Birth Control

Pronunciation

Birth control, also known as contraception, is designed to prevent pregnancy. Birth control methods may work in a number of different ways. These include

• Preventing sperm from getting to the eggs - condoms, diaphragms and intrauterine devices (IUDs) work this way
• Keeping the woman's ovaries from releasing eggs that could be fertilized - birth control pills work this way
• Sterilization, which permanently prevents a woman from getting pregnant or a man from being able to get a woman pregnant

Your choice of birth control should depend on several factors. These include your health, frequency of sexual activity, number of sexual partners and desire to have children in the future. Your health care provider can help you select the best form of birth control for you. (NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)

Also called: Family Planning, Contraception

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Birth Complication

The development of a problematic medical situation that occurs concurrently with the birth of a neonate.

Birth Cohort

A group of people born during a particular period or year.

Birth canal

The muscular canal that goes from the uterus to the outside of the body. During birth, the baby passes through the birth…

Birth

The event of being born.

Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome

An inherited condition in which benign tumors develop in hair follicles on the head, chest, back, and arms. People who have this…

Birinapant

A synthetic small molecule that is both a peptidomimetic of second mitochondrial-derived activator of caspases (SMAC) and inhibitor of IAP (Inhibitor of…