Best Ways to Birth control

Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure similar to vasectomy, but this is for women. They are almost 100 percent effective to prevent pregnancy. It takes a few days to recover from the surgery and there will be no change in day-to-day life, sexual functions, and periods. Reversing a tubal ligation does not guarantee your fertility will return.

The birth control implant (also known as Nexplanon) is a small, thin rod about a matchstick's size. The implant releases hormones in your body that prevent you from getting pregnant. A nurse or doctor inserts the implant into your arm, and that's it - you're protected against pregnancy for up to 5 years. It is a contraceptive method that you can get and forget.

The hormones in the birth control implant prevent pregnancy in two ways:

-Progestin thickens the mucus in the cervix, preventing sperm from swimming to the egg. When a sperm cannot meet an egg, pregnancy cannot occur.

-Progestin can also prevent eggs from leaving the ovaries (called ovulation), so there are no eggs to fertilize. When no eggs are released, you cannot get pregnant.

If you have unprotected sex, an emergency contraceptive is most effective. There are three common ways to prevent pregnancy - two pills and a copper IUD. 

Plan B is an emergency contraceptive pill that does not need a prescription from a doctor. It can be taken within 3 days of unprotected sex.

Another contraceptive pill is Ella, but it needs a doctor's prescription. It is effective when taken within 5 days of unprotected sex.

The last option is the copper IUD. This also needs a doctor’s prescription and is effective when inserted within 5 days of unprotected sex.

For all the three options, it is best to use it as soon as possible to reduce the chances of pregnancy. 

Hormonal birth control includes adjusting your body’s natural progestin and/or estrogen levels to decrease the chances of pregnancy. You can use birth control pills you take every day, a patch that you replace every week, a shot your doctor gives you every three months or a vaginal ring you can change every month. All of these methods require a doctor’s prescription. 

A condom is one-time barrier contraception. They create a sperm barrier during sex to prevent sperm from reaching an egg. Condoms also help in protecting against STIs, and this is the only birth control to do so. The chances of avoiding pregnancy are around 70-80 percent.

Long-term contraception is a good choice if you want effective and long-lasting birth control without the high maintenance. Choices include an IUD (intrauterine device) to be inserted in your uterus or an implant inserted in your arm. These decrease the chances of pregnancy by 99 percent. Depending on the particular method you choose, these usually work for 3-10 years. 

But if you plan to have kids, it is easy to remove your IUD and implant it. You may experience some discomfort when the device is implanted and some people experience temporary side effects like headaches, weight gain, and soreness. So, choose wisely.

Vasectomy is a simple surgical procedure that makes pregnancy impossible. If you are sure that you do not want children in the future, then this is a good option to consider. It usually takes a few days to recover. Reversing a vasectomy is possible, but there isn’t any guarantee that your fertility will return.