This story was originally published October 6, 2022. It has been updated with new information.
A 2022 KFF women’s health survey showed that 25 percent of U.S. women between 18 and 49 years old are not using their preferred birth control method because of side effects. In the same survey, only 30 percent of women said they had all the information they needed before choosing their birth control method. These two findings show the need for women to understand and learn about the at least a dozen types of birth control available in the U.S.
Are you looking for hormonal or non-hormonal birth control? Birth control that requires one appointment every few years or that you take every day, or birth control that also protects against sexually transmitted infections (STIs)? (You may need to use multiple kinds of birth control to meet all of these needs.)
Another important factor to consider is whether or not your insurance covers a particular form of birth control and how much it might cost you out of pocket.
The good news is that organizations like Planned Parenthood and other local nonprofit organizations can help you access birth control for free or at a very low cost.
There is also now a variety of online services that offer virtual consultations with a doctor plus monthly delivery, including Hers, Lemonaid, Nurx, and Wisp. Plus, over-the-counter (not requiring a prescription) birth control pills are also now available in the U.S.
To help you decide which option is best for you, we’ve created a comprehensive list of the kinds of birth control currently available in the U.S.
Birth control implant
The birth control implant (Nexplanon or Implanon) is a match-sized rod that a health care provider inserts under the skin in your upper arm. It releases progestin, a hormone that prevents you from getting pregnant.
It is 99 percent effective and lasts up to five years. To get one, you need a prescription.
Intrauterine device (IUD)
An intrauterine device (IUD) is a small T-shaped device that’s inserted into your uterus—and, at 99 percent effective, it’s considered one of the most effective birth control methods. There are two types of IUDs: hormonal and non-hormonal.
The hormonal version (with brand names including Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla) releases progestin into your body. Meanwhile, the non-hormonal variety (ParaGard) uses copper, which is toxic to sperm. Depending on the brand, hormonal IUDs can last up to eight years, while non-hormonal ones can last up to 12 years.
IUDs can also be used as emergency contraception if they’re inserted within 120 hours or five days after unprotected sex. A doctor, nurse, or other health care provider can insert the IUD.
Talk to your gynecologist or local Planned Parenthood clinic to find out more.
Pills
Birth control pills contain hormones that help prevent pregnancy when you take them every day on a schedule. You can choose between combination pills—pills that include both estrogen and progestin—or progestin-only pills. Pills are 93 percent effective.
Additionally, since early 2024, you can get birth control pills over the counter in the U.S. (And the pill’s manufacturer, Perrigo, has a cost assistance program if you don’t have insurance or if your insurance doesn’t cover the cost of the pill.)
Condoms
Condoms are tubes, often made of latex, that are worn over the penis during sex or inserted in the vagina (these are often called internal condoms). These tubes serve as a barrier and prevent semen from entering the vagina.
Besides helping to prevent pregnancy, they can also help to protect against STIs. Condoms are 87 percent effective at preventing pregnancy and 98 percent effective at preventing most STIs.
You can easily get them at any grocery store, pharmacy, or community health center without a prescription.
Vaginal ring
The vaginal ring is a round, flexible plastic ring (branded Annovera or NuvaRing) that you can insert into your vagina to prevent pregnancy through the release of hormones.
Annovera lasts for a year, but you must leave it in for 21 days, then remove it for seven days every month to get a withdrawal bleed similar to your period. It’s 93 percent effective.
NuvaRing lasts up to five weeks in your vagina before you must remove it for seven days and replace it with a new one.
Shot
The shot, mostly known by one of its brand names, Depo-Provera, is a birth control injection with progestin that’s administered every three months. You can have a medical professional give you the injection, or you can do it yourself.
To get it, you need a prescription. It’s 96 percent effective.
Patch
Small and sticker-like, the patch is a birth control that you attach to your skin. It releases both estrogen and progestin into your bloodstream to prevent pregnancy (similar to combination birth control pills), and is 93 percent effective.
You can wear the patch for 21 days at a time before you must remove it for a week to get your period. To get it, you need a prescription.
Sponge
A hormone-free birth control option, the sponge is a small, round, squishy plastic device that you can introduce into your vagina up to 24 hours before sex. It protects against pregnancy by covering your cervix, which blocks the entrance of sperm into your uterus, and by slowing sperm down through its spermicide coating.
You don’t need a prescription to get it. The sponge is between 78 percent and 86 percent effective.
Diaphragm
The diaphragm is a small silicone cup that you insert into your vagina to cover your cervix during sex and prevent sperm from entering. It’s 83 percent effective, but it should be used with spermicide to function properly.
Spermicide
Spermicide is a chemical that comes in the form of a foam, gel, cream, film, or suppository (an insert that dissolves in the vagina). Once introduced into the vagina before sex, it forces sperm to stop moving, preventing it from reaching an egg.
You don’t need a prescription to get it, and it’s between 79 percent and 86 percent effective.
Cervical cap
Similar to the diaphragm, the cervical cap is a small silicone device that you introduce into your vagina before sex to cover your cervix and prevent sperm from entering. But it is best to use it with spermicide to increase its effectiveness.
A prescription is required to get one, and it’s between 71 percent and 86 percent effective.
Plan B or the morning-after pill
Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that can be used up to 72 hours (three days) after unprotected sex, but the sooner you take it, the more effective it is.
The most popular over-the-counter brand, Plan B One-Step, prevents the release of an egg or its fertilization.
You don’t need a prescription to get Plan B One-Step (you only need one for ella, another brand of the morning-after pill). Plan B is about 89 percent effective, but it shouldn’t be used as a regular birth control method. Emergency contraceptives do not cause abortion; this is one of many debunked myths.
For more information, talk to your health care provider.