How Effective is Your Birth Control?

for sexually active women, the effectiveness of birth control depends on how perfectly they use it. For this reason, there are two kinds of effectiveness rates.

Perfect use: When the method is tested in the lab or used in real life with no mistakes.

Typical use: The average “real world” effectiveness, including people who don’t always use the method correctly or every time sexual intercourse takes place.

Both levels of effectiveness are shown below for each contraception method.

Birth Control Methods	Perfect Use	Typical Use
Intrauterine Device (IUD)	99%	98-99%
Depo-Provera (“the Shot”)	99.7%	97%
Birth Control Combination Pill (“the Pill”)	99.7%	92%
Ortho Evra (“the Patch”)	99.7%	92%
NuvaRing (“the Ring”)	99.7%	92%
Extended Cycle Pills	99.7%	92%
Mini-Pill (Progestin-only)	99.5%	87%
Male Condom	98%	85%
Female Condom	95%	79%
Pull Out (Coitus Interruptus)	96%	73%
Diaphragm	94%	84%
Sponge	91%	84%
Cervical Cap	86%	71%
Spermicides (used alone)	82%	71%

*Abstinence is the only birth control method that is 100% effective.