I'm surprised by how often I hear misconceptions about birth control from my female friends. Most commonly, I hear misconceptions about the effectiveness of certain birth control techniques. Here are a few contraceptive methods that are far more effective than you might think.
1. Breastfeeding is as effective as the Pill. When used correctly-- emphasis on "correctly"-- breastfeeding is one of the most effective birth control methods in the world. If you are breastfeeding on demand, your baby is under six months of age, and your child receives no formula or solid food, your odds of getting pregnant are about 2-9%-- the same as the shot, pill, ring, or patch. There is a common misconception that breastfeeding doesn't really work as a birth control method, but this stems primarily from the fact that most people mis-use the technique.
2. Withdrawal is as effective as condoms. Withdrawal-- also known by its scientific name coitus interruptus, or, more rudely, "pulling out"-- is actually a fairly effective contraceptive method when it's used properly. Conception rates among couples using withdrawal as a primary method are about the same as the rate among condom users and diaphragm users. The drawback: many men aren't particularly skilled at ending intercourse before orgasm. And, unfortunately, all of the responsibility must fall on the man for this technique to be effective.
3. Female condoms are as effective as male condoms. Female condoms have a bad reputation among birth control techniques. Although they aren't as useful for preventing the spread of STDs, their effectiveness is actually roughly equivalent to the effectiveness of male condoms. However, these awkward barriers can be unpleasant to use; they make an odd crinkly sound and tend to be uncomfortable.
4. IUDs work as well as getting your tubes tied-- or even better. The pregnancy rate among women using progestin IUDs, such as Mirena, is actually lower than the pregnancy rate among women who have had tubal ligations (or "tubes tied"). Although unplanned pregnancies do happen to IUD users, they are actually incredibly rare, and only occur at a slim fraction of the rate seen in women using the Pill.
4. IUDs work as well as getting your tubes tied-- or even better. The pregnancy rate among women using progestin IUDs, such as Mirena, is actually lower than the pregnancy rate among women who have had tubal ligations (or "tubes tied"). Although unplanned pregnancies do happen to IUD users, they are actually incredibly rare, and only occur at a slim fraction of the rate seen in women using the Pill.
5. Fertility awareness works as well as spermicide. To be fair, most "fertility awareness" techniques are actually pretty ineffective. Your odds of getting pregnant while charting your fertile days are about 25% per year. While this may be an acceptable figure for people who are okay with the idea of getting pregnant, it's a percentage that's far too high for many couples. Nevertheless, it is definitely more effective than chance alone. In fact, fertility awareness methods are about as useful for preventing pregnancy as the use of spermicides.