Sex, Reproduction, and Birth Control

How the Reproductive System Works
As you weigh your options, whether to encourage pregnancy or forestall it, your best resource is a working knowledge of the organs, glands, and hormones that prepare your body for motherhood. [more]

Barrier Contraceptives: A Growing Array of Options
Among the many ways of preventing pregnancy are the products known as barrier contraceptives---diaphragms, condoms, cervical caps, and spermicides. [more]

IUDs
Although there is no general consensus on the research findings, most experts agree that IUDs are an excellent contraceptive choice for most women as long as the devices are inserted under sterile conditions. [more]

Hormonal Options
Hormonal birth control methods are all highly effective and safe for most women; they all reduce cramping and pain related to the menstrual cycle but offer little protection from sexually transmitted diseases. [more]

Condoms
A condom is a tube-shaped piece of thin latex (rubber) that is closed at one end. It fits all the way over the penis and catches semen and sperm. Some condoms are made of an animal membrane instead of latex. These condoms will help prevent pregnancy but do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV infection... [more]

Vasectomy
In a vasectomy, the two tubes that carry sperm into the semen are severed. After the procedure, the semen will be free of sperm and will not cause pregnancy... [more]

Other Approaches for Family Planning
Fertility awareness methods are gaining new adherents, while voluntary sterilization presents a safe and extremely effective option for all women who have completed their families. And, when all methods fail, termination of pregnancy remains a legal and widely used alternative. [more]