What Birth Controls Are 100% Effective?

Effective family planning relies on birth control and how consistently you use it. 

There’s far more than just one type of contraception you can use to avoid getting pregnant, and our experts at the Association for Women’s Health Care can guide you through your options during your next visit. 

We answer your questions and consider your personal preferences when making recommendations. 

At our offices in The Loop in Chicago and Northbrook, Illinois, the Association for Women’s Health Care provides comprehensive family planning services including birth control management and preconception counseling. 

If you’re looking for birth control you can fully trust, we help you compare today’s most effective options and teach you to use them properly. 

You might wonder if any of today’s modern contraceptives offer 100% protection. While only abstinence can guarantee complete protection, there are a couple of different types of contraceptives that come close. 

Choosing the right method for you depends on your ability to use the birth control method consistently as well as any future goals you have for family planning. 

Intrauterine devices: Your best reversible option

You want a reversible form of birth control if there’s any chance you want to get pregnant in the future. You can stop using it at any time to restore your ovulation cycle. If this sounds like it aligns with your goals, consider getting an intrauterine device (IUD). 

IUDs offer a nearly 100% rate of effectiveness at 99.9%. One factor that makes an IUD so effective is that you don’t have to remember to use it every day or even every month. 

We implant the device in your uterus during a brief office procedure. It then keeps you from getting pregnant for 3-12 years, depending on the type of IUD. 

We explain how your IUD works based on the type you get. Many use the hormone progestin to thicken the mucus on your cervix while simultaneously stopping your ovaries from releasing an egg roughly every month (ovulation). 

Another type of IUD is made of copper and doesn’t use any hormones. Paraguard® works because copper is spermicidal, which means it deters sperm from swimming toward your egg. 

You can visit our office for an IUD removal when you’re ready to get pregnant or wait until the end of your IUD’s lifespan to have it replaced. 

Certain you don’t want to get pregnant?

If you already have children and don’t want any more, or if you’re certain you never want to get pregnant, consider sterilization surgeries for either or both partners. Tubal ligation is the female sterilization procedure. It’s over 99% effective for preventing pregnancy and is completely permanent. 

Alternatively, your partner could get a vasectomy. It’s also over 99% effective for preventing pregnancy, at least after the first eight weeks. Plus, there are ways to reverse a vasectomy if you have a change of heart in the future.

Additional options

Just because other forms of birth control aren’t over 99% effective doesn’t mean they can’t offer a high degree of protection for you. In fact, many of them don’t come close to 100% because they’re commonly misused. 

When you use them correctly and consistently, you can still avoid getting pregnant before you’re ready. 

At the Association for Women’s Health Care, we can tell you more about:

• Oral hormonal contraceptives (or “the pill”)
• Hormone patches
• Hormone injections
• Vaginal rings
• Diaphragms
• Hormone arm implants

Condoms are available at any drugstore and even many gas stations. They’re easy to use and are about 87% effective for preventing pregnancy. You can use them along with other forms of birth control for an extra layer of protection and to lower your risk of catching or transmitting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). 

Ready to make your decision?

Choosing a contraceptive you can trust takes some time. To find the best fit, you might need to try a few options. Call either of our Chicago-area offices or book a family planning appointment online at the Association for Women’s Health Care today.