I always use condoms, but is there more I can do to prevent pregnancy?
Someone asked us:
I’m really worried that even though I always use condoms, I still have a high risk of getting pregnant. And I worrying about this too much, or is there more I can do to prevent pregnancy? (The idea of birth control pills scare me because I don’t want to mess up my hormones or anything)
Always using condoms is terrific, but you’re a total smarty-pants for wanting to protect yourself even more. Indeed, there are a few things you can do to further prevent unintended pregnancy. When it comes to condoms, using them as correctly as possible will reduce the risk of failure. This includes putting the condom on before any penis-vulva contact, using a water-based or silicone lubricant inside and outside the condom to reduce friction, applying the condom correctly, and checking during sex to make sure it hasn’t broken or slipped off.
But as you know, condoms aren’t 100% effective, even when used perfectly, so we do recommend combining them with another method. It’s totally fine to avoid hormones, and luckily there are many hormone-free options that will add some extra pregnancy-preventing oomph to condoms.
The most reliable form of non-hormonal birth control is the ParaGard (copper-T) IUD – it’s more than 99% effective. Other hormone-free methods include Natural Family Planning / Rhythm Method (avoid sex or be extra careful with condoms during your “fertile” days), using a separate spermicide (not just spermicidal condoms), diaphragms, cervical caps, and withdrawal (pulling out before ejaculation). However, these methods aren’t super reliable on their own, so if you’re serious about pregnancy prevention, combine these with a condom every time.
You also might want to consider keeping a box of emergency contraception (the morning-after pill) handy, just in case a condom breaks. Yes, it’s hormonal, but because it’s reserved for emergencies when your other method(s) fails, you’re only exposed to hormones for a short amount of time.
So keep doing your condom thang — especially because condoms will also protect you against STDs — but if you want extra pregnancy protection, consider adding another method into the mix. As we say here at Planned Parenthood: better double safe than double sorry.
-Kendall at Planned Parenthood