Today there are many methods of contraception to choose from, which are more or less effective, easy to use and adapted to individual needs.
There are two male methods: coitus interruptus (pulling out), which is not very trustworthy, and the condom, a thin latex sheath that if put on correctly, prevents direct contact between the two partners, and thus protects against unwanted pregnancies but also – and this is the only method to do so – from sexually transmitted infections.
There are many more methods available to women. For simplicity, they are divided into three groups: hormonal methods, barrier methods and natural methods.
The pill, which contains female sex hormones in low doses, is the safest method. It works by preventing ovulation, and therefore fertilization. Other hormonal methods, which are suitable and popular amongst young girls, are the ring and the patch, which act in a manner similar to the pill, but do not require daily administration. There are also other hormonal methods, such as the pill and the progestin hormone implant, which are indicated when estrogen-progestin contraceptives are not tolerated, as well as in other situations.
An IUD (intrauterine device) is generally recommended after the first pregnancy. A diaphragm is not simple to put on, and has gone a bit out of use in favor of other barrier methods such as the female condom, cervical cap and sponge. Even the so-called natural methods are very complicated to follow; many rules must be respected, and you must be very comfortable with your own body. These methods are more suitable for stable adult couples, and require the availability of the couple to accept a child in case of error. Natural methods are the only ones approved by the Catholic Church.
Finally, there is a product, sold in pharmacies, that has a small computer that can signal the time of ovulation by doing an analysis of morning urine, and thus indicate the fertile period during which sex is riskier. This can only be used by women who have a regular cycle. For a teenager, it is especially difficult to accurately determine the date of ovulation. During this age period, the cycles are still perfecting and are often irregular.
