I totally agree that everyone is different- it really takes some fiddling to find the form of birth control that works best for you and your partner. While I swear by my IUD and would lose my job and my car before giving it up, there's people like Shani Faye who would stop having sex before getting one. Everyone's different!
The easiest is the tag team of hormonal birth control and condoms. The trick with those methods is to MAKE ABSLOUTELY SURE you're using BOTH methods correctly- take pills at the same time every day, don't miss a pill (although it's not a huge, huge deal if you miss ONE), don't take any medicine or suppliments that mess with hormone asorbtion, and make sure you're putting the condom on correctly (which apparently is beyond some people). However, there's problems with these methods- birth control has numerous side effects, including horrid mood swings, loss of libido, weight gain, etc, and you have to remember to take it every day. Fortunately there's tons and tons of birth control to expierement with so you can find the one that works best for you. I know that Yasmin has been getting a lot of raves from women I've met that use it because it uses a totally different form of hormones that apparently interact much better with a woman's natural chemistry. Condoms have problems too- sensation loss, errors putting them on, tearing, that kinda thing.
Like I said, I have an IUD, and I
LOVE it. From an article in October's Women's Heath Magazine:
- 18% of female gynecologists of childbearing age use an IUD, whereas only 2% of American women do
- An IUD (ten year life span) averages out to be $3 a month, versus $35 (montly average) for the pill
- Failure rate of less than 1%- less than the pill, and according to some studies, more foolproof than tubial ligation
- The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals reports that 99% of women who have tried an IUD are "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with it, compared with 91% of women who have tried the pill
- The risk of infection and perforation (during or immediately following insertion) from new IUD's is less than 1 in 1,000 (American Journal of Forensic Medical Pathology)
- Less than 2 infections per 1,000 IUD users for ten year's worth of use
Of course, IUD's cost more at the onset (although insurance will often cover the entire cost), and it's very hard to find a gynocologist who will insert one in a woman who hasn't had a kid- because of the very slight risk of expulsion (1 in 1,000). Also, they're only a good idea if you're in a totally monagmous relationship- so if you're still young and want to sow your wild oats some more, an IUD wouldn't be for you.
Remember most of all, tho, that sex should be fun- not about worry or deliberation. If you find that you're so worried about being pregnant that you can't enjoy sex, then perhaps you shouldn't be having sex in the first place.