MN576 Advanced Practice Nursing: Compare Contraception Methods

There are a range of different contraceptive options currently available in the UK. The type that works best for you will depend on your health and circumstances.

There are several issues to consider when deciding which method of contraception is right for you.

Once you have read this information, you can go to your GP or local contraceptive (or family planning) clinic to discuss your choices.

Remember, the only way to protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is to use a condom every time you have sex.

Other methods of contraception prevent pregnancy, but they do not protect against STIs.

Answer the questions on this page to help you decide which method is most suitable for you. MN576 Advanced Practice Nursing: Compare Contraception Methods

Contraception choices tool

The Contraception choices tool can help you find out which methods of contraception:

• may be best for you
• are most effective at preventing pregnancy

The Contraception tool infographic shows you how many women may get pregnant in a year using each method.

Sexual health charities Brook and FPA also have a contraception tool:

• Brook: My contraception tool
• FPA: My contraception tool

How effective are the different methods?

The list below shows how effective each of the 15 different methods are, and how often you need to use them or think about them (frequency of use).

The effectiveness of each method is worked out by calculating how many women get pregnant if 100 women use the method for a year.

For example, if a particular contraceptive method is 99% effective, 1 woman out of every 100 who uses it will get pregnant in a year.

Some methods listed below, such as the pill, include the phrase “if used correctly”.

This is because people who use these methods have to use them every time they have sex, or remember to take or apply them every day, week or month.

If the method is not used correctly, it will not be as effective.

Contraceptives that are more than 99% effective:

• contraceptive implant (lasts up to 3 years)
• intrauterine system, or IUS (up to 5 years)
• intrauterine device, or IUD, also called the coil (up to 5 to 10 years)
• female sterilisation (permanent)
• male sterilisation or vasectomy (permanent)

Contraceptives that are more than 99% effective if always used correctly, but generally less than 95% effective with typical use:

• contraceptive injection (renewed every 8 weeks or every 12 weeks, depending on the type)
• combined pill (taken every day for 3 weeks out of every month)
• progestogen-only pill (taken every day)
• contraceptive patch (renewed each week for 3 weeks in every month)
• vaginal ring (renewed once a month)

Contraceptives that are 99% effective if used according to teaching instructions:

• symptothermal method of natural family planning (daily monitoring of body temperature and cervical mucus)

Contraceptives that are 98% effective if used correctly:

• male condom (every time you have sex)

Contraceptives that are 95% effective if used correctly:

• female condom (every time you have sex)

Contraceptives that are 92 to 96% effective if used correctly:

• diaphragm or cap with spermicide (every time you have sex) MN576 Advanced Practice Nursing: Compare Contraception Methods

Can you make contraception part of your daily routine?

If you’re a well-organised person with a reasonably regular routine, you have a wide choice of contraception.

This is because you’re less likely to forget about your contraception by forgetting to take a pill or reapply a patch, for example.

You may want to use a method that you only need to use when you have sex, such as the male or female condom, or you may prefer a method that you need to take every day, such as the pill.

Or you may want to consider methods like the patch, injection or implant, which you do not need to use every day or each time you have sex.

The list below shows how often you need to use, replace or take each contraceptive method.

Once you have looked at the list, ask your GP or a doctor or nurse at your local clinic for more details.

Methods used each time you have sex:

• male condoms and female condoms
• diaphragm or cap

Methods taken on a daily basis:

• the pill (the combined pill or the progestogen-only pill), but there are some types of 21-day pill where you have a week “off” each month

Methods replaced every week:

• contraceptive patch

Methods replaced every month:

• vaginal ring

Methods renewed every 2 to 3 months:

• contraceptive injection

Methods renewed up to every 3 years:

• contraceptive implant

Methods renewed up to every 5 to 10 years:

• intrauterine device (IUD)
• intrauterine system (IUS)

Would you prefer contraception you do not have to remember every day?

Not all contraceptives have to be taken every day or each time you have sex.

You do not have to think about some contraceptives for months or years.

These methods need to be inserted by a health professional into your uterus (IUD or IUS) or arm (the implant):

• intrauterine device (IUD) (lasts up to 5 to 10 years, depending on the type)
• intrauterine system (IUS) (lasts up to 3 to 5 years, depending on the type)
• contraceptive implant (lasts 3 years)

The contraceptive injection can be given 1 of 2 ways: either by an intramuscular injection into the buttock, or as a subcutaneous injection into the thigh or abdomen.

This is given every 8 weeks or every 12 weeks, depending on the type.

The subcutaneous injection can be given by a health professional, or you can be shown how to inject it yourself.

Other contraceptives that need to be changed or replaced every month or week are:

• vaginal ring (worn for 3 weeks out of every 4)
• contraceptive patch (a new patch is used each week for 3 weeks out of every 4)

Other contraceptives used or inserted just before sex are: MN576 Advanced Practice Nursing: Compare Contraception Methods

• diaphragm or cap
• male condom or female condom

Ask your GP or a doctor or nurse at your local contraceptive clinic for more details.