Birth Control
Source American Academy of Family Physicians
The type of birth control you should use depends on our needs. Some people only need to prevent pregnancy. Other people may also want to protect themselves or their partners from diseases that can be passed by having sex.
Does it Work?
For any method to work, it must be used every time you have sex, and it must be used the right way. The following information shows the failure rates of the different types of birth control during the first year a woman and her partner use them. These numbers are for couples who use the methods the right way every time they have sex. The numbers would be much higher if you don’t use the methods the right way ever time.
Failure rates when birth control methods are used carefully…
| Not having sex | 0% |
| Hormone implant | 0.04% |
| Vasectomy | 0.1% |
| The pill | 0.1% to 0.5% |
| Tubal ligation | 0.2% |
| IUD | 0.8% to 2% |
| Hormone shots | <1% |
| Condoms alone | 2%* |
| Rhythm | 2% to 10% |
| Diaphragm | 3% |
| Spermicide alone | 3% |
| Withdrawl | 4% |
| Cervical cap | 5% |
| Sponge | 5% to 8% |
| Chance | 89% |
* Condoms can be made even more effective if they are used with spermicides in the vagina.
Listed below are links to information about birth control.
This information should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment:
