Facts About
Birth Control
The only way to
prevent pregnancy that works 100
percent of the time is not to have
vaginal intercourse. But if you decide
to have vaginal intercourse, using
birth control will greatly reduce your
chances of pregnancy. It’s a fact that
60% to 80% of sexually active women
who do not use any method of birth
control become pregnant in the course
of one year.
Some birth control methods work better
than others, some work poorly. For
example, withdrawing the penis before
a man comes is one of the worst ways
to prevent pregnancy. Up to 20 out of
100 women whose partners practice
withdrawal become pregnant during the
first year of use. On the other hand,
fewer than 3 out of 100 women who use
the Pill become pregnant during the
first year of use. Some birth control
methods need to be prescribed by a
doctor. These are:
All prescription methods give reliable
protection against pregnancy when used
according to instructions. But no
method is right for all women. An
examination of a women’s past and
present health by a doctor will help
decide which may be appropriate for
her. A physical examination is
recommended at least once a year,
especially if a prescription method is
used.
Over the counter methods of birth
control are available without
prescription. These methods may be
used by anyone except those who may be
allergic to them. They include;
Women whose religious views or
personal beliefs will not allow the
use of prescription or over the
counter birth control methods may
choose to use:
Fertility Awareness Methods With
Abstinence
Women and men who know they have all
the children they will ever want to
have or who know that they will never
want to have children may prefer a
permanent method of birth control
Voluntary sterilization
Comparison Of Risks
The chart below compares the estimated
annual number of deaths associated
with pregnancy and childbirth
resulting from failure to use a
fertility control method with the
estimated number of deaths associated
with fertility control methods (including
deaths occurring with pregnancy and
childbirth when birth control fails)
per 100,000 fertile women, by age
group.
Careful and consistent use all methods
can give better results than the rates
reported here. Effectiveness rates for
the condom without foam are from the
Alan Guttmacher Institute. All other
effectiveness rates are from the
American
College
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
These are organizations that
specialize on providing information on
women’s health issue:
American
College
of
Obstetricians
and
Gynecologists
Resource
Center
PO Box
96920
409 12th Street SW
Washington,
DC
20090-6920
Tel: 202 863-2518
Online:
www.acog.org
National Women’s Health Network
514 10th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington,
DC
20004-6920
Tel: 202 628-7814
202 347-1140
Online:
www.womenshealthnetwork.org
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For more information
contact:
Health Salud USA, Inc.
350 Fifth Avenue 59th floor
New York, New York 10118
E-mail:info@HealthSaludUSA.com
