Contraception is not one decision, it is three: how effective a method is with ordinary use,
what it does about infections, and whether you will actually keep using it. A method that is 99%
effective in trials and 91% in practice is a 91% method.
Two facts settle most of the choosing. Only barrier methods protect against STIs, and the methods with
the highest typical-use effectiveness are the ones that need no daily decision — the implant, the IUD
and the injection.
Barrier methods
- Condoms: how effective they really are
- Condom sizing
- Internal condoms
- Female and internal condoms, compared
Hormonal methods
Long-acting and permanent
Timing and planning
What this page cannot tell you: which method suits your body. Hormonal methods
interact with migraines, blood pressure and breastfeeding, and a copper IUD changes period bleeding.
That decision belongs with a clinician who knows your history — this page is for arriving at that
conversation already knowing the options.
The Birth Control Pill
The Birth Control Pill: Timing, Effectiveness, Missed Pills, and Who Should Avoid It
Female Sterilisation
Female Sterilisation: Permanent Contraception, the Procedure, and Your Alternatives
Emergency Contraception
Emergency Contraception: The 72-Hour Window, the IUD, and the Weight Caveat