Spermicides come in a variety of forms, including creams, suppositories, gels, foams, foaming tablets, capsules, and films. They are relatively inexpensive and available with­out a prescription. Nonoxynol-9 is a spermicide that has been used for many years. It is available over the counter in many forms (creams, gels, suppositories, film, and condoms with spermicide) and […]

Depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, or Depo-Provera; DEP-poe PRO-vair — uh) was approved for use in the United States in 1992 and today is the most popular form of nonoral contraceptive (Hatcher et al., 2004). Depo-Provera is injected into the muscle of a woman’s arm or buttock once every 3 months, and each injection costs $30 to […]

Subdermal contraceptive implants time-release a constant dose of progestin and typi­cally are used for up to 5 years. Norplant was the first such method introduced in the United States, in 1990. However, due to multiple lawsuits and court battles, the manu­facturer announced in 2002 that it would stop production of Norplant. As of 2005, Norplant […]

Progestin-only birth control methods do not contain estrogen. The methods can be used by women who cannot take estrogen or by women who are breast-feeding. They work by changing a woman’s menstrual cycle, which may result in changes in menstrual flow and frequency of periods, as well as an increase in breakthrough bleeding. Over time, […]

The Ortho Evra patch is a hormonal method of birth control that was introduced in 2002. It is a thin, peach-colored patch that sticks to the skin and time-releases hormones into the bloodstream. The Ortho Evra patch costs about $30 to $35 per month, and the initial office visit often costs between $35 and $125. […]

NuvaRing is a hormonal method of birth control that was introduced in 2003. It is a small plastic ring that is inserted into the vagina once a month and releases a constant dose of estrogen and progesterone. The amount of hormones released into the blood­stream with the NuvaRing is lower than in both oral contraceptives […]

any over-the-counter (nonprescription) drugs, prescription medications, and herbal supplements may lower the effectiveness of the pill, and the pill may interfere with another drug’s effec­tiveness. When you take medications, you should always let your healthcare provider know that you are on birth control pills. Drugs that interact with oral contraceptives in­clude the following: Drug Acetaminophen […]

Margaret Sanger was the first to envision oral contraceptives (the birth control pill, or simply “the pill”). Many researchers had been working with chemical methods to inhibit pregnancy in animals, but they were reluctant to try these methods on humans because they feared that increasing hormones could cause cancer. The complexity of a woman’s body […]

Hormonal contraceptive methods contain synthetic hormones and include pills, patches, hormonal rings, subdermal implants, and injections (Economidis & Mishell, 2005) . By changing hormonal levels, production of ova can be interrupted, and fertil­ization and implantation can be also be prevented. Hormonal methods have been found to be effective, safe, reversible, and acceptable to most women. […]

Cervical barriers are widely used in England and in some coun­tries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Canada, Lea’s Shield has been available over the counter since 1993 (Long, (a) The FemCap is a silicone cup shaped like a sailor’s hat that fits securely over the cervix. (b) Lea’s Shield is a silicone cup with a […]