"Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unintended pregnancy."
Understanding the available methods of contraception is necessary for counseling patients on birth control options and preventing unintended pregnancies.
Physiology of the Female Reproductive System: Understanding the structure and functioning of the female reproductive system is essential for learning about contraception. This topic covers the menstrual cycle, ovulation, fertilization, implantation, and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy.
Contraceptive Methods and their Mechanisms of Action: Different types of contraception work in various ways, preventing fertilization or implementation of the fertilized egg in the uterus. This topic covers barrier methods, hormonal methods, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and permanent methods of contraception.
Hormonal Contraception: This topic covers contraception methods that use hormones, such as birth control pills, patches, injections, and vaginal rings. It discusses how hormones regulate the menstrual cycle and prevent pregnancy.
Barrier Methods of Contraception: This topic covers physical methods that block sperm from reaching the egg, such as condoms, diaphragms, and cervical caps. It discusses their effectiveness, risks, and how to use them.
Emergency Contraception: This topic covers emergency contraception methods, also called morning-after pills, used after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy.
Long-acting Reversible Contraception (LARC): This topic covers LARC methods, such as IUDs and contraceptive implants, that provide long-lasting contraception and require minimal maintenance.
Sterilization: This topic covers permanent methods of contraception, such as tubal ligation and vasectomy, which involve surgery to prevent pregnancy.
Contraception for Special Situations: This topic covers contraception methods designed for special circumstances, such as breastfeeding, after childbirth, or during menopause. It also covers contraception for individuals with medical conditions or disabilities.
Counseling and Education: This topic covers the importance of counseling and education on contraception methods, their effectiveness, risks, and advantages.
Family Planning: This topic covers family planning, which involves planning and spacing pregnancies to promote optimal maternal and child health outcomes. It discusses contraceptive methods for family planning and preconception care.
Barrier methods: These prevent pregnancy by physically blocking sperm and include condoms, diaphragms, and cervical caps.
Hormonal methods: These work by altering a woman's hormonal balance to prevent ovulation or make it difficult for sperm to reach the egg. Hormonal methods include birth control pills, patches, injections, vaginal rings, and hormonal IUDs.
Intrauterine devices (IUDs): These are small, T-shaped devices that are inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. There are two types of IUDs available: hormonal and non-hormonal.
Sterilization: This includes procedures such as tubal ligation (for women) and vasectomy (for men), which permanently block the fallopian tubes or vas deferens to prevent pregnancy.
Natural family planning: This involves tracking ovulation and abstaining from sexual intercourse during fertile periods.
Emergency contraception: Also known as the "morning-after pill," these pills can prevent pregnancy if taken within a few days of unprotected sex or a failed contraceptive method.
Fertility awareness-based methods: This involves tracking one's menstrual cycle and using barriers or abstaining from sex during fertile periods to prevent pregnancy.
Withdrawal method: This involves the male partner removing his penis from the vagina before ejaculation to prevent sperm from reaching the egg.
Abstinence: This is the practice of refraining from sexual intercourse altogether.
Other methods: There are a variety of less common contraception methods such as spermicides, contraceptive sponges, and contraceptive patches.
"But effective and safe methods of birth control only became available in the 20th century."
"Planning, making available, and using human birth control is called family planning."
"Some cultures limit or discourage access to birth control because they consider it to be morally, religiously, or politically undesirable."
"The World Health Organization and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide guidance on the safety of birth control methods among women with specific medical conditions."
"The most effective methods of birth control are sterilization by means of vasectomy in males and tubal ligation in females, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and implantable birth control."
"Hormone-based methods include oral pills, patches, vaginal rings, and injections."
"Less effective methods include physical barriers such as condoms, diaphragms, and birth control sponges and fertility awareness methods."
"The least effective methods are spermicides and withdrawal by the male before ejaculation."
"Sterilization, while highly effective, is not usually reversible; all other methods are reversible, most immediately upon stopping them."
"Safe sex practices, such as with the use of male or female condoms, can also help prevent sexually transmitted infections."
"Other methods of birth control do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases."
"Emergency birth control can prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 to 120 hours after unprotected sex."
"Abstinence-only sex education may increase teenage pregnancies if offered without birth control education, due to non-compliance."
"Comprehensive sex education and access to birth control decreases the rate of unintended pregnancies in this age group."
"Long-acting reversible birth control such as implants, IUDs, or vaginal rings are more successful in reducing rates of teenage pregnancy."
"After the delivery of a child, a woman who is not exclusively breastfeeding may become pregnant again after as few as four to six weeks."
"In women who are breastfeeding, progestin-only methods are preferred over combined oral birth control pills."
"In women who have reached menopause, it is recommended that birth control be continued for one year after the last menstrual period."
"In the developing world, women's earnings, assets, and weight, as well as their children's schooling and health, all improve with greater access to birth control."