Types Of Birth Control Methods

Family planning is a method used and implemented by the couple to plan when to have kids. This involves the use of various techniques to control the amount and timing of pregnancy.

There are so many types of birth control methods today. You need to educate yourself about the choice of much different birth control. Then you can make a decision about which birth control method is right for you.

Barrier Methods:The barrier methods of birth control work by preventing the sperm from reaching the egg. The idea of inserting something into the vagina to prevent pregnancy is not new.

Barrier methods include the following:
  • Male Condom: Male condom thin sheath placed over the erect penis to keep sperm from entering the woman's body. Condoms can be made from latex, polyurethane, or "natural / lambskin".
  • Female Condom: These condoms are worn by women in the vagina to prevent sperm from getting into the body. Female condoms are made of thin, flexible rubber, man-made and packaged with a lubricant.
  • Spermicides: Spermicides are chemicals that are designed to kill sperm before they reach the uterus. Spermicide chemicals are available as foam, jelly, foaming tablets and vaginal suppositories.
Hormonal Methods:

The hormonal birth method primarily works by suppressing a woman's ovulation; preventing a woman's ovaries from releasing an egg each month, causing the cervical mucus to thicken making it harder for sperm to reach and penetrate the egg, thinning the lining of the uterus which reduces the likelihood that a fertilized egg will implant in the uterus wall.

Hormonal methods include the following:
  • contraceptive pill. Birth control pills are oral contraceptives made from synthetic hormones. This must be taken every day at the same time to build the full efficiency of this method.
  • Injected contraceptives. It is a synthetic hormone injected in women that aims to prevent the release of eggs and the lining to thicken the cervical mucus to impede sperm movement.
  • Hormonal patch. This is the adhesive patch, about the size of dollar-a-half, worn on the arm, under the belly or the buttocks, which administers the synthetic hormones through the skin. This is to be used for a week and replaced with new ones every week.