The best way to reduce your risk of unintended pregnancy—short of abstaining, of course—is to pick a birth control method that’s best for you and then use it correctly and consistently.
Types of Birth Control
How Birth Control Effectiveness Is Measured
Birth control effectiveness is typically measured from one of two vantage points: “perfect use” or “typical use.”
Perfect use, sometimes also called “lowest expected,” refers to when the method is used correctly and consistently as directed. For instance, when a couple always used condoms as directed but still became pregnant.
Typical use, on the other hand, refers to when the method either was not always used correctly or was not used with every act of sexual intercourse. For instance, typical use might include forgetting to take a birth control pill as directed and becoming pregnant or the contraceptive was used correctly but failed anyway.
Birth Control Methods & Pregnancy Rates
The following table shows the percentage of women who experienced an unintended pregnancy within the first year of typical use of each different contraceptive method. These estimates are based on a variety of studies and were compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For comparison, about 85 out of 100 sexually active women (or 85-percent) who do not use any birth control can expect to become pregnant in a year.
| Method | Typical Use Pregnancy Rate |
| Male Sterilization | 0.15% |
| Female Sterilization | 0.5% |
| Implant | 0.05% |
| Hormone Shot (Depo-Provera) | 0.6% |
| Combination Pill (Estrogen/Progestin) | 5% |
| Mini Pill (Progestin-only) | 5% |
| Patch | 5% |
| IUD-Copper T | 0.8% |
| IUD-Progesterone T | 0.2% |
| Male Condom | 18% |
| Female Condom | 21% |
| Diaphragm | 12% |
| Vaginal Sponge (no previous births) | 12% |
| Vaginal Sponge (previous births) | 24% |
| Cervical Cap with spermicide | 17-23% |
| Spermicide (gel, foam, suppository, film) | 28% |
| Withdrawal | 22% |
| Natural Family Planning (calendar, temperature, cervical mucus) |
24% |
The Most Effective Contraceptive
According to this data, a contraceptive implant, like Implanon, was the most effective at preventing pregnancy with only 0.05% of women who use it as their birth control method of choice become pregnant. Like other hormonal options like birth control pills, hormone injections, or hormonal IUDs, contraceptive implants rely on hormones (in this case progesterone) to prevent pregnancy. This low, steady dose of progesterone comes from a flexible plastic rod about the size of a matchstick that is implanted under the skin of a woman’s upper arm.
While the contraceptive implant is the clear winner in terms of its extremely low pregnancy rate, there are still quite a few reliable options for couples to choose from. Finding the best and most reliable birth control method for you is what is most important.
Choosing the Best Birth Control Method for You
When it comes to choosing the best birth control method for you, efficacy is only one piece of the equation. Here are some things to consider when choosing the best birth control method for you:
- Your health
- How often you have sex
- How many sexual partners you have
- If you want to have children in the future
- If you will need a prescription or if you can buy the method over-the-counter
If discussing your options with your practitoner, there are a few things you should share. Be sure to tell your practitoner, healthcare provider, or pharmacist if you:
- Smoke
- Have liver disease
- Have blood clots
- Have family members who have had blood clots
- Are taking any other medicines, like antibiotics or daily prescription medicines
- Are taking any herbal products, like St. John’s Wort
- Are breastfeeding
- Have been pregnant recently
- Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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