Contraception

A correctly used condom is 97 percent effective against pregnancy, according to the World Health Organization. This 3 percent failure rate can be attributed to defects in the condom and mistakes...

The Today Sponge is the only contraceptive sponge available in the United States. The contraceptive sponge is a soft, 2-inch diameter foam device that is placed in the vagina before sex. This...

The Chinese government has strictly imposed the "one-child" policy since 1979 to prevent a population explosion. Because of this policy, contraceptive methods have been widely accepted and...

The of birth control pills became widely available in 1960. Birth control pills provide an effective and convenient way of pregnancy prevention as well as a good method of family planning. From...

A study in the June 2006 issue of "Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health" found that in 48 percent of unintended pregnancies, birth control had been used in the month when conception...

The birth control sponge is a foam sponge treated with spermicide that is inserted into the vagina prior to sexual intercourse. It is a reasonably effective form of birth control but does not...

Modern medicine has certainly revolutionized birth control methods, but it was not the front runner in contraception. Prior to the marvels of medical science, men and women had to practice natural...

Birth control consists of any number of methods by which pregnancy is prevented. According to Planned Parenthood, there are many types of birth control with varying degrees of effectiveness....

When a man undergoes a successful vasectomy, it permanently prevents pregnancy. A vasectomy closes off the tubes that carry sperm. After vasectomy, the man continues to produce sperm, but it never...

Vasectomy is a birth control procedure that is performed on men. It is considered the safest and most effective form of birth control and does not pose any threats to long-term health.

Pregnancy can sometimes be hard to achieve, due to a variety of factors. Artificial insemination, or AI, is a procedure that became popular in the 1970s as a way to better a woman's chances of...

Spermicide is a chemical substance that can kill sperm in order to prevent pregnancy. It is a form of contraceptive that can be used alone or in conjunction with other methods of birth control....

Birth control, or contraception, is used to prevent pregnancy. There are several different options available for contraception.

A vasectomy is a procedure that leaves a male sterile by preventing his sperm from combining with his semen. It takes about 15 minutes and is performed in the doctor's office or outpatient surgery...

The intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) is one of many birth control methods available to women. Although it is a common form of birth control throughout the world, Dr. Frederick R. Jelovsek...

Two brands of intrauterine devices, or IUDs, are available in the United States. Both are small T-shaped plastic devices inserted into the uterus by a doctor, but each work in different ways to...

The ultimate goal of birth control is to prevent sperm from fertilizing a woman's egg. Depending on which birth control method is used, however, this goal is achieved in different ways.

A vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure, one that may not even require a scalpel, that will sterilize a male's reproductive system without reducing the pleasure he and his partner feel from...

Sperm are the cells responsible for carrying the male's genetic material from the testes to the female's eggs via ejaculation. Sperm are designed to move forward via tail movement through varying...

Vasectomy is a birth control method meant to make a man permanently sterile. During a vasectomy, the tubes that carry sperm to the urethra are blocked so that a man's semen no longer contains...

The morning-after pill is a form of emergency contraception used to prevent pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. It can also be used if other contraceptives methods fail, such as a condom...

Contraceptives prevent pregnancy from occurring through a variety of methods, the most common of which are hormone manipulation and creating a barrier separating the sperm from the egg. There are...

The post vasectomy semen analysis is an important step in the vasectomy procedure. Unfortunately, nearly half the men who have a vasectomy will not return to provide that important sample in order...

The best birth control method is abstinence, because it is 100% effective. But there are many people who are sexually active or do not want to live a celibate life for the long term. If you are...

Birth control is designed to prevent women from becoming pregnant. The failure rate for birth control methods is usually defined as the percentage of people that will become pregnant while using...

In 1965, the Supreme Court overturned the decision in the case of Griswold v. Connecticut and declared that women all over the United States had the right to obtain birth control. Today, women...

The contraceptive coil (otherwise known as an intrauterine device, or IUD) is just one of many effective birth control methods to choose from. You may be seriously considering getting an IUD, you...

A vasectomy is a permanent male birth control method that works by preventing sperm from leaving the testicles. According to Planned Parenthood, vasectomy is nearly 100 percent effective in...

Besides abstinence, birth contraceptives also have a high success rate for preventing pregnancy. Barrier devices, or physical devices placed in or on the genitals, have a success rate of 68...

Family planning involves using birth control to plan when you will have your children. You and your spouse go off birth control when trying to conceive a child and go back on immediately following...

With all the various contraceptive methods available, here are a few of the most commonly used and most effective methods and their success rates to help you determine what will work best for you.

Sterilization for men is called a vasectomy. A surgeon cuts or blocks a man's vas deferens, the two tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the urethra. After a vasectomy, your body can no...

Couples may choose to limit their chances of reproduction for various reasons, including financial or social reasons or maturity concerns. Whereas Western society often places the onus of...

As birth control methods go, the withdrawal method has a pretty bad reputation. Also known as coitus interruptus, or pulling out, it involves removing the penis from the vagina prior to...

Couples who are sexually active but do not want to have children often worry about "accidentally" getting pregnant. The possibility of conceiving as a result of pre-cum coming in contact with the...

In the 19th century, many women had seven or more children, especially those in poorer families, because birth control methods were limited and expensive. Although abstinence is the most reliable,...

For prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, people often use condoms, birth control pills and other types of contraception. Although birth control is more common today than it...

With so many choices available for birth control, the consumer needs to know the benefits and side effects of each method. Personal beliefs, costs and lifestyles can all influence the type of...

Birth control is term describing implements such as condoms, pills or surgery used to prevent pregnancy, or ways to avoid pregnancy, like not having sex. The end of World War I in 1918 brought...

Barrier method contraception is available in male and female condoms, caps, diaphragms and sponges. These contraceptives prevent pregnancy by blocking sperm from reaching the egg. For increased...

On average, 14 percent of men who have vasectomies have no sperm in their semen six months after a vasectomy reversal surgery. If the condition does not improve by 18 months after the...

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) provide a convenient and effective method of birth control. Because IUDs are effective for five to 10 years, depending on the type, they are well suited for the woman...

Tens of thousands of men have vasectomies every year. Under local anesthetic, a doctor will cut and seal the vas deferens to prevent sperm from traveling to the urethra. Short-term pain is...

Depending on the type of birth control being used, how well it works during the first month will vary. Pills and some internal birth control devices may take longer to become effective than other...

A vasectomy to cut or tie off the vas deferens (which carries sperm) renders men sterile but does not affect potency. Semen is produced primarily by the seminal vesicles (60 percent) and the...

According to Merriam Webster, contraception can be defined as the "deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation." Contraception, in its many forms, plays an important role in helping people...

The only contraceptive that works 100 percent of the time is abstinence. However, when abstinence is not preferred, there are other means of contraception. In order for contraceptives to be at all...

The first way contraceptive foam reduces the likelihood of conception is that it kills sperm. This type of action places contraceptive foam in the category of spermicides, along with other forms...

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are a form of contraception that are inserted directly into the uterus and kept there for several years to provide a continuous form of birth control. They work by...

Contraception consists of methods and devices used to prevent pregnancy, or to abort an unwanted fetus. It includes barrier and hormonal methods, such as condoms or pills, which prevent sperm from...