Q: Is it possible to get pregnant using birth control?
A: Yes! It is still possible to get pregnant using birth control.
The only 100 percent protection is abstinence. The chances of getting pregnant on birth control vary depending on the type of birth control you are taking.
Hormonal birth control (i.e. the pill, patch, ring, shot, IUD and implant) is more effective than some non-hormonal birth control (e.g. the sponge, withdrawal, spermicide). According to the SHORE Centre, with perfect use hormonal birth control is approximately 99.7 percent effective. Non-hormonal birth control varies depending on the type. For example, spermicides are 82 per cent effective with perfect use, and the sponge is 80 per cent effective with perfect use.
One aspect that is important to consider with pregnancy prevention is perfect use versus typical use. People are not perfect and can make mistakes when taking birth control, and typical use accounts for these mistakes.
For example, typical use can look like not taking the pill at the same time every day or missing a pill. Typical use for hormonal birth control is 92 per cent for the pill, patch, and ring. Hormonal birth control that is inserted by a doctor (i.e. IUD and implant) has the same effectiveness rate for both typical and perfect use. Non-hormonal birth control also has typical use rates. For example, spermicide is 71 per cent effective with typical use.
If you want to increase protection, you can use multiple types of birth control at the same time, which involves using a hormonal method in conjunction with a non-hormonal method. For example, taking the pill and using a condom or using a patch and spermicide.
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