Birth Control: Contraceptive Measures after Unprotected Sex

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• Introduction to birth control
• Contraceptive measures after unprotected sex
• Emergency hormonal contraception
• Emergency IUD

Introduction to birth control

If a woman is sexually active and she is fertile and physically able to become pregnant, she needs to ask herself, "Do I want to become pregnant now?" If her answer is "No," she must use some method of birth control (contraception).

Terminology used to describe birth control methods include contraception, pregnancy prevention, fertility control, and family planning. But no matter what the process is called, sexually active people can choose from a plethora of methods to reduce the possibility of their becoming pregnant. Nevertheless, no method of birth control available today offers perfect protection against sexually transmitted infections (sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs), except abstinence.

In simple terms, all methods of birth control are based on either preventing a man's sperm from reaching and entering a woman's egg (fertilization) or preventing the fertilized egg from implanting in the woman's uterus (her womb) and starting to grow. New methods of birth control are being developed and tested all the time. And what is appropriate for a couple at one point may change with time and circumstances.

Unfortunately, no birth control method, except abstinence, is considered to be 100% effective.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Birth Control Pills (Oral Contraceptives) - Read about the different types of birth control pills (oral contraceptives) such as monophasic, biphasic, and triphasic. Find out which birth control pill may be the best for you.
• Natural Methods of Birth Control - Natural methods of birth control are non-mechanical and non-hormonal. They are also considered fertility awareness methods and there are a variety of choices for natural birth control.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Women (STDs) - Learn and become aware of common STDs in women, including descriptions, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments of each type of infection.

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