There’s really no “best method” of BC. The best form of birth control is the one that you use consistently and correctly every time. Each BC methods has its pros and cons and before you decide on one, ask yourself these questions:

• Your overall health
• How often you have sex
• The number of sex partners you have
• If you want to have children someday
• How well each method works to prevent pregnancy
• Possible side effects
• Your comfort level with using the method

You should talk with your health care provider or a family planning health educator to make sure you understand the advantages and disadvantages of different types of birth control.

There are 4 categories of BC methods to prevent pregnancy: barrier methods (i.e. condoms, cervical cap, diaphgram), hormonal methods (i.e. pill, shot, ring), permanent methods like sterilization, or the rhythm method.

Permanent forms of BC are for people who are sure they never want to have a child or they do not want more children. They include vasectomy [va-sek-tuh-mee], a male form of sterilization, where it keeps the sperm from leaving the penis, so his ejaculate doesn’t have any sperm in it. Women’s sterilization can be both non-surgical and surgical procedures where scar tissue develops around the fallopian tubes prevent her eggs from passing through the fallopian tubes. Teens who wished to undergo sterilization have to be evaluated both mentally and physically to determine if they are eligible for this serious procedure. Sterilization does not prevent STI's or HIV.

The Natural Family planning or more popularly known as the Rhythm Method is when you do not have sex or use a barrier method on the days you are most fertile (most likely to become pregnant).

To have success with this method, you need to learn about your menstrual cycle. Then you can learn to predict which days you are fertile or “unsafe.” Most girls ovulate, or release an egg, about 14 days before she gets her period. The egg can only survive for about 24 to 36 hours. She can only get pregnant if sperm reach the egg while it's still alive. The problem is, ovulation can happen at different times each month. So, it's really hard to know when a woman fertile. Also, sperm can live up to seven days inside a girl's reproductive system. 

That means, if a couple has sex on Saturday and the girl ovulates on Wednesday, she could become pregnant the following Saturday.

Females are least likely to become pregnant two days before their period starts and the first two days of their period. If a girl has sex on day 5 of her period and then ovulates early, say on day 10, there's a chance some sperm could still be alive and able to fertilize that egg. So, no, there is no 100% "safe time" of the month. It is much safer to use both condoms and contraceptives like the Pill.

As mentioned earlier, since many teenage girls have irregularities in their menstrual cycles, it is difficult to predict when they are ovulating. We highly recommend that girls use either a hormonal or barrier method to prevent pregnancy.

There are over-the-counter BC methods you can purchase without a prescription that mainly consist of barrier methods. These include condoms (female and male), spermicides (foam and gel), and the sponge.

What you need a prescription for are:

• All Hormonal methods
• Cervical cap
• Diaphragm
• Emergency Contraception (EC is available over-the-counter and without prescription if you are 17 years or over)

Yes! Anytime a girl and a boy have unprotected vaginal intercourse, they run a risk of a pregnancy. No time of the month is completely safe. The problem is, ovulation can happen at different times each month and if she has irregular periods (as many girls do in the first few years of menstruation), "safe" days can be particularly difficult to predict.
So, it's really hard to know when a woman is fertile. It is much safer to use condoms and contraceptives like the Pill. Only condoms can provide protection from most STDs.

Even if a young woman has never menstruated, she might have just ovulated (released an egg) for the first time. Fertility basically comes down to this — you're most likely to get pregnant if you have unprotected sex when you're ovulating or on the days just before ovulation. Determining when you're ovulating is another matter; many women do not have completely regular cycles, and need to read their bodies for signs of ovulation rather than relying on the calendar.

Whether having sex in a bed, a hot tub, an airplane, upside down, standing up, or only at it for a minute, as long as there's sperm and an egg, a woman can get pregnant, even if it's her first time.

Withdrawal (or Coitus Interruptus) is a form of birth control: it decreases the chance of fertilization. While having intercourse, before the man ejaculates or cums, he pulls his penis out of the woman’s vagina and away from her external genitals.

Effectiveness depends largely on the man’s ability to withdraw his penis before he ejaculates. Among typical users, 27 women out of 100 might get pregnant with a partner using withdrawal. Men who are less experienced with using this method or men who have a difficult time knowing when they will ejaculate will have a greater risk of failure.

Withdrawal will not protect you from STDs and/or HIV.

Hey, accidents happen. In moments of passion, a condom worn incorrectly or past its expiration date can break or slip off, putting you at risk for STDs/HIV and – if you’re a woman – pregnancy.

If you realize the condom broke, you and your partner should get tested for STDs ASAP. Talk to your healthcare provider about options if you’ve been exposed to the HIV virus. If you’re a woman and worried about unwanted pregnancy, consider emergency contraception as a back-up plan. The high-dose birth control pill known as Plan B is available over-the-counter if you’re 17 years old or older and can prevent pregnancy if taken within 5 days. Plan B is most effective when taken right away, and taking it within 24 hours is encouraged.

To prevent condom-related accidents in the future, make sure you take precautions the next time. Inspect the condom for any holes or leakage. Make sure the condom isn’t past the expiration date. Also make sure you’re using water-based lubes to avoid creating holes in the condom. And most importantly, ask yourself if you know how to properly put a condom on.

Anyone without certain underlying health risks (i.e. bleeding disorders, uterine problems) can get the IUD. The CDC recommends that teenage girls use the IUD as their choice of BC because of the long-term effectiveness and easy use (put it in and forget about it). The benefits of IUD contraceptives offer elective, long-term, private, reversible protection against pregnancy. Teen females using the copper form of IUD – the Paragard – should watch out for anemia as it may cause heavier periods.

It depends! Some hormonal methods of BC may increase appetite, but no studies show a direct correlation of an increase in weight and using hormonal BC. If you tend to fluctuate between weights and tend to gain at least 10% of your weight, then using hormonal methods like the pills can result in weight-gain. However, research shows that Depo may cause weight gain, but mostly in those already overweight. Talking to your healthcare provider about side effects and lifestyles such as diet and exercise can help you make a choice on whether hormonal methods will work for you.

No, hormonal birth control options except for the condoms (male or female condoms), do not offer protection against HIV infection, AIDS, or other sexually transmitted diseases. Hormonal birth control only prevents pregnancy. Latex or polyurethane condoms are the only types of BC that offers protection from STD infections and pregnancy. You should use a new condom each time you have sex, if you have multiple partners, or aren't in a monogamous relationship. 

Yes. The birth control pills are, with perfect use, 99.7% effective. In other words, without any human errors, and you use it consistently every single day with no mistakes, 3 out of every 1000 women would still get pregnant on the pill, which makes pills one of the most effective tools to prevent pregnancy.

If you miss any pills, or don’t take them at the same time every day (typical use), your chance of pregnancy goes up and the pills become less effective. When starting BCPs, it will take 7 days for the pill to become effective at preventing pregnancy. You will need to use a second method of contraception during these 7 days (such as condoms).

The pill is one of the best effective and reversible forms of birth control. But if you are sexually active and have more than one partner (or if your partner has more than one partner), you should use condoms to protect yourself from STI's or HIV infection. Remember, hormonal methods are designed to only prevent unintended pregnancy, not sexually transmitted diseases.

For teens, we like to advocate that you use condoms when you’re in a relationship. Not only does it protect you from contracting certain diseases like Chlamydia and genital herpes, but also pregnancy. Teen relationships tend to be fast and hot – and you want to take every precaution to ensure a healthy life.