A Private Method: Depo-Provera

• Depo-Provera shot last for three months and can be taken in the arm or hip. It is a synthetic hormone that is made up entirely of progesterone. When released into the body, it prevents the ovary from releasing an egg while thickening the mucus of the uterus and changing its lining, making it more difficult for sperm to enter and survive.
  It is one of the more private forms of birth control as it has no outward presence, as opposed to the patch. However, it does require a doctor's visit every three months. It is 97 to 99.7 percent effective as birth control and does not prevent sexually transmitted diseases.
  
  

Daily Routine? Look at Oral Contraceptives.

• Oral contraceptives come in a variety of forms. Women can have low-hormone levels or take a pill that will allow only four periods a year. The basic idea behind the pill remains the standard.
  After getting a prescription for your doctor, you will then receive a pack of pills. For the first three weeks, the pills are filled with synthetic estrogen and progesterone hormones which prevent the ovary from releasing an egg and change the mucus around the cervix to make it more difficult for sperm to enter. On the fourth week, the pills are a placebo and have no hormones in them. They function mainly to keep the user in the habit of taking them the same time every day. This will be the week where menstruation occurs before the next round of hormone pills begin on the final day of the period.
  The Pill is 92 to 99.7 percent effective as birth control and does not prevent any sexually transmitted disease.
  
  

Ortho Evra for a Busier Schedule

• Ortho Evra is a weekly form of birth control where the user sticks an adhesive patch on her hip, back, arm or buttock which then releases a combination of the hormones progesterone and estrogen, preventing ovulation. It also thickens the mucus around the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to enter. The woman will repeat this for three weeks, leaving the patch off on the fourth week to allow for menstruation to occur.
  The patch contains 60 percent more estrogen then other birth control methods which means that it has a higher rate of causing blood clots then compared to other hormone-based birth control.
  Ortho Evra does not prevent the transmittance of any sexually transmitted diseases. When used properly, the patch is 99 percent effective against pregnancy.
  
  

The Nuva Ring Incorporates More Privacy and an Easier Routine

• The Nuva Ring is a soft, bendable ring that is inserted into the vagina once a month. It is then removed after three weeks to allow for menstruation before a new one is inserted no later then seven days after the removal of the first. The Nuva Ring does not require a doctor other than to obtain a prescription and is inserted and removed by its user.
  Once inside, the Nuva Ring releases a low dosage of hormones that prevents a mature egg from being released from the ovaries. The ring has a combination synthetic estrogen and progestin hormones. When used correctly, the Nuva Ring is 99 percent effective against pregnancy but does not protect against any sexually transmitted diseases.
  
  

Long-Lasting Pregnancy Prevention

• Best used in women who have already had a child, the intrauterine device or IUD, is a small object that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years. Once in place, the IUD changes the lining of the uterus and fallopian tubes affecting the movement of the egg and the sperm, preventing fertilization. IUDs are 99.2 to 99.9 percent effective as birth control.
  IUDs are inserted and removed by a doctor. Women are told to check the string of the IUD on a weekly basis to prevent the IUD from embedding into the uterus. IUD removal is a quicker process than the insertion.
  IUDs do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
  
  

Condoms: STD Protection

• The male condom is a form of birth control that prevents the exchange of bodily fluids between partners and thus, can prevent sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV and the AIDS virus.
  Currently, it is the only reversible form of birth control for men. Condoms are usually made of latex and fit over an erect penis and can be used for vaginal, oral and anal sex. They should never be reused and only one condom should be worn at a time to prevent tearing.
  Male condoms are 85 to 98 percent effective against pregnancy.