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Sexual Health:Birth Control and Your Health

Hormonal Birth Control

• What's New in Hormonal Birth Control

• The Patch: For Women Who Won't Take the Pill Every Day

• The Ring Delivers Hormones Gradually

• I Ditched the Pill Because the Ring Is Easier

• The Continuous Pill Means Fewer Periods

  Read more about hormonal birth control use
SLIDESHOW

Amazing Moments in Birth Control

couple-sex-birth-control
The pope disapproves of it. Teenagers are confused by it. And it may be one of the world's most politically charged health issues. Though most people associate birth control with the advent of the Pill in the '60s, contraception is an age-old concern.   View slideshow

Hormonal Birth Control Side Effects

• 7 of the Most Common Birth Control Side Effects

• Hormonal Birth Control Can Mess With Your Mood

• I Ditched Acne by Switching Birth Control

  Read more news about birth control

Condoms, IUDs, and Other Forms of Birth Control

• 3 Reasons to Use a Condom for Birth Control

• Don't Bother Blaming the Condom

• IUDs Are Reversible Birth Control

• Why Whitney Chose the IUD

• 4 New Male Contraceptives on the Way

• Scalpel-Free Vasectomies for Men and Essure for Women

• The Morning-After Pill Is Birth Control Backup

  Read more news about sexual health
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What You Need to Know About the Pill, IUDs, Condoms, and Other Birth Control

Dr. Hilda Hutcherson
Dr. Hilda Hutcherson
clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center
Q: If I have sex without a condom and I'm not on birth control, what's the chance I'll get pregnant?

A: There's about a 20% chance that you'll get pregnant during any given monthly cycle. While that doesn't sound very likely, the percentage goes up if you continue to have sex without a condom. Read More

Birth Control Is Safer Than Ever (and Sometimes It's Even Good for You)

Certain methods still have risks, but most are safe and convenient
birth-control-packet
Times have changed since women going on birth control risked the pelvic infections of the Dalkon Shield or hormones dosed perilously high. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) have been redesigned to be very safe. The contraceptive sponge is almost risk free—though there are more effective ways to prevent pregnancy. Condoms are safe for everyone and are the only form of birth control that protects against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). And the Pill is so safe and effective these days that it is available over-the-counter in some countries.  Read More

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