What is a Contraceptive?
At one time the term conception universally referred to the moment of fertilization. However, this has changed and now many important medical organizations use the word conception to mean implantation. The word contraceptive is used to refer to any birth control method that prevents fertilization or implantation as its primary mechanism. Barrier methods for women, condoms, and natrual methods prevent fertilization. Hormonal methods and the IUD work by both preventing fertilization and preventing implantation. Although a woman is only fertile for a few days out of each menstrual cycle, unless she is monitoring her body it is hard to know exactly when she can conceive. If she wishes to avoid pregnancy she must either refrain from intercourse while she is fertile or employ the use of contraceptives, the most popular of which are described at this web site.
