How Does Contraception Work?

Abstinence as Contraception

The absolute best contraception is abstinence. Abstinence is not having sexual intercourse. Period. While other sexual practices can be safely done, keeping all male ejaculate away from the vagina is essential. If any sperm comes in contact with a fertile woman's vagina, she can become pregnant. Use of contraception is essential if sexual intercourse is to occur without pregnancy. There are still no guarantees unless abstinence is practiced.

Condoms Prevent Pregnancy and STDs
Condoms are the most widely available and used contraceptive device. Condoms not only provide birth control, but protection against spreading STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). In addition to ease of use, condoms can be easily stored and distributed. Primarily made for men, female condoms are available for women as a vaginal form of birth control. Men place a condom over the penis when erect to stop the flow of sperm into the vaginal canal. Women place a female condom in the vagina to block the flow of sperm. Condoms come in different sizes and should be fitted properly for adequate protection. A loose condom may allow sperm to slip out; a tight condom will break.

Birth control pills are a form of female contraception. They are a synthetic form of the hormones estrogen and progesterone. This contraception fools the female body into thinking it is already pregnant, thus no eggs are released until the chemicals are flushed from the body. There are 31 pills in a birth control packet. One for each day of the month. Only 24 pills have the contraceptive chemicals; the rest are a reminder to the female to take a daily pill. During the seven days of no chemicals, women have a menstrual cycle. For best contraception, the pill should be taken the same time daily. If a pill is missed one day, the female should remain protected depending on the length of time she has been on the pill. If two or more birth control pills are missed, an alternative contraception form, like condoms, should be used.

Depo-Provera Contraceptive Shot
Progesterone is a naturally occurring hormone in the female body. It is what is released to tell the ovaries not to release eggs because there is one being fertilized. By injecting or absorbing the hormone, administered by a licensed medical professional, menstruation is stopped. The contraception shots and patches are usually dosed in three month intervals.

Spermicidal gels and foams are over-the-counter female contraceptives. These are for one time use to be administered immediately prior to sexual intercourse. The active ingredients in spermicidal gels (Nonoxynol-9) kills sperm immediately on contact. Proper storage is necessary to keep these products viable.

Rhythm Method
The rhythm method of contraception is far less reliable. It is based on the average 28-day menstruation cycle. The idea is to time sexual intercourse outside of the period of ovulation. Since every woman's menstruation cycle is different and may change monthly, this is an ill-advised system of contraception.

Permanent forms of contraception include tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men. Tubal ligation is the actual severing of the fallopian tubes to prevent eggs from descending. Vasectomy is the severing of the vas deferens, which prohibitsthe flow of sperm. While it is possible to reverse these contraceptive procedures, it requires another surgery and is not alwayssuccessful.