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Abstinence means not having sex (that means NO vaginal, oral, or anal sex). Being abstinent can also mean being abstinent for one night – like if you don’t have a condom and you’re not prepared How does it work to prevent pregnancy? The penis does not touch the vaginal area,…

If you are having sex, condoms are the only method that provides protection against both unintended pregnancy and STDs! Types of condoms. The most important thing when choosing a brand is that the condoms be made of latex or polyurethane (plastic). Both of these types of condoms are effective in…

Many people, who have vagina-penis sex, use dual protection. Dual protection means: Using 2 birth control methods—one highly effective for pregnancy prevention (like oral contraceptives/the pill, or an IUD) PLUS the male or female condom for STD/HIV prevention. The birth control methods that do the best job of preventing pregnancy…

The Shot, or Depo- Provera®, contains a large dose of a progestin hormone that stays in the body for 3 months. How does it work to prevent pregnancy? Progestin stops the ovary from releasing an egg, so there is no egg for the sperm to fertilize. The shot also causes…

What is it and how does it work to prevent pregnancy? Hormones (estrogen and progestin) stop the ovary from releasing an egg, so there is no egg for the sperm to fertilize The hormones also cause thickening of the mucus in the cervix, making it hard for sperm to get…

The Sponge is a soft plastic (polyurethane) sponge that is worn in the vagina during sex. It is moistened with water and inserted into the woman’s vagina before having sex. How does it work to prevent pregnancy? Spermicide (sperm-killing medicine) in the sponge kills the sperm, and the egg is…

How does it work to prevent pregnancy? A woman identifies the days each menstrual cycle when sex is most likely to result in pregnancy and then avoids having sex on the days she thinks she might get pregnant. How effective is it in preventing pregnancy? 25 in 100 couples typically…

For women sterilization includes a surgical procedure that permanently blocks her fallopian tubes where the sperm and egg would normally meet. Because the sperm and egg never have the opportunity to meet, pregnancy cannot occur. For men sterilization includes a surgical procedure that permanently prevents the release of sperm when…