If you have developed a reaction to prescription birth control, or have aged out of taking it and need to find an alternative, the good news is that the alternatives to prescription birth control are as numerous as the prescriptions. The bad news is that there are no alternative methods that are anywhere near as effective in preventing pregnancy as the prescriptions.

Behavior-based methods

The oldest and most effective means of birth control that is not medically based is total abstinence. If you practice abstinence perfectly, it is one hundred percent effective. Otherwise, it usually results in pregnancy. You can predict the same dismal results for withdrawal before ejaculation. Another behavior-based method is outer course, in which sexual play takes place without any penetration at all. This method of birth control is perfectly effective if the couple can refrain from having actual intercourse. Attempts to time intercourse to a woman’s cycle, called the Rhythm Method, were not very effective but the now updated method called the FAMs, or Fertility Awareness-Based Methods, is much more scientific and yields better results when you follow it carefully. Breast-feeding as a method of birth control can work for many women as long as the mother is nursing full-time for six months, is not providing any food to the baby, and is feeding the baby during the night. The problem is that no one can guarantee that it will work for you or for how long. There are plenty of siblings ten and twelve months apart to prove that this method can sometimes fail.

Sterilization

Sterilization requires surgery for either sexual partner and is often one hundred percent affective. Unfortunately, it is not always perfectly effective. In addition, if you change your mind, there is no guarantee that your doctor can reverse it. The good news is that sterilization is a one-time procedure. Once you have recovered, you will probably never have to worry again about birth control.

Non-prescription methods

A visit to your local pharmacy will reveal a cornucopia of over the counter birth control, from male and female condoms of all varieties to spermicides and sponges. The good news about condoms is that they will protect you against the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. They are inexpensive and readily available. The problem is that they can easily fail, even when carefully used. Furthermore, many men will resist using them because they dull the sexual experience. To use spermicides, inject them as foams or gels into your vagina to prevent fertilization, either singly or in combination with a barrier protection. The result can be messy, uncertain, and possibly irritating to the skin.

IUD’s and Diaphragms

Two well-established birth control methods, which have proven to be effective when used properly, are the inter-uterine device and the diaphragm. The IUD, which your doctor inserts for you, is either impregnated with progesterone or is copper T-shaped, and can be ninety-nine percent effective. A progesterine IUD can stay in place for one year, while the copper-based IUD can stay in place for up to ten years. Although the IUD fell into some bad publicity in recent years, it is one of the most widely used birth control devices in the world. The diaphragm, on the other hand, does not share the same level of effectiveness. Once your doctor fits you for the right-sized diaphragm, you are responsible for its care and insertion prior to intercourse.