How Can I Know Which Birth Control Is Right for Me?

If you’re sexually active and you don’t want to have a child, it’s time to think about birth control. These days, you have a plethora of options, including hormonal types that you barely need to think about.

But how do you know what type of contraception is right for you? The answer to that question is as individual as you are, and as individual as your current circumstances and needs.

At Gorman Medical, PC, Fran Gorman, DNP, and Charles Ripp, MD, are here to help you find the best type of contraception for your needs. As part of our women’s health services, we discuss your current lifestyle, values, and needs to help you make the best choice at our offices in Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek, Colorado.

How can you find the right birth control? Answering these questions should help you narrow your choices.

Do you have health insurance?

If you have health insurance, your birth control may be covered. That could significantly reduce your out-of-pocket costs, especially when figured over time. 

Ever since Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, almost all insurance providers must fully cover the cost of contraception. As long as the ACA stands, you might not even have a co-pay.

The ACA even covers the cost of nonprescribed contraception, such as condoms. Condoms offer extra protection, because they also reduce the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Health insurance may allow you to use a type of contraception that you couldn’t afford out of pocket, such as a birth control implant, which can cost up to $2,300. However, note that the ACA could be revised or dismantled and you may need to switch methods if you lose coverage. You should also check with your provider to make sure your plan includes birth control.

Do you only need it once in a while?

If you’re not in a committed relationship, or if you or your partner don’t need to be intimate very often, you might do better with an at-will form of birth control. These methods are used just before the sexual act. They don’t affect your hormones at all. Examples include:

• Male or female condoms
• Diaphragm with spermicide
• Birth control sponge
• Cervical cap

You must carry your contraception with you during times when you think you might have sex. If you’re forgetful or tend to misplace things, they’re probably not the best solution for you.

Do you want peace of mind?

If you have sex frequently, or simply don’t want to bother about carrying contraception or using it in the heat of the moment, you’d probably prefer a method that gives you long-term protection. Examples include:

• Birth control implant: lasts up to five years
• Intrauterine device (IUD): lasts 3-12 years
• Birth control shot: get every three months
• Birth control vaginal ring: replace once a month
• Birth control patch: replace weekly
• Birth control pill: take daily

Again, if you’re forgetful or your life is hectic, you might choose a longer-term option, such as an IUD, rather than a daily pill.

What if you don’t want to take hormones?

Most of the long-term contraceptive methods contain hormones that stop you from ovulating or otherwise affect your menstrual cycle. If you’d rather not take hormones, you can get a copper IUD that doesn’t have hormones. Copper IUDs won’t stop your period. 

The copper works by repelling sperm. When you have a copper IUD, the sperm won’t swim up your uterus or into your fallopian tubes. In fact, a copper IUD can even be used as emergency contraception within five days of having unprotected sex. 

Do you want something permanent?

If you’re 100% sure that you don’t ever want to be pregnant, you have only two choices: 100% abstinence or surgical sterilization. Either your partner can undergo a vasectomy, or you can undergo a tubal ligation. Most vasectomies can be reversed, but tubal ligations are more difficult to reverse, particularly as you get older.

If you’ve already decided which type of birth control you want, or if you still have questions, phone our nearest office or use the online booking form today for a personalized consultation.