The best birth control is the method you’re most likely to use. Here are some other things to consider as you decide.

You’ve got lots of birth control options. Here’s how to get them, and what to do if costs get in the way.

If you plan to use birth control other than condoms, you'll need to see a doctor. First, you need to start the conversation.

Birth control can be an awkward topic. But it’s an important heart-to-heart talk to have before sex with your partner.

Mistakes happen. But when it comes to birth control, a mistake can have a big consequence: unplanned pregnancy.

While you may hope you never need it, it’s important to know about backup birth control.

If you’re a teen and want to have safe, consensual sex, it’s important for you and your partner to use birth control.

By the time you reach your 30s, the birth control you want, need, or prefer may have changed.

Unless you’re trying to get pregnant, chances are you still need to use some method of birth control in your 40s and 50s.

If you need birth control and are looking for options, you might face many systemic roadblocks along the way.

Black women ages 15 to 49 are less likely than other racial groups to use birth control regularly.

A recent survey shows a quarter of Hispanic high schoolers rely on the withdrawal method, or nothing at all.

What type of birth control is best while you breastfeed? When the time comes, you'll have many options for contraception.

There are several ways to stop your period -- for weeks, months, or even years -- by using birth control.

You have a lot of choices for birth control, from condoms to caps to pills. Find one that you're confident with.

The effectiveness of some birth control methods depends in part on how carefully you use them.

Nonhormonal birth control is any method that doesn’t affect women’s hormones. But they might not be ideal for some people.

If your goal is to prevent both pregnancy and STIs, there are only a few ways to make that happen.

If you want to avoid pregnancy without a prescription, you can buy several types of birth control in stores.

You don’t have to take a pill every day for birth control. There are options that can last weeks, months and even years.

If you want to avoid pregnancy, you may choose an intrauterine device or birth control pills from the options available.

The birth control pill and patch are prescription birth control methods that contain hormones to prevent pregnancy.

The birth control shot and birth control pills are two types of contraceptives that use hormones to prevent pregnancy.

Both the pill and the implant slow your pituitary gland, which stops your ovaries from releasing eggs.

Both IUDs and implants are very effective -- your chance of getting pregnant is less than 1 in 100 the first year you use it.

Birth control pills and vaginal rings are both good ways to prevent pregnancy when you’re having sex without condoms.

There are many different methods of birth control, including hormonal contraception such as "the pill."

The minipill is a type of birth control made with progestin, an artificial form of progesterone that your body makes.

There are 91-day oral contraceptive programs that promise to prevent pregnancy and let you have fewer periods each year.

Estrogen may be to blame for the queasiness and dizziness you feel after you take a birth control pill.

Sometimes the pill can change your sex drive. There are ways to get things back on track, once you know what’s happening.

Some women do gain a little bit of weight when they start taking birth control pills. It’s often a temporary side effect.

If you want your birth control pill to work right, you need to avoid certain medications.

An association between estrogen and breast cancer risk has led to a debate about the role birth control pills may play.

Studies show the hormones in birth control can affect your heart. They may raise your blood pressure, for instance.

Birth control pills can prevent pregnancy and lower risks for certain cancers. They may also raise cervical cancer risk.

Once you stop the birth control pill, some of the effects you notice might depend on symptoms you had before you started.

Birth control pills don’t prevent pregnancy 100% of the time. But they come close when taken as directed.

Birth control implants are devices that go under a woman's skin. They release a hormone that prevents pregnancy.

The link between the birth control implant and weight gain isn’t strong. Studies show an average gain of 3 pounds or less.

You've had the implant in your arm for a while and you're ready for it to come out. Usually, it's a smooth process.

If you’re looking into your options for birth control, one method you may want to think about is the IUD.

Your doctor can help you decide which type of IUD is better for you. Here are a few things to think about.

IUDs are also very safe. Some women do have side effects, but they're usually mild.

The link between depression and birth control isn’t clear and researchers disagree.

You can get pregnant while using an IUD, but it’s very unlikely. Less than 1% of women with IUDs get pregnant each year.

IUD removal is a quick procedure that's done in your doctor's office or a clinic. Here’s what you can expect.

The birth control patch is a small, sticky square that you wear on your arm, back, belly, or other places on your body.

A vaginal ring is a birth control option that is a small, flexible contraceptive ring, about the size of a silver dollar.

Depo-Provera is a birth control method that you can get as a shot.

A condom is a thin, fitted tube worn over the penis during sex or inserted into the vagina before sex (female condoms).

Getting your condom to feel right can be tricky. If it’s not comfortable, it can cause you to stop wearing them.

Sometimes a condom may break, exposing you to the risk of getting STDs or the chance of becoming pregnant.

A female condom is one type of barrier method that prevents pregnancy and can help keep you safe from STDs.

The diaphragm is a flexible cup made of silicone or latex that goes inside the vagina to block sperm from reaching an egg.

Vaginal contraceptive gel doesn’t have hormones in it. It doesn’t have the standard spermicide nonoxynol-9 in it either.

The birth control sponge is a small doughnut-shaped device with an indentation in the middle.

The cervical cap is a soft, thimble-shaped cup made out of silicone or latex. It fits over the cervix to block sperm.

Looking for a more natural birth control method? You’ll want to know your options, what’s involved, and the drawbacks.

The pull-out method is a form of birth control in which a man takes their penis out of a woman's vagina before ejaculation.

The lactational amenorrhea method is a type of birth control that relies on hormones your body makes while breastfeeding.