Help Choosing a Method of Birth Control
The only birth control that has success at preventing most sexually transmitted diseases is a condom. If you are planning on having sex with someone and you are unsure if they've been tested recently insist on a condom or no sex. If you are uncomfortable asking someone if they've been tested, don't have sex.
Remember that STD's and STI's are dangerous. Many can affect your future fertility and others can affect your long-term health. Unless you are in a monogamous relationship with someone you trust, there should only be one choice for birth control; a condom every time.
Concerns when choosing a birth control method include:
>Your age
>Whether you are a smoker
>If you have a family history of blood clots
>Whether you are taking medications that may interact with certain hormonal birth control methods
>Whether you want to miss periods, or have troublesome periods
>Avoiding sexually transmitted diseases and infections
>Whether you can tolerate hormones. Certain hormonal birth controls can interfere with breast milk production if you are nursing.
>If you have children already
>Your desire to have future children
One tool that may help you choose a method of birth control is on the Planned Parenthood website. There is a tool that will ask you several questions about your health and what you want out of your birth control. The best resource for information on birth control is your doctor or gynecologist. Be sure to make a list of your concerns and desires from a method of birth control.
Be in charge of your sexual health and do some research on the methods of birth control that appeal to you. See what other people who have tried the methods have to say about them. If your doctor prescribes a birth control for you that just isn't working how you'd like, talk to them about changing to another method that may be more comfortable for you.
Sources:
Personal experience
Planned Parenthood
Published by Katie Sharp-Dierks
Katie Sharp-Dierks has been writing ever since she could pick up a pen. A mother of two, she is devoted to both teaching and learning. Katie has a wide variety of interests which include all parenting issues... View profile
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