Benefits

 English | Español

What are the benefits of each option?

1. Concerned about cancer?
2. Will my periods change?
3. Effectiveness

The methods discussed on this website all last for years, and you don't need to remember to take them every day. They are better at preventing pregnancy and easier than birth control pills.

Some of these methods protect you from cancer

Tubal Sterilization Surgery	Protects from some ovarian cancers
Vasectomy	No change
Hormonal IUD	Protects from uterine cancer
Non-hormonal IUD	Protects from cervical cancer
Arm Implant	Protects from uterine and ovarian cancer

Benefits to your period

Tubal Sterilization	Usually no change in periods
Vasectomy	No effect on periods
Hormonal IUD	May lighten periods, and some have no periods
Non-hormonal IUD	May make periods heavier and crampy, but no change in regularity
Arm Implant	May lighten periods

Effectiveness

These 5 methods are better at preventing pregnancy than the pill and other short-acting methods.

Method	Pregnancies per 1000 people in 1st year of use
Arm Implant	0.2 to 0.5
Vasectomy	1.5
Hormonal IUD	2 to 24
Tubal Sterilization Surgery	5 to 29
Non-Hormonal IUD	8 to 30

See more on effectiveness

See our sources