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How to choose the right contraception
Make the right choice of contraception for you.
Dr Sarah Brewer explains each method
Family planning is an essential part of reproductive health, letting you choose whether to have children, how many to have, and when to have them. The right contraception will help you enjoy your relationship to the full, without the worry of an unplanned pregnancy.
Choose a method:
- Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill
- Progestogen-only (Mini) Pill
- Injectable Long-acting Progestogen
- Contraceptive Patch (EVRA)
- Male Condom
- Female Condom
- Diaphragm and Cap
- IUCD or Coil
- Intra-uterine System (Mirena IUS)
- Natural Birth Control
- Fertility Awareness
- Persona
- Male Sterilisation (Vasectomy)
- Female Sterilisation
- Emergency Contraception
For most women, conception is possible from their early teens to their mid-40s, and a sexually active woman who doesn't use any method of contraception has an 85% chance of becoming pregnant within one year. Surveys suggest, however, that less than 50% of sexually active women regularly use a reversible method of contraception, while those most keen to avoid pregnancy - teenagers and women over 40 - are least likely to use any form of contraception at all. As a result, around one in three pregnancies are unplanned.
Failure rates of various methods per year
The following table shows typical effectiveness rates for various methods of contraception (allowing for some human error), to help you decide which method is right for you, based on their reliability:
| Method | Typical failure rate | |
| No contraception | 85% | |
| Withdrawal | 19% | |
| Natural fertility awareness methods | Up to 23% | |
| Fertility awareness computer (Persona) | 6% or more | |
| Diaphragm/cap | Up to 18% | |
| Spermicides alone | 25% | |
| Male condom | Up to 15% | |
| Female condom | Up to 15% | |
| Coil (IUCD) | 1% to 2% | |
| Progestogen coil (intra-uterine system) | < 1% | |
| Combined pill | < 1 - 3% or more | |
| Mini pill | < 1 - 4% or more | |
| Depot progestogen injection | < 1% | |
| Female sterilisation | < 1% | |
| Male sterilisation | < 1% | |
| Emergency contraceptive pill | Up to 4% | |
| Emergency contraceptive IUCD | Up to 2% |
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Created: 13/10/2003 Updated: 06/08/2007
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