Welcome to Contraception
Contraception is an important and necessary part of our lives, but finding a perfect match can be difficult. When it comes to contraception, we are more diverse than the options available to us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t strive to find a method that suits us best for each stage of our lives.
Most of us have spent more time thinking about our next holiday than we have on reviewing our contraception. Don’t make do with a method that doesn’t meet your needs. Find something that works with your body and where you’re at in your life right now. Take our quiz and find your perfect contraceptive partner.
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Explore your options
Already have an idea of what kind of birth control method you might want? Then it’s definitely time to explore your options. There’s a lot to consider about each method. Cost, efficacy, duration and more all need to be taken into account when deciding what kind of birth control is going to fit in best with your life. Our contraception method pages have all the facts and figures you need to make an informed decision.
MALE CONDOM
(Rubber, Prophylactic)
Condoms are a barrier that’s placed on an erect penis to prevent contact with the vulva and vaginal canal.
FEMALE CONDOM
(Femidom)
The female condom wraps the inside of the vaginal canal and covers the vulva, preventing a penis from coming into contact with either.
DIAPHRAGM
(Caya)
A diaphragm is a small cap that sits at the entrance to your cervix and prevents sperm from getting through.
THE PILL
(Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill, Contraceptive Pill)
The pill contains oestrogen and progestogen which work together to prevent ovulation, and to thicken cervical mucous; preventing sperm from getting through.
THE MINI PILL
(Progestogen Only Pill)
The mini pill contains progestogen which prevents pregnancy by thickening the cervical mucous, stopping sperm from getting through into the uterus.
VAGINAL RING
(Contraceptive Ring, Combined Hormonal Ring)
A thin band that contains oestrogen and progestogen which work together to prevent ovulation, preventing sperm from getting through.
IMPLANT
(Rod, Bar, Contraceptive Implant)
A small bar inserted into the upper arm that slowly releases progestogen into your bloodstream; preventing ovulation, and thickening the cervical mucous; preventing sperm from getting through.
INJECTION
(Jab)
A 150mg dose of progestogen hormone, it prevents ovulation and thickens the cervical mucous which prevents sperm from getting through.
HORMONAL IUD
(Intrauterine System, IUS)
Releases small quantities of progestogen to your reproductive system. This thickens the mucous of your cervix, so sperm can’t get through.
COPPER IUD
(IUD, Non-hormonal IUD, The Coil)
Releases very low levels of copper ions which affect sperm’s ability to move. Also stops fertilised eggs from implanting in the uterine wall.
TUBAL LIGATION
(Getting your tubes tied, Female Sterilisation)
Surgically creating a block so any potential sperm can’t gain passage along the fallopian tubes.
VASECTOMY
(The Snip, Male Sterilisation)
A vasectomy involves cutting and separating the vas deferens, which are the tubes that move sperm from the testicles to the penis.
FERTILITY AWARENESS
(FAM, Rhythm Method, Calendar Method, Period tracking)
A system of monitoring when ovulation occurs and making sure unprotected sex only occurs on days of minimal fertility.
WITHDRAWAL METHOD
(Pull out method, Coitus Interruptus)
The act of withdrawing the penis from the vagina before ejaculating.
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION PILLS
(Morning After Pill)
Works by preventing or delaying ovulation, ensuring any viable sperm will be out of the body by the time an egg is released.
Mythconceptions
Got some curious questions about contraception? We guarantee you’re not the only one. To make it easier to sort the facts from the fiction we’ve put together a list of Frequently Asked Questions about different methods of birth control.
How many people are using LARC in Australia?
When you're considering changing contraception, often the first step is to ask friends about their [...]
What’s the difference between Tubal Ligation and Tubal Occlusion?
When looking into permanent contraception methods for people with a uterus, you might come across [...]
How does the Copper IUD work?
We're all familiar with the many hormonal contraception options available to us. But for anyone [...]
How do I decide between the Copper and Hormonal IUDs?
Hormonal or Copper IUD: How to decide Long Acting, Reversible Contraception (LARC) is a convenient [...]
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there when it comes to contraception. To help tackle some of the more ubiquitous ones, we’ve called on Dr Catriona Melville. Dr Melville is one of our resident sexual and reproductive health specialists, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists UK (FRCOG), so she knows her stuff. Check out her video series, dispelling some of the misinformation about contraception.
Conversation Guides
Contraception is an important part of life, and deciding between all the options available can be difficult. To help you work through the decision making process we’ve put together some conversation guides. Use these to guides to help structure your next conversation with your GP, your partner, or even yourself.
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