Birth Control Center

What is family planning?

Family planning gives women and couples the ability to control the size of their family, as well as how their births are spaced. Preventing the spread of sexually transmitted disease is also an important part of family planning services. Reducing STD rates also plays a big role in reducing the rate of infertility.

What are some birth control options?

Never before have women had so many options when it comes to birth control. There are choices that rely on hormones to prevent pregnancy and others that work as barrier methods or rely upon spermicide to prevent pregnancy.

Some of the currently available methods include:

• Barrier methods
  • Condoms (male and female)
  • Spermicide
  • Diaphragm
  • Cervical cap
  • Sponge
• Hormonal methods
  • Birth control pills
  • Vaginal ring (NuvaRing)
  • Patches (Xulane)
  • Injections (Depo-Provera)
  • Birth control implant
  • Intrauterine device (IUD)
• Sterilization methods
  • Tubectomy (for female)
  • Vasectomy (for male)

Abstinence is the only 100% effective form of birth control.

What about natural birth control approaches?

Some women prefer to avoid common birth control options in favor of a more natural family planning approach. Fertility awareness methods, which used to be known as the rhythm method, is one such approach and involves carefully timing your monthly cycle to predict your more fertile days.

Breastfeeding also reduces your fertility, decreasing your chances of conceiving another child. Withdrawal, commonly called the pull out method, is another approach. It’s important to note that these types of methods offer far lower success rates than using barrier or hormonal birth control options.

How do I choose the right birth control option?

It can be overwhelming to choose from the many available birth control options. Finding the right method is achieved through a partnership between you and your women’s health specialist.

Your gynecologist can help you narrow down the choices based on your current health, your menstrual cycle, and your long-term family planning needs. For example, if you have heavy bleeding and aren’t planning to have children for a while, a birth control implant might be a good option, as it eliminates the need for advance planning and can also reduce menstrual bleeding.

If you’ve been treated for certain types of cancer and can’t take hormonal forms of birth control, your doctor can discuss the various types of barrier methods and explain how each works. Regardless of your needs, there is a solution that works for you. Schedule an appointment at North Atlanta Women’s Care to get started.