Do You Know Which Birth Control Method is the Most Effective?

Written by admin on October 18, 2013

If you think you know which birth control method is most effective, the answer might surprise you.

The Huffington Post published quite the alarming infographic on Oct. 9. Titled “Only 1 in 5 Women Know Which Birth Control Method is Most Effective,” the graphic lays out our misconceptions about birth control versus the truth. And it also makes a pretty darn good point about abstinence.

The infographic is based on a survey published in The American College of Nurse Midwives. When asked what method of birth control was most effective:

• 73.8% of women went with abstinence.
• 56.6% voted for the pill.
• 20.3% put their faith in IUDs.
• 13.0% got behind the Implant.

So Who Was Right?

If you said the gals who voted for abstinence, you may want to reconsider your final answer. Yes, abstinence is 100% effective when used consistently. The problem? Abstinence has a way of turning into unplanned, unprotected sex. And that has a way of turning into an unintended pregnancy.

The only way to absolutely guarantee that you won’t get pregnant is not to have sex. But since pretty much everyone, upon reaching sexual maturity, desperately wants to have sex, it turns out that depending on this approach is highly ineffective.

So if it’s not abstinence, what is it?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, IUDs and the Implant are two of the most effective forms of birth control. They are right up there with vasectomies and female sterilization at less than 1 pregnancy per 100 women. That’s right — they are more effective than the shot, pill, ring or patch.

Don’t worry; we are not impugning any of those methods. They are still highly effective, with only 2 to 9 pregnancies per 100 women. But it is alarming that women are not being better informed by their physicians about the realities of their birth control options.

Are You on the Right Birth Control for You?

Take a moment to review our guide.