. Emergency contraception

If you have sex without using birth control – or your birth control fails – emergency contraception can help prevent pregnancy. If you need emergency birth control, there are two types of pills available as well as a copper IUD. No matter which method you prefer, you’ll want to use emergency contraception as soon as possible for it to be most effective.