Family Planning Methods

Every Woman Has the Right to Manage Her Fertility

Choosing a Birth Control Method is a very personal decision, based on many factors like individual preferences, medical history and lifestyle. The average woman has to be concerned with contraception for at least 30 years, so it is important for women to understand all of their options in order to choose when they become pregnant.

Which Contraceptive is Best?

Your choice of contraceptive depends on several major factors like effectiveness, safety and cost.

Questions to Ask Yourself or Your Healthcare Provider

• Is it important that I do not get pregnant right now?
• Do I plan to have children in the future?
• How often do I have sex?
• Do I have more than one sexual partner?
• Do I want a method that is always in my body or a method to use only when I have sex?
• Do I need a method that helps protect me from HIV and other STDs?
• Does this method fit with my religious or moral beliefs?
• Will my partner or I feel embarrassed or uncomfortable using this method?
• How much does this method cost? Can I afford it?
• Does this method require interrupting sexual intercourse?
• Is this method safe?
• Do I have any health concerns that would make this method risky for me?
• What are the side effects of the method?
• Will I use it the right way every time even if it is a hassle?
• What should I use while I am breastfeeding?

A Note: Natural Family Planning is a birth control method based on predicting the release of an egg, understanding the days in the month that the woman is most likely to get pregnant and not having sex on those specific days. It is a very difficult method that requires careful calculation and discipline and even then, many women still get pregnant. For that reason, it is not a recommended contraceptive method.

Instructor Tips:
Section Goal: Teach participant why family planning is beneficial and help her decide which birth control method is best for her