effectiveness

There are a bunch of things you can know and do that I think are going to help you feel a lot better. When we talk about the effectiveness of any kind of contraception, including condoms, we reference two different groups of figures. One is perfect use: that means a person always uses their method...

It depends on when you start taking your pills for the first time, and on what level of protection you want. If you start the pill on the first day of your period, it's likely -- so long as you take every pill in that cycle during and after that week perfectly -- that you will be have the full...

You already know that no method of contraception is 100% effective to prevent pregnancy. You probably also know, however, that there are reliable methods which are very effective when used properly, and that if you use contraception correctly and consistently, pregnancy becomes a whole lot less likely. But did you know that by doubling up and using two methods, with almost any combination you use, you can get mighty close to that 100% with most combos?

In order for oral contraceptives -- the birth control pill -- to be effective, they need to be taken every day. Missing one every now and then so long as you make it up within a day or so won't likely compromise your effectiveness all that much, but if you're missing a few pills regularly, that's...

It's really important for anyone starting a new birth control method to understand WHEN it is likely to be completely effective. I'm sincerely hoping your healthcare provider explained that to you with your pill, but I have to tell you that even if he or she did not, it is really also your...

It's generally agreed that when switching from one pill to the next, you do not have to worry about being without effective protection, so long as you didn't take more than a one-week placebo period between the two types of pills. The douching is a larger issue. Douching -- when specific douches at...

I know -- boy, do I! -- that there is an awful lot of propaganda out there that condoms aren't reliable, but that really is all that it is: propaganda. There are no microscopic holes in condoms, for instance, which semen or viruses can invisible escape through. When used properly, condoms are 98%...

The dosing mostly matters depending on your body composition. Estrogen is a fat-soluble hormone. Therefore if you have a significant amount and proportion of body fat, some of that estrogen will dissolve into the fatty tissue and not make it to its receptor sites in your sex organs. If you have more...

Stopping and starting the pill (especially if you stopped in the middle of a cycle) can really do a number on your body. Remember that when you're on the pill (or any form of hormonal birth control for that matter) adds extra hormones into your system and essentially changes the way it is...

For birth control pills to be effective in preventing pregnancy, they have to be used correctly and consistently. Taking a birth control pill after sex won't do anything to prevent pregnancy. And yep: it can sure make you feel a little loopy and confuse the heck out of your cycle. In order for your...