Since people now begin their sex life at younger ages than in the past, health organizations make efforts to reduce the number of abortions or unwanted pregnancies by providing free birth control. This option is also highly valuable for couples who can’t afford to spend hundreds of dollars on birth control, or who need to make savings. Free oral contraceptives are now provided with local health departments all over the United States. Even if you don’t intend to take medical tests, you can also get the chance of free medical investigations as part of the same supportive programs.

The birth control shot is a contraceptive method injected intramuscularly every three months. It has a slow-release form and it normally contains one type of hormone only: progesterone. The main impact of this hormone is to prevent ovulation, meaning that there will be no egg release monthly.

In comparison with the hormonal pill, the birth control shot has a higher efficiency range. While with the pill, 8 in 100 couples get pregnant yearly, the rate is only 3 in 100 per year in the case of the birth control shot. Yet, if you wait longer than three months before you get the next shot, chances of getting pregnant are higher.

The morning after pill is also known under the name of emergency contraception, because women use it after unprotected intercourse or when another birth control method fails. The same hormones present in the regular birth control pill are used in the morning after pill with the only mention that the concentration of the ingredients is a bit higher. The morning after pill should not replace a regular birth control method, because used frequently it can seriously impair health.

The birth control ring is a local device made of a soft and flexible material that is inserted in the vagina. It slowly releases hormones into the blood stream so as to influence the uterus and the ovaries and thus prevent pregnancy. The birth control ring contains two main ingredients: progesterone and estrogen, both with a role in the function of the reproductive system. The effect consists in the blocking of the ovulation, which means that no egg is released in the uterus. Another anatomical modification consist in the thickening of the cervical mucus and the changes in the uterine lining.

Birth control options often seem confusing because of the numerous possibilities, the number of factors that influence the choice and the potential side effects that come with certain methods. You can only evaluate the birth control options with a specialist, a health care provider that can prescribe the most suitable one. Here are the elements that require immediate consideration.

-age;
-health condition;
-the regularity of the sexual activity;
-smoker or non-smoker;
-the efficiency of birth control options;
-plans to have children etc.