Control Your Life with Birth Control

Maybe you aren't interested in having kids. Maybe the timing isn't right. Maybe you're waiting to meet the right person. All of these are good reasons to consider birth control. While, in the past, it was difficult to attain birth control in any shape or form, and there were not many options available, there is a wide array of choices for women today. Whether you are interested in a daily, monthly, or yearly method, there is something for everyone.

The most commonly used form of birth control is the condom. Usually made of latex, this functions as a wrapper for the male penis, preventing the transmission of bodily fluids. A new condom must be used every time you have sex in order to be effective, and only one can be used at a time. Improper application of the condom decreases the effectiveness of this form of birth control, but it is still a very popular form due to its accessibility and temporal nature.

Another popular form of birth control is referred to as The Pill. Oral contraceptives come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The traditional pill is taken on a monthly basis, with three weeks of hormone pills and one week of sugar pills. The hormones prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the side of the uterus, and allows one week for the uterus to shed its lining and restart the cycle. This is tremendously effective, but does not prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Variations of the Pill will either postpone or eliminate a girl's period altogether.

Birth control has now evolved to simple insertions as well. For example, the Nuva Ring is inserted into a girl's cervix and continually dispenses hormones for up to three months. Other insertion related birth control methods include IUDs, or Intra Uterine Devices. A well-known brand is the Mirena, which is a small plastic device which, once inserted into the uterus, prevents pregnancy for five years, unless removed. These techniques also do not prevent the transmission of STIs.

A final, and more permanent form of birth control is a tubal ligation. Also referred to as having one's tubes tied, this is a surgical procedure that permanently cuts off the ovaries from the uterus, preventing ovulation, and thus, preventing fertilization and implantation. This is an extreme technique, and is usually only recommended if a woman is having other medical problems, if pregnancy would threaten her life, or if a woman has already expanded her family to a desired size.