How Well Will Birth Control Work?

The best way to make sure that you do not have children is to go on birth control - but most people are hesitant to do this. Why? They don’t want to waste money on something that may not be very effective.

I have heard many people tell me stories about how they got pregnant after being on birth control and than when they were off it they couldn’t have a baby. The human body is complex and there are dozens of different options. So how do you know - which one is right for you? How do you know if birth control is effective.

Research shows that many forms of birth control are 99.9% effective. The main reason why they may not work is due to human error. Sometimes the woman will forget to take the pill. When this happens the risk is higher.

You will find that many manufacturers will place or should place two different rates on how effective they are. The first rate will show you the percentage from the lab and the second the typical percentage after hundreds have used it. The typical rate includes human error. This will help to narrow down the choices.

Below is a list of the two different rates for different forms of birth control.

Abstinence
Prefect Use: 100%
Typical Use: 75%

Birth Control Pill ("the Pill")
Perfect Use: 99.7%
Typical Use: 92%

Condoms

Male
Perfect Use: 98%
Typical Use: 85%

Female
Perfect Use:95%
Typical Use: 79%

Withdrawal ("pulling out")
Perfect Use: 96%
Typical Use: 73%

Depo-Provera ("the shot")
Perfect Use: 99.7%
Typical Use: 97%

NuvaRing
Perfect Use: 99.7%
Typical Use: 92%

Ortho Evra ("the Patch")
Perfect Use: 99.7%
Typical Use: 92%

Seasonale
Perfect Use: 99.7%
Typical Use: 92%

Spermicides--alone
Perfect Use: 82%
Typical Use: 71%

Cervical Cap
Perfect Use: 91%
Typical Use: 84%

Diaphragm
Perfect Use: 94%
Typical Use: 84%

Intrauterine Device (IUD)
Perfect Use: 99%
Typical Use: 98-99%

*Keep in mind that 85% of people who don’t use any method become pregnant within a year.