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Finding the perfect method of birth control can be quite the long and arduous search, LNW. There are many options out there and usually the only way to determine which is best for you is to meet with your doctor, discuss the specifics of each viable choice, and then just try one. Finding the ideal birth control is sort of like finding the ideal lover, - you typically have to try out a couple different ones till you discover one that works really well with your body.

Anyway LNW, I’ll give you the run-down on a couple of methods and their accompanying pros and cons. You should sort out which sounds the most practical for you and then ask a real doctor about it, because I must remind you č I’m not even pre-med.

Oral contraceptives, a.k.a. the pill, use hormones to make your body stop ovulating (releasing eggs). At their worst, these hormones can lead to some weight gain (think:freshman 15), or reduce you to hopeless sobbing at McDonalds commercials or a lost round of Mario Kart (these are true stories, people). The possible benefits: you know exactly when your period is coming, your skin looks great, and your boobs can get bigger (which certainly is no reason to go on the pill, but is a frequently enjoyed side-effect). It is a gamble, LNW, but there are so many different varieties of the pill that I wouldn’t necessarily give up on the method after trying one kind. And if you don’t like the daily hassle of remembering to take your pill there is always the NuvaRing. Like the pill, it releases hormones into your body, but this nifty little jelly bracelet-like loop can simply be inserted in your vagina (it need not be fitted or placed anywhere special, as long as it is deep enough inside to stay there) and taken out three weeks later so you can have your period.
Depo-Provera is another method that relies on hormones and is delivered through shots every three months. This option is rather easy, but does require frequent doctor visits, something that college students (for whatever reason) often try to avoid. There is also evidence that prolonged use of Depo leads to a significant loss of bone density.

If you should decide that you want to stray away from methods that pump your body full of hormones, there are still a few options. An intrauterine device (IUD) is inserted through the cervix and in the uterus to prevent pregnancy. The IUD has been around for a while and had at one point gained the reputation of being a somewhat unreliable method (especially in my family; it certainly didn’t prevent the arrival of my brother in the mid-’70s). However, the device has been improved and is now one of the most effective forms of birth control. It does require a doctor’s appointment to get one inserted, and it can sometimes be quite unpleasant. The IUD can be used for five years or more, but can sometimes have painful side effects or complications.

Another method to consider is the diaphragm, which is a small barrier inserted in the vagina before sex. To be most effective, the diaphragm should always be used with spermicide and fit rightčsee your doctor.
You may have to do a little shopping before you find the perfect method but in this modern day there are so many different options out there that you should be able to find something, unless that special something that you are looking for is a male contraceptive (and I’m not talking about the condom). That is one method of birth control I can honestly say I eagerly await.

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