Which is more effective in preventing pregnancy?

Question

Which is more effective in preventing pregnancy when taken correctly: birth control pills or the birth contol patch?
Or is there a better method out there? (spermicides, sponges, the shot, etc.)

I know the only method that is 100% effective is abstinence, but unfortunatley, it's too late for that.

Thanks a ton for the answers! They are all greatly appreciated!

Sorry, forgot to add that I use a condom every time!!

"unfortunatley, its too late for that", meaning that I am no longer a virgin! I am in a great relationship with a man who I know I am going to spend the rest of my life with! (I think he's going to propose next week on our anniversary!) So cutting sex out of the relationship may not be possible :) lol

Answer 1

Birth control is 99% effective if taken as prescribed. This is available in several methods including (but not limited to):

Shots
Pills
Patches (at one time, I do not believe they are available any longer because of complications, they were talking about making new ones though so it might be available again soon if not already)
Theres even some new methods that are inserted into you that can last up to 5 years!

There are other methods that are good such as condoms, spermicides, etc but these have expiration dates and if they go bad they will not be effective any longer. Also, if they get too cold or too hot they can also go bad.

I personally like the pill the best because you get into a daily habit of taking it and dont have to worry about remembering it every time you have sex or interrupting things to use it like you would with spermicides and such.

Using more than one at a time is also a good way to prevent pregnancy. (Such as pills and condoms, or another form like that.)

Answer 2

If administered correctly; they are all equally are effective (99% or above in theory). The pill does take some dicipline as the female must take it at the same time everyday. I would recommend the shot simply out of convenience; my girlfriend loves it. If you don't like needles, definately the pill. The patch is effective, but the absorption rates will vary; something I'm sure you don't want. Also, be very careful when taking anitbiotics. They can render birth control useless while your on them. IF you really want to be careful, use condoms with spermicide while you are on birth control; not 100% but pretty dang close. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

If you're looking for a morning after pill I dont think those will help.
I'm not sure I understand your "unfortunately it's too late for that" comment.
If you're looking for birth control without side effects of hormones, the norplant does work but if you decide to have children in the next few years, you might not be able to. Birth control pills are so time consuming! LOL I just take my period and find when I'm ovulating and we abstain from those 2-4 days of the month. I've been married 19+ years and have 2 kids.
I've never tried a sponge but I have tried spermicides once or twice. *wrinkles nose*
You don't give your age, but hey, I hear they're handing out birth control in middle school now. Mutual Masturbation is always safe, as well as oral sex.

Answer 4

I was on the pill from age 16 to age 40, when my doc changed me to the shot b/c of high blood pressure. I think the pill and the shot are equally effective, but there is an added benefit with the shot- no more periods! Isn't that great? The pill can be counter-acted by certain antibiotics, hence, you can get pregnant if on antibiotics and the pill. Use condoms in that case. Condoms work too, if there are no holes in them.

Answer 5

Depends on the person actual. It depends on your health if you naturally over produce a hormone as is? what your weight is for what it should be at. so on and so forth. now for me personally i have gotten pregnant on the pill on 2 different occassions and miscarried both. my daughter i got pregnant with on the patch. i really DO NOT like the shot. i have heard alot of good stuff about the newer pills they have comming out. seasonel.... YAZ(heard that one is a good one personaly havent tried it) and with the IUDs they use to be known (not sure if still) to cause infertility.. the 10 year ones are better if you choose that course. after getting it taken out usually takes up to 30 days to get pregnant. as opposed to the 5 year IUD can take up to a year to get pregnant and is more likely to cause infertility.. i have no idea about the one year one. there are many different types talk to your doctor he/she would know the best for you beings that the doctor knows your health status more then we do. but depends on which you like better or would like better not having to worry about a B/C pill daily then go with one that is longer like the shot or IUD. but yea i dont recomment the shot or the patch if i was you.. try typing into google.com and look for "birth control methods" and then usually you can find different types of birth controls and what the side effects are and who shouldn't take what types.

If you have an abnormal pap you can't recieve the IUD because of the possibilty you may or may not have cervical cancer and all that...

Answer 6

Both the pill and the patch are about equal in their effectiveness. Just make sure a doctor puts you on the correct one for you. The patch has a different effect on your hormones - I had a difficult time getting it out of my system after I went off and I think it played a part in my miscarriage - but it doesn't affect everyone the same way.

Answer 7

the best bc is the iud (internal uterine device) the doctor has to put it in while you are on your period and it is good (depending on which one you get) for 5-10 years. I have had one for 40 years (not the same one) and i have never ever, ever had 1 problem with it. I never have to worry about getting pregnant at all. it is always in there and you never have to worry about forgetting anything. I had no side effects,...nothing. you cant even feel it. also you have no weight gain from pills and cancer from pills. the only thing that i noticed different i guess was my periods were a little heavier. but they always came like clockwork....no worries. i would never get anything else. it does cost more but considering how much bc pills cost it is less in the long run

Answer 8

In truth the pill is about as good as it gets.
Stay away from the patch, we hear some bad things about that. Other methods are OK but the pill is the best prevention over time. Stick to the pill!

Answer 9

Pill is the best (99.97%), patch-IUD-Arm implants are good too (over 99%).

There IS an IUD that claims to be more effective than the pill ...can't recall the name though

Also, READ THE LABELS! Medicines ranging from antibiotics to St. Johns Wart to even Tylonol can reduce the pill's effectivness. Just ask my son, conceived while my wife was on the pill.

SEF567 had a good answer too :)

Answer 10

It depends on how consistent you are in taking pills. If you can remember to take them daily, they're the simplest and cheaper in the long run.
Hormonal methods like the pill or shot are much more effective than barrier methods like spermicides, sponge, IUD and condoms.
Any barrier method can and will fail. Two of my sons are proof of that.
And remember that no method of contraception prevents s**ually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS, chlamidia, syphilis, etc.