Dr. Maggie Lincoln, OB/GYN at Virginia Physicians for Women, discusses the differences between birth control methods and how teens can find an option that meets their needs.
There are many reasons why a teen may need to know more about birth control. Birth control isn’t just about preventing pregnancy. Certain types of birth control may also help alleviate premenstrual mood changes, regulate periods, decrease bleeding and cramping, or eliminate periods altogether, among other benefits. The best option for teens is the one that fits their individual needs – and their health care provider can help them find that option.
As daunting as it can be to visit a gynecologist for the first time, most of the time, you don’t need to worry about a pelvic exam if you’re younger than 21. You don’t even need a pelvic exam to get started on hormonal birth control (unless you want an IUD). Each visit with your provider is an opportunity to have an open conversation about your needs and goals, and how birth control might help. I love talking to teens about birth control and hope that sharing a little background information on the different options will help get the conversation started.
What to Consider When Choosing a Birth Control Method
There are several different birth control options available now, including pills, patches, the ring, the shot, LARCs (long-acting reversible contraception such as IUDs and Nexplanon), and condoms. Your OB/GYN can provide a lot of answers and solutions, based on your individual needs. And your doctor is often your best resource, despite what your friends and/or TikTok may say!
There are a number of factors that may make one birth control option better for you than others. It’s not “one size fits all!” When choosing an option, ask yourself a few questions:
- Do you want to have children within the next few years?
- Can you, or do you want to, remember to take a pill every day?
- What effect might various hormones have on your body?
Discuss these questions with your doctor, and let them help guide you.
It’s important to know that if you are on a reliable form of hormonal birth control, it is normal and okay to NOT have a period! Many teens (and older women, too) think that they have to have a period every month–which is true if not taking birth control. But if you’re on one of the hormonal options discussed below, your period may come less frequently or stop completely, which is not usually anything to worry about.
Let’s take a look at some of the best birth control options for teens, so that you can be better prepared to talk to your physician.
Hormonal Birth Control
Probably the best-known type of hormonal birth control are birth control pills, but this category also includes the patch, the ring, and the shot. As the name suggests, hormonal birth control options use hormones to help prevent pregnancy. Certain forms of hormonal birth control can also be a great option for regulating periods, reducing cramps, reducing acne, and other uses as well.
Here’s a little more information about each of the options:
THE PILL Hormonal birth control pills are meant to be taken daily, ideally at the same exact time every single day. When used perfectly, birth control pills are 99% effective at preventing pregnancy – but it can be easy to forget to take them. In reality, the pill is more like 93% effective.
There are numerous pill options: some have both estrogen and progesterone in them, others just have progesterone. There are 21-day, 28-day, and 90-day packs. Some people may experience side effects like spotting between periods, nausea, headaches, or sore breasts, but they usually only last 2-3 months. Different pills can be used for different situations, and sometimes it takes a little experimenting to find the right one for you. Your OB/GYN can help you decide which one may be a good fit based on your lifestyle and period expectations.
THE PATCH A birth control patch is stuck to the skin and releases hormones to prevent pregnancy. It is worn for 1 week at a time, for 3 weeks in a row. The 4th week, you leave the patch off, and that’s when you get a period. It can be worn on the buttocks, chest (but not the breasts), upper back or arm, or abdomen. And you can still shower and swim with it on.
Similarly to the pill, the patch is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when used perfectly; but since people can forget to change it, in reality the effectiveness is more like 93%. For some people, the patch can cause side effects like spotting, nausea, headaches, or sore breasts, which usually subside within 2 to 3 months.
THE RING A vaginal ring, like NuvaRing, is a small bendable ring that the patient inserts into her vagina. The ring releases hormones that prevent pregnancy, and it stays in place in the vagina for 3 weeks. After 21 days, you remove it and leave it out for 7 days–that’s when you get a period. Then you insert a new ring for the next month.
The ring is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when used perfectly, but it also comes with the challenge of remembering to insert and remove it on schedule. In reality, its effectiveness is only 93%. The ring can also cause side effects like spotting, nausea, headaches, and sore breasts in some people. If they don’t subside within three months, talk to your doctor about another birth control option.
THE SHOT Depo-Provera is the birth control shot, and it uses progestin to stop ovulation and prevent pregnancy. It is given as an injection every 12 to 13 weeks, so you get 4 shots per year while using it.
The birth control shot is 99% effective when used perfectly, but in reality its effectiveness is closer to 96% since people can be late to get their follow-up shots. People using the shot often experience changes in their periods such as longer periods, spotting between periods, or no periods at all. There can also be some other side effects such as nausea, weight gain, headaches, sore breasts, or depression.
Your doctor can help you to understand which of these options may be best for you, and what birth control side effects you might experience.
Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs)
Research published by the National Institute of Health suggests that a type of birth control called “long-acting reversible contraceptives,” or LARCs, “should be considered first-line options for teens seeking contraception.” The study also suggests that these methods of birth control may also help prevent endometrial cancer and cervical cancer. Each of these options, intrauterine devices (IUD’s) and implants, are placed in your body at the doctor’s office. They work for years without you having to remember to do anything.
INTRAUTERINE DEVICES (IUDs) Birth control IUDs are small devices that are placed in the uterus by a physician, and they release either copper or progestin to prevent pregnancy. There are 4 hormonal IUDs (Skyla, Kyleena, Mirena, and Liletta) and 1 non-hormonal one (Paragard, or the “copper” IUD). Depending on which you choose, it can be effective for 3, 5, 8, or 10 years.
IMPLANTS Implants such as Nexplanon are inserted into a woman’s arm and release a hormone that stops an egg from being released. The Nexplanon is effective for 3 years.
Once in place, both IUDs and implants are nearly mistake-proof, making them over 99% effective and very convenient. Any negative side effects usually go away after a few months when your body gets used to the contraceptive. LARCs can be removed at any time.
Again, there are pros and cons of LARCs for teens, so your doctor will need to help you to better understand which may be best for you.
Barrier Methods of Birth Control
For those who are sexually active, barrier methods can help prevent pregnancy and, in some cases, prevent sexually transmitted diseases (condoms!). A few examples of these include:
- Condoms (male and female)
- Diaphragms
- Birth control sponges
- Cervical caps
Condoms are the only form of birth control that also prevents sexually transmitted infections. Using condoms combined with another birth control method will protect you from STDs and decrease your chances of getting pregnant more than using birth control alone.
We’re here to help you find your best option.
When it comes to birth control, there are so many different options that it can get overwhelming. Talking with your OB/GYN can help clarify many misconceptions that exist about birth control and help you learn what method might meet your needs the best.
My goal is always to make sure you have correct, accurate information to help you make the right decision. And if the first one you try turns out not to fit your needs, we can always try a different option or method. We want to work with you to find the option that’s best for you!
To learn more about birth control for teens, visit Virginia Physicians for Women today.
