How can the patient and reproductive healthcare provider choose the best possible birth control method?
It’s really a combination of individual preference and the individual’s history and other health issues. It’s important that a woman evaluate all the different methods that are available to her. If you have trouble remembering pills, or if you have a history of blood clots or high blood pressure, then it’s not going to work real well for you. For people who have trouble remembering pills, there are patches or vaginal rings, which give them the option of the same hormones without having to take a pill. Some people are very happy with condoms, and if used correctly and consistently, they are a good option. For people who are pretty sure they don’t want a pregnancy in the next five to 10 years, but want to keep their options open, there are good long-term methods, such as IUDs. And there are permanent methods for people that are really sure they never want to get pregnant. So you have to look at the individual, and how they like to space pregnancies or to prevent them. A woman should also
