Your Birth Control Options
With so many options available today, finding the right fit comes down to your personal preferences, health history, and lifestyle. We’ll work with you to find the right option.
Birth Control Pills
Taken daily, either in a conventional pack (21 active days, 7 inactive) or a continuous-dosing pack that reduces or eliminates periods.
Vaginal Ring
A small, flexible ring inserted for three weeks at a time, then removed for a ring-free week. Similar effectiveness to the pill, with less daily upkeep.
Skin Patch
An adhesive patch applied to the skin and replaced weekly for three weeks, followed by a patch-free week. It delivers steady hormones through the skin, though it may not be ideal for sensitive skin types.
Contraceptive Injection (Depo-Provera)
An intramuscular shot administered every three months in the arm or buttocks. It eliminates the need for daily or weekly action.
IUD (Hormonal or Copper)
A small, flexible device placed in the uterus, lasting anywhere from three to ten years depending on the type–one of the most effective reversible options available.
Contraceptive Implant
A matchstick-sized rod placed under the skin of the upper arm, releasing hormones to prevent pregnancy. Insertion is a quick, in-office procedure.
Condoms
Available over the counter, no appointment needed. About 95% effective when used correctly, and the only option on this list that also reduces STI transmission risk, worth pairing with another method rather than relying on alone if STI protection matters to you.
Choosing Birth Control Based on Effectiveness, Not Just Convenience
Convenience matters, but it isn’t the only factor worth weighing. If pregnancy prevention is your highest priority, effectiveness varies more than many people realize:
- Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC): The implant is approximately 99.95% effective, with hormonal and copper IUDs close behind at over 99% effectiveness. These methods are the most reliable because they remove human error—once placed, there is nothing you need to remember day to day.
- User-Dependent Methods: Pills, the ring, and the patch are all highly effective when used perfectly, but real-world effectiveness runs lower because they depend on consistent, timely action every day, week, or month.
When to Switch Methods or Just Manage Side Effects
It’s common to try a method, find it isn’t the right fit, and switch. Breakthrough bleeding, mood changes, or reduced libido in the first few months don’t necessarily mean a method is wrong for you long-term, but they’re worth discussing rather than waiting out on your own. If side effects haven’t settled after a few months, or you’re considering a different method for lifestyle reasons, that’s a normal reason to schedule a visit. You don’t need to wait for your annual exam.
Birth Control for Menstrual Cycle & Symptom Management
Many patients come to us for birth control for reasons that have nothing to do with preventing pregnancy. Hormonal contraceptives are highly effective tools for managing various gynecologic conditions:
- Acne: Hormonal methods can regulate hormone spikes that contribute to stubborn breakouts.
- Heavy or Irregular Periods: Hormonal options can significantly lighten menstrual flow and regulate unpredictable cycles.
- PMS and PMDD: By stabilizing hormonal fluctuations across your cycle, birth control can ease severe physical and emotional mood shifts
- Period Suppression: Up to 75% of women report having no periods after a year on the contraceptive injection, making it a frequent choice for women seeking relief from painful or disruptive cycles.
Planning Around Fertility: Timing for Future Pregnancy
If you think you might want to try for a pregnancy in the next year or two, that’s worth factoring into your choice now. For most methods, fertility returns quickly once you stop. The injection is the exception: it can take 10 to 18 months for ovulation to resume after your last shot, which matters if you’re planning a near-term pregnancy. IUDs and implants don’t carry this delay; fertility typically returns essentially right away after removal.
When to Call Us: Symptoms That Shouldn’t Wait
Most birth control questions and side-effect adjustments can wait for a scheduled visit. A few things shouldn’t:
- Severe abdominal pain after IUD or implant placement, beyond typical mild cramping.
- Signs your IUD has shifted, such as being able to feel the device itself (not just the strings) or a partner feeling it during sex.
- Bleeding that’s heavier or more prolonged than what your provider described as expected for your method.
- A missed period while on a method that doesn’t already cause missed periods, since this may warrant a pregnancy test.
Choose the Women Who Know: Schedule a Birth Control Consultation with Us
At Rosa Gynecology, your care is led by board-certified physicians—Drs. Mironda Williams, Deanna Guthrie, and Karen Greene—alongside skilled nurse practitioners Mary Corbitt, APRN, and Brittany Bulger, APRN. We’re women too, so we understand how personal finding the right contraceptive method can be. Supported by a fully female staff, we provide a comfortable, non-judgmental environment where your comfort, choices, and health goals come first.
Call us at 770-487-9604 to schedule a birth control consultation or schedule an annual exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which birth control method is most effective?
IUDs and implants are the most effective reversible methods, both over 99% effective, because they don’t depend on daily or weekly action. Pills, the ring, and the patch are similarly effective to each other but are more sensitive to consistent, correct use.
Will birth control affect my ability to get pregnant later?
For most methods, fertility returns quickly once you stop. The exception is the injection, where it can take 10 to 18 months for ovulation to resume, worth factoring in if you’re planning a pregnancy in the next year or two.
Can birth control help with acne or heavy periods even if I don't need contraception?
Yes. Many patients start hormonal birth control specifically for cycle regulation, acne, or PMDD symptoms. Tell your provider if that’s your main goal, since it affects which method is the better fit.
Does an IUD or implant hurt to have it placed?
Most patients describe placement as brief cramping or pressure rather than significant pain. Your provider can discuss options to ease discomfort during the procedure beforehand.
I'm starting birth control. Do I still need my annual exam?
Does birth control protect against STIs?
No, other than condoms. Hormonal methods and IUDs prevent pregnancy but not sexually transmitted infections, so condoms are still recommended if STI protection is a concern alongside another method.
