Birth Control FAQs

• Is birth control right for me?
• What type of birth control is best for me? Does my situation in life affect my choice of birth control?
• How do I prevent getting or spreading sexually transmitted diseases?
• Do I want a permanent form of birth control?
• What are the chances of a pregnancy if my current method of birth control is not used or fails? Should my partner and I consider using 2 forms of birth control (such as a male condom and birth control pills) at the same time?
• Which form of birth control can I afford?
• What birth control methods are available without seeing my doctor?
• What birth control methods are available from my health care provider?
• What will I do if I become pregnant and I don't want to be?
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Is birth control right for me?

If you are of childbearing age, you may consider using a form of birth control to prevent becoming pregnant. The practice of preventing pregnancy is as old as human existence. For centuries, humans have attempted to avoid pregnancy at certain times of their lives to accommodate their careers, marital situations, and preferences.

Today, the voluntary control of fertility is of paramount importance to modern society. From a global perspective, countries currently face the crisis of rapid growth of the human population that has begun to threaten human survival.

According to the Population Reference Bureau's 2003 World Population Data Sheet, the world's current growth rate is 1.3%. Based on this growth rate, the population would double in 53.8 years. The less developed world's natural increase rate (births minus deaths, without migration) is 1.6%; therefore, population in these countries would double in 43.8 years. See the Population Reference Bureau's 2003 World Population Data Sheet for more information. The United Nations lists a growth rate of 2.41% for the least developed countries, which would imply that at the current rate, populations in these nations would double in 29 years. This information can be viewed at the United Nations Population Database.

Keep in mind that doubling time cannot be used to project future population size because it assumes a constant growth rate over decades when growth rates are constantly changing. Nevertheless, these figures do provide a picture of how fast the population is growing at present.

The ability to control whether and when you become pregnant can affect your ability to achieve your own goals and can contribute to your sense of well-being.