All women and men should have control over whether and when they become parents. Making decisions about birth control or contraception isn't easy—there are a lot of things to think about. Learning the contraceptive methods you or your partner can use to prevent pregnancy and talking to your doctor are two good ways to start. There is no "best" method of contraception. Each method has its pros and cons. Some methods work better than others at preventing pregnancy. Researchers are constantly working to develop or improve contraceptive methods. The contraceptive method you choose should take into consideration: your overall health; how often you have sex; the number of sexual partners you have; whether you want to have children; how well each method works (or is effective) at preventing pregnancy; any side effects; and your comfort level in using the method. Please note that NO method of contraception always prevents pregnancy. Birth control methods can fail. But you can greatly increase the success rate of a method by always using it correctly. The only way to ensure you never get pregnant is to not have sex (abstinence). What are the different contraceptive methods I can use? There are many contraceptive methods that a woman can use. Talk to your doctor to help you figure out which method is best for you. You can always try one method, and if you don't like it, you can try another. Keep in mind that most contraceptives DO NOT protect you from HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as gonorrhea, herpes, and chlamydia. Aside from not having sex, the best protection against sexually transmitted diseases and HIV is the male latex condom. The female condom can provide protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Other birth control methods that use a spermicide (a cream or jelly that kills sperm) may also provide some protection against chlamydia and gonorrhea. Don't forget that all the methods we talk about below work best when used correctly. Make sure you know the correct way to use them. Talk to your doctor and don't feel embarrassed about talking to him again if you forget or don't understand. Be aware that learning to use some birth control methods can take time and practice.