What sorts of birth control are available?

What sorts of birth control are available?

Condoms are the only contraceptive method that protects you from HIV and other STIs. They are about 87% effective in preventing pregnancy, and can also be used in conjunction with other methods.

You can also be fitted for a diaphragm, a rubber cap that fits over your cervix and is usually used in conjunction with spermicide. Diaphragms are about as effective as condoms, but are reusable.

The birth control pill can have mixed side effects, which can vary by type. If you take them every day at the same time, they are about 98% effective. With less regularity, the effectiveness drops to about 92%.

Other options are a hormonal patch, which is placed in a discreet place on the skin and changed weekly, Nuvaring, a hormone-containing ring which is inserted into the vagina monthly, or Depo Provera, a quarterly shot. These methods require less diligence than the pill, but regular use is still important. Side effects are similar to those of the pill. The ring occasionally can slip out without being noticed. The shot suppresses menstruation, but spotting is common. Used correctly, the patch and ring are 98% effective, the shot 99%.

The morning after pill (Plan B) is available if you have unprotected sex or if your condom breaks or slips. It can be used up to 72 hours after intercourse, though it is more effective if used sooner. Plan B is less effective than other methods and often causes nausea and other unpleasant side effects, so it shouldn’t be used as primary contraception.

You can also have an IUD inserted. The procedure places a small t-shaped device in the uterus. There are two IUDs available; one lasts five years and releases hormones, which thicken cervical mucous and thin the uterine lining, the other lasts ten and contains copper, which kills sperm. IUD insertion is painful, and IUDs can cause prolonged spotting, worsen cramping, or make your period irregular. The copper IUD is 99.2% effective and the hormone-releasing IUD, the most effective contraceptive on the market, is 99.8%.

College health services offices usually have a variety of these contraceptives available, along with STI screenings, often for free. Health services can also often provide information and counseling services, and refer students to local doctors and clinics for services the school can not provide, like IUD insertions and abortions, which school health plans may at least partially cover. Condoms and lubricants are also often available in other locations around campuses, like dorms.

Planned Parenthood clinics provide many of the same products and services for free or affordable prices.

Recommendations: A couple of birth control options and a book about how to practice safer sex while keeping it hot.