What is birth control?

Birth control, or contraception, refers to pregnancy prevention. There are a number of different birth control options available to help sexually active women avoid unwanted pregnancy. At Rose Midwifery & Women’s Health, Mr. Rauda helps women of every age make the best decisions for their birth control and family building wishes.

Who needs birth control?

Any sexually active woman of childbearing age, including those in menopause, needs birth control if they don’t want to have a baby. After menopause (a full year of no menstruation), you can discuss discontinuing birth control with Mr. Rauda. 

If you’re ready to have a baby, Mr. Rauda can help you to stop taking birth control safely so you can start trying to conceive.

Some girls and women may not need birth control for pregnancy prevention reasons, but the hormones in some birth control methods can have other beneficial effects. 

For example, Mr. Rauda may prescribe birth control pills to help control acne, pelvic pain, heavy bleeding, iron-deficiency anemia, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms, endometriosis symptoms, and other women’s health issues. 

What are the options for birth control?

There are a huge variety of birth control options, including over-the-counter and prescription options. These include:

• Natural family planning – tracking your fertile times and abstaining during those times
• Barrier methods (condoms, sponges, spermicides, diaphragms) – used before each sexual encounter
• Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) – taken daily 
• Intrauterine devices or IUDs (copper and hormonal) – implanted in the uterus, lasting 3-10 years
• Birth control implants – placed in the upper arm, lasting for up to three years
• Birth control injections – every three months
• Birth control ring – vaginally inserted once a month
• Birth control patches – placed on the skin once a week 

Tubal ligation, also called tube tying, is a permanent method of birth control for women who don’t plan to have children or their family is complete. 

Does birth control prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?

Condoms are the only birth control method that reduces your exposure to STDs. But, with typical use, condoms are only 85% effective at preventing pregnancy. For this reason, many women opt for a highly reliable method of birth control, such as an IUD (more than 99% effective), along with condoms for STD prevention. 

A human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine helps prevent most HPV infections, which is the most common STD. But, it doesn’t protect against other STDs, and it doesn’t prevent pregnancy. 

At Rose Midwifery & Women’s Health, Mr. Rauda discusses your lifestyle, medical history, future family plans, and personal preferences to help you choose the right birth control option. Call the office or click on the appointment link for birth control help today.