How to Decide on the Best Contraception for You
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the many types of contraception available, it’s no wonder. With everything from patches to pills to implants, deciding on the best type of contraception for you can be a challenge.
At Kelly Morales, OB/GYN in San Antonio, Texas, our team specializes in providing personalized care to women — including help choosing the right type of birth control for your lifestyle.
While talking with Dr. Morales is always a good idea, we know that sometimes you need a starting point when it comes to choosing contraception. That’s why we’ve created this informative guide to help you navigate the many different contraceptive options.
Questions to consider when choosing a contraceptive
At Kelly Morales OB/GYN, we know every woman’s birth control needs are unique. In addition to your medical history and current health status, it’s important to factor in your lifestyle and preferences when choosing a type of birth control.
Dr. Morales recommends considering these three important questions when deciding upon a type of contraceptive:
1. What do I need protection against?
If protection against pregnancy is your only priority, the most effective forms of pregnancy-preventing contraception — birth control pills, implants, IUDs, injections, and patches — may be your best option.
If you also need protection against STDs, consider a barrier method, like condoms, to limit your risk. But if pregnancy is still a factor, be sure to keep in mind that while condoms are 98% effective in preventing pregnancy in the lab, under real-life conditions, male and female condoms are only about 80% effective in stopping conception.
As such, if you need protection against both STDs and pregnancy, talk with Dr. Morales about adding an additional type of contraception along with condoms.
2. How likely am I to actually use this contraceptive?
No matter how effective it could be, no type of contraceptive works if you don’t use it. Think honestly about your willingness and ability to use different types of birth control, and whether you’re willing to use them correctly.
For example, birth control pills must be taken around the same time each day to be most effective. Barrier methods, like condoms, need to be used every time you have sex. Consider whether or not you can commit to these habits.
There are other options, like IUDs and implants, that you don’t need to think about every day or each time you have intercourse. These require a visit to Dr. Morales’s office so that she can place the birth control in your body.
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to birth control. The right contraceptive is the one that works for you.
If you honestly consider your likelihood to use different contraceptives — and use them the right way — it can help you select the best contraception for your personality and lifestyle.
Be sure to discuss any questions or concerns with Dr. Morales. She has years of experience helping women of all backgrounds select and use the best contraceptive method for them.
3. Do you want children and when?
If you’re thinking about contraception, chances are you don’t want to have a baby right now. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want children in the future.
While you don’t have to have an exact date picked out, considering your future family planning is helpful when choosing a type of birth control. That’s because if having children is in your near future, it makes sense to choose a contraceptive that won’t affect your fertility.
For example, you may need to wait to get pregnant after being on hormonal birth control methods because your hormone levels need to normalize once you stop using them. On the other hand, condoms stop preventing pregnancy as soon as you stop using them.
If your family is complete, or if you don’t plan to become pregnant in the future, you can discuss permanent forms of birth control with Dr. Morales. With this type of contraception, it may not be possible to restore your fertility if you change your mind, so go over these options with Dr. Morales very carefully.
What are my contraception options?
Fortunately, there are many choices when it comes to birth control, and with Dr. Morales’s help, you can find one or more to fit your lifestyle. Dr. Morales prescribes highly effective contraception options, including:
Birth control pills
Birth control patch
Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
Sterilization
Dr. Morales provides information on all of your options, including over-the-counter methods. She takes time to answer any questions you have to help you find an option that works for you.
Choose the best contraception for you with the help of Dr. Kelly Morales. Call our San Antonio office at 210-570-7277 to set up your appointment today.