Health Education Health Channel

	Feature Article Illustrations for this article Click on an image below to enlarge Before and after vasectomy The cervical cap Show all 9 photos Birth control and family planning Definition Which form of birth control you choose depends on a number of different factors, including your health, how often you have sex, and whether or not you want children. Alternative Names Contraception; Family planning and contraception Information Here are some factors to consider when selecting a birth control method: Effectiveness -- How well does the method prevent pregnancy? Look at the number of pregnancies in 100 women using that method over a period of one year. If an unplanned pregnancy would be viewed as potentially devastating to the individual or couple, a highly effective method should be chosen. In contrast, if a couple is simply trying to postpone pregnancy, but feels that a pregnancy could be welcomed if it occurred earlier than planned, a less effective method may be a reasonable choice. Cost -- is the method affordable? Health risk -- What are the potential health risks? For example, birth control pills are usually not recommended for women over age 35 who also smoke. Partner involvement -- The willingness of a partner to accept and support a given method may affect your choice of birth control. However, you also may want to re-consider a sexual relationship with a partner unwilling to take an active and supportive role. Permanence -- Do you want a temporary (and generally less effective) method, or a long-term or even permanent (and more effective) method? Preventing HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) -- Many methods offer no protection against STDs. In general, condoms are the best choice for preventing STDs, especially when combined with spermicides. Availability -- Can the method be used without a prescription, provider visit, or, in the case of minors, parental consent? CONDOMS A condom is a thin latex or polyurethane sheath. Continue reading this article

More Articles

Opiate withdrawal (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Opiate withdrawal refers to the wide range of symptoms that occur after stopping or dramatically reducing opiate drugs after heavy and prolonged use (several weeks or more. Opiate drugs include heroin, morphine, codeine, Oxycontin, Dilaudid, metha...Reviewer: Jacob L. Heller, MD, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. Date: 04/20/2009
Email  |  Save

Nicotine withdrawal (3 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Nicotine withdrawal involves irritability, headache, and craving for cigarettes or other sources of nicotine. These symptoms occur when a nicotine-dependent individual suddenly stops smoking or using tobacco, or cuts back on the number of cigarett...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 06/19/2008
Email  |  Save

Alcohol withdrawal (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Alcohol withdrawal refers to symptoms that may occur when a person who has been drinking too much alcohol every day suddenly stops drinking alcohol.Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 02/27/2009
Email  |  Save

Cocaine withdrawal (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cocaine withdrawal occurs when a heavy cocaine user cuts down or quits taking the drug.Reviewer: Jacob L. Heller, MD, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, Clinic. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 04/20/2009
Email  |  Save

Cancer (18 Images) Average Rating: (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 08/02/2008
Email  |  Save

Use Healthline to search the web for more Health Education information.

Health Experts, Healthline's Network of Health Experts

Contraception - A Basic Human Right in Fruit of the Womb - 2 years 308 days ago

Outside the San Diego convention center, a group of protesters continually harangued attendees at the recent ACOG Annual Meeting as they crossed the street... Email  |  Save

Birth Control in Middle School? in Teen Health 411 - 2 years 151 days ago

If the people of Portland wish to provide birth control to middle school then they must understand they are lowering the age of consent to 12. Email  |  Save

Hormonal Contraception and HIV Risk in Teen Health 411 - 3 years 87 days ago

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) released a press release 12/7/06 saying that the results of a large study commissioned... Email  |  Save