Methods of Birth Control

• Natural:

  • Abstinence: don’t have sex
  • Rhythm method: don’t have sex during the fertile period, only during the safe period
• Chemical Birth control:

  • Progesterone-only pill: pill which affects the uterus and makes implantation difficult
  • Spermicide: a chemical applied as a gel, cream or foam which kills sperm. It is very unreliable on its own but makes barrier methods of contraception more effective.
• What are the 4 mechanical methods of birth control?

  condom, diaphragm, femidom, and IUD
• Condom: thin rubber covering over penis, it protects from impregnation and STDs, used by man
• Diaphragm: used by woman, prevent sperm entering uterus, reliable, must stay in place for 6 hours after sex, needs a correct size
• Femidom: closed end, has a ring which gets pushed through cervix and open end’s ring lies against the labia
• IUD: plastic-coated copper coil, can be left inside for months or even years, has a string which is used to remove it out of the vagina, reliable, it irritates uterus wall preventing implantation
• • Surgical:
  • Vasectomy: sperm ducts are cut and tied
  • Female sterilization: oviducts are cut and tied