| |
Pill |
Condom |
Implant |
Injections |
IUD |
|
Typical Use
Effectiveness Rate [#] |
>95%
|
>76% [1] |
>99% [1] |
>99% [1] |
98% - >99%
[1] |
|
| Highest Effectiveness
Rate [+] |
>99% [1] |
97% [1] |
>99% [1] |
>99% [1] |
98% - >99% [1] |
|
| Percentage of women who
stop using method for a method-related cause [$] |
32% [2] |
47% [2] |
16% [2] |
44% [2] |
36% [2] |
|
| User maintenance
required |
Daily |
Each coital act |
Replace implants every
3 - 5 years |
Monthly / every 3 month
injection |
Monthly self exam |
|
| Advantages |
Easy to stop using |
| •
|
Easy to stop using |
| •
|
STD [*] protection |
| •
|
No hormonal side-effects |
|
Low user maintenance |
Low user maintenance |
Low user maintenance |
|
| Disadvantages |
| •
|
Hormonal side-effects |
| •
|
Must be taken daily |
| •
|
Requires a prescription |
|
| •
|
Required each coital act |
| •
|
Easy to misuse |
| •
|
Reduced sensitivity |
|
| •
|
Hormonal side effects |
| •
|
A medical procedure to start/stopuse |
|
| •
|
Hormonal side effects |
| •
|
A medical procedure for each injection |
|
| •
|
Hormonal side effects |
| •
|
A medical procedure to start/stopuse |
|
|
[#] "Typical use
effectiveness" means that the method was not used correctly or was not
used with every act of intercourse (e.g., sometimes forgot to take a birth
control pill as directed and became pregnant), or was used correctly but failed
anyway.
[+] "Highest effectiveness" means that the method was always used
correctly with every act of sexual intercourse but failed anyway (e.g., always
took a birth control pill as directed but still became pregnant).
[*] Sexually Transmitted Diseases
|
|
| [$] "The typical woman
who uses reversible methods of contraception continuously from her 15th
birthday to her 45th birthday will discontinue contraceptive use for a
method-related reason nearly 10 times. Such high rates of discontinuation
almost surely reflect dissatisfaction with current methods.[2]"
|
|
[1] Hatcher R, Trussell J,
Stewart F, et al, "Contraceptive Technology, 17th Edition", Ardent
Media, New York, 1998.
[2] Trussel J, Vaughn B, "Contraceptive Failure, Method-Related
Discontinuation And Resumption of Use: Results from the 1995 National Survey of
Family Growth", Family Planning Perspectives, 1999, 31(2) 64-72 & 93. |
