When you decide to use birth control, there are many factors you should consider such as if and when you want children, if you want to take pills or not worry about taking daily medication, and your lifestyle, including if you travel frequently. Thinking about these questions can help you determine the most appropriate form of birth control for you.  Make an honest assessment of yourself, your partner and your relationship. If you are not in a monogamous relationship this can also influence your choice(s) for birth control. For example, if you are in a long term relationship and want to wait a few years to have children, you might opt for a long term birth control method such as an intrauterine device (IUD). If you have multiple partners, you may opt for birth control pills and condoms to protect from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.  If you are in a long-term relationship, involve your partner in the decision so that you can make it mutually and it fits with both of your lifestyles. Consider questions such as “do I want to plan every time I have sex?,” “do I want to remember to take a pill every day?,” “do I want to end my fertility permanently?”.  You’ll also want to think about your health. For example, if you suffer from migraines, birth control pills may not be a good choice for you. There are many different options for birth control that you can use. Exploring the various types of birth control can help you decide which option is appropriate for you.  You can choose barrier methods that are put on or inserted right before sex including male and female condoms, a diaphragm, a cervical cap, and spermicide.  If used properly, these methods can help protect against pregnancy, but you may want to use a secondary method to help ensure that you don’t get pregnant. For example, if you’re using condoms, which have a failure rate of 2-18%, you may want to also use a spermicide.  Hormonal birth control, which has a low failure rate of less than 1% to 9%, are a good option if you want to avoid pregnancy and are in a long-term relationship. The different types of hormonal birth control are the Pill, a patch, or a vaginal ring. Birth control pills can have the added benefit that they can help regulate your menstrual cycle.  You can choose a long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) method such as an IUD, hormonal shots, or a contraceptive implant if you want to wait to have children. It can take some time to return to fertility after using these methods, but they will not affect your ability to conceive in the long-term.  Sterilization is a birth control option if you are sure you never want children. Vasectomies and tubal ligations are generally irreversible procedures and must be seriously considered before making a final decision to go through with them.  Natural Family Planning, or NFP, avoids medications and more immediate methods such as condoms altogether. This might be a choice if you can’t use other contraceptives or simply don’t want to use other methods. However natural family planning has a high failure rate and should not be used if a pregnancy would be unacceptable. NFP includes the rhythm method, checking cervical mucus and checking basal temperature, or withdrawal. These methods require a lot of planning and diligence but have the benefit of not costing anything or having side effects. Every birth control method comes with potential risks, including unwanted pregnancy. Being aware of potential risks and side effects of the different birth control methods can help you choose the best method for you.  Hormonal birth control, such as pills, patches, and vaginal rings increase risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but decrease risk of ovarian cancer. Barrier methods such as condoms, spermicides, and caps can cause allergic reactions and may increase your risk for urinary tract infections or STDs.  The risks for long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods include perforation of the uterus, increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy, and pain and heavy menstrual bleeding.  Although there are no particular medical risks to NFP, you are at an increased risk for unwanted pregnancy because this method isn’t as effective as other forms of birth control. Once you’ve had a chance to explore your different options for birth control, make an informed decision which method is right for you. Not only should you talk to your partner, but also consult with your doctor, who will need to prescribe methods such as birth control pills, LARCs, and sterilization.
فكِّري في نمط حياة الأسرة ورغباتها. استكشفي أنواع وسائل تحديد النسل المختلفة. احذري المخاطرات المحتملة لأساليب منع الحمل المختلفة. اتخذي قرارًا بشأن طريقة تحديد النسل المناسبة لكِ.