This is the place to explore the many and varied methods of contraception available in Australia. Each method of birth control has its own advantages and disadvantages, as well as information on how effective it is, how it works and how to use it correctly. So get familiar with your contraception options and start clicking!

Definitions

Efficacy rates score how good a contraceptive method is at preventing an unplanned pregnancy. The efficacy rate refers to how many people out of 100 would be successful avoid pregnancy over a 12 month period. There are two types of efficacy rate:

1. Typical use takes into account actual use and reflects what happens in the real world when we factor in human error. It is always lower than perfect use but more accurately reflects the real picture.
2. Perfect or correct use efficacy rates show how good a method is at preventing unplanned pregnancy when it is used correctly all of the time. It’s worth noting that longer term and permanent methods, which eliminate the need for user action (like remembering to take a pill each day), have a smaller different between rates than short-acting and barrier methods.