Contraception - male, female - definition, types and methods
Contraception Definition
Any of various methods, also called birth control, intended to prevent PREGNANCY. Contraception allows sexually active women and their partners to prevent as well as plan pregnancies.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first oral contraceptive in 1960. Thirteen years later the US Supreme Court legalized elective ABORTION. Though they remain controversial even today, these two events were pivotal in the arena of reproductive choice and planning because they were the first methods that placed contraception in the control of women. Now, nearly all forms of contraception are for the woman’s use.
| COMMON METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Method | Male or Female | Availability | Ease of Use | Effectiveness When Used Correctly |
| cervical cap | female | prescription only; health-care provider must measure and fit | must insert before SEXUAL INTERCOURSE must use with spermicide must remove after specified time |
85 percent when woman has not had vaginal CHILDBIRTH 70 percent when woman has had vaginal childbirth |
| cervical shield | female | prescription only | must insert before sexual intercourse must use with spermicide must remove after specified time |
85 percent |
| condom | male most common; female available | over the counter (OTC) | must put on before each sexual act must withdraw from partner and remove condom for disposal while PENIS remains erect female condom may be difficult to insert |
male condom: 85 to 98 percent female condom: 80 to 95 percent |
| continuous abstinence | both | personal commitment | challenging | 100 percent |
| contraceptive patch | female | prescription only | woman applies once a month | 99.9 percent |
| contraceptive ring | female | prescription only | woman inserts during MENSTRUATION, leaves in place 3 weeks, then removes | 98 percent |
| contraceptive sponge | female | OTC | must insert before sexual intercourse must remove after specified time |
65 to 90 percent |
| depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) injection | female | prescription only; health-care provider must administer | received every 12 weeks | 99.9 percent |
| diaphragm | female | prescription only; health-care provider must measure and fit | must insert before sexual intercourse must use with spermicide must remove after specified time |
85 to 94 percent |
| fertility awareness | both | personal commitment | requires diligent effort from both partners | 75 to 99 percent |
| intrauterine device (IUD) | female | prescription only; health-care provider must insert | requires no attention once inserted can stay in the UTERUS for 5 to 12 years, depending on type |
99 percent |
| oral contraceptives | female | prescription only | daily or weekly pill | 99 percent |
| spermicide | female | OTC | must apply before each sexual act | 70 to 85 percent |
| tubal ligation | female | requires surgery | requires no effort after OPERATION permanent |
nearly 100 percent (1 in 300 failure rate) |
| vasectomy | male | requires in-office operative procedure | requires no effort after operation permanent |
nearly 100 percent (1 in 500 failure rate) |
Common forms of contraception include barrier methods, hormonal methods, mechanical methods, chemical methods, surgical methods, timing methods, and continuous abstinence. Some methods, such as oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and diaphragms, require a doctor’s prescription. Others are invasive, such as intrauterine devices (IUDs), TUBAL LIGATION, and VASECTOMY. Still other methods of contraception are available for purchase without prescription or physician approval, sold in locations from grocery and drugstores to dispenser machines in public bathrooms. Most public health departments freely hand out over-the-counter (OTC) methods of contraception, notably condoms.
Contraceptive effectiveness relies primarily on proper use of the method and varies widely among methods as well as within a particular method. The most reliable methods of contraception are those that are in place or effective without any effort at the time of sexual activity. Methods that have the ability to provide nearly 100 percent prevention of pregnancy may actually result in much lower prevention when not used properly. Only about 40 percent of women take oral contraceptives precisely as the label instructions direct, for example, raising the risk for unintended pregnancy.
Many people combine methods to optimize protection from pregnancy, for example using barrier contraception (condom or diaphragm) with chemical methods (spermicides). Only condoms (male or female) also provide protection against SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDS). A woman who takes oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy but has more than one sexual partner also needs the protection of a condom. Partners also should wear condoms for sexual activity during outbreaks of GENITAL HERPES and if they are HIV positive or have HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) or HEPATITIS B or C.
Emergency contraception is available through pharmacies in the United States without a doctor’s prescription. Emergency contraception, also called the “morning after pill,” is a high DOSE of an oral contraceptive. The hormones in the medication alter the environment within the UTERUS such that a fertilized ovum (egg) cannot implant. The woman must take emergency contraception no later than 72 hours after unprotected SEXUAL INTERCOURSE.
See also CONCEPTION; FAMILY PLANNING; FERTILITY; INFERTILITY; OVA; SEXUAL HEALTH; SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE (STD) PREVENTION; SPERM.
