Hesperian Health Guides
Choosing a family planning method
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HealthWiki > Where Women Have No Doctor > Chapter 13: Family Planning > Choosing a Family Planning Method
In this chapter:
Once you have decided to use family planning, you must choose a method. To make a good decision you must first learn about the different methods, and their advantages and disadvantages.
There are 5 main types of family planning methods:
- Barrier methods, which prevent pregnancy by keeping the sperm from reaching the egg.
- Hormonal methods, which prevent the woman’s ovary from releasing an egg, make it harder for the sperm to reach the egg, and keep the lining of the womb from supporting a pregnancy.
- IUDs, which prevent the man’s sperm from fertilizing the woman’s egg.
- Natural methods, which help a woman know when she is fertile, so that she can avoid having sex at that time.
- Permanent methods. These are operations which make it impossible for a man or a woman to have any children.
FAMILY PLANNING METHOD |
Protection from Pregnancy | Protection from STIs | Possible Side Effects | Other Important Information |
---|---|---|---|---|
Condom for men![]() |
★★ Good | ![]() |
Most effective when used with spermicide and water-based lubricant. Use with other methods to prevent STIs. | |
Condom for women![]() |
★★ Good | ![]() |
||
Diaphragm (with spermicide)![]() |
★★ Good | ![]() |
Most effective when used with spermicide. Effective only when using the correct size. | |
Spermicide![]() |
★ Some | ![]() |
![]() Skin allergy |
More effective when used with another barrier method like diaphragm or condom. |
Hormonal Methods Birth control pill, patch, injections ![]() |
★★★
VERY GOOD |
![]() |
![]() Nausea, headaches, changes in monthly bleeding |
These methods may be dangerous for women with certain health problems. |
IUD![]() |
★★★★ BEST | ![]() |
![]() heavy and painful monthly bleeding |
This method may be dangerous for women with certain health problems. |
Sex without intercourse (penis not inside vagina at all) | ★★★★ BEST | ![]() |
Sexual touch rarely passes STIs. Oral sex is less likely to pass STIs. Anal sex easily passes STIs. | |
Breastfeeding (during the first 6 months only)![]() |
★★★ VERY GOOD | ![]() |
To be effective, a woman must give her baby only breast milk, and her monthly bleeding must not have returned. | |
Fertility awareness![]() |
★★ GOOD | ![]() |
A woman must understand when she is fertile and be able to choose when to have sex with intercourse. | |
Sterilization![]() ![]() |
★★★★ BEST | ![]() |
A woman or a man will never be able to have babies after this operation. | |
Pulling out (Withdrawal)![]() |
★ SOME | ![]() |
More effective when used with another method like spermicide or diaphragm. |
This page was updated:11 Sep 2017