What are the 5 most effective birth controls?

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Condoms + Birth Control = Extra Protection
5. The pill, patch, and ring
4. The Shot
2. Sterilization
1. Abstinence

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If you have sex, using birth control + a condom is the best way to prevent pregnancy. Bonus: condoms help protect you from STDs, too!

The only 100% certain way to avoid pregnancy is to not have penis-in-vagina sex, or do any sexual stuff where sperm can get on a vulva or in a vagina (this is called abstinence).

But if you’re going to have vaginal sex, the best way to prevent pregnancy is to use a very effective birth control method (like the IUD or implant) plus a condom.

Some types of birth control work better than others. The kinds of birth control that work the best to prevent pregnancy are the implant and IUDs — they’re also the most convenient to use, and the most foolproof.

Other birth control methods, like the pill, ring, patch, and shot, are also really good at preventing pregnancy if you use them perfectly. But people aren’t perfect, and these methods are easier to mess up than implants and IUDs.

It’s super important to make sure you use your birth control the right way. This means you can’t forget to take your pill, change your ring, or get your shot on time — or you’ll be at risk for pregnancy. So the best method of birth control for you is the one you’ll always use correctly. Take our birth control quiz to find out which methods might be best for you.

No matter what method you choose, you can get extra pregnancy prevention power by using birth control and a condom together.

Condoms + Birth Control = Extra Protection

Condoms are your safer sex superhero: they’re the only way to get protection from pregnancy and STDs during vaginal sex.

No birth control method is perfect. So using condoms with another type of birth control (like the implant, IUD, or pill) gives you backup protection in case either method fails. And condoms seriously lower your chances of getting all kinds of sexually transmitted infections, like HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and herpes.

Another great thing about condoms is that you can get them almost anywhere, like drugstores, grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations. Condoms don’t cost a lot of money, and sometimes they’re even free at community clinics, school health centers, or Planned Parenthood health centers.

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Published: August 7, 2019•Updated: August 15, 2022

All contraceptive options are not created equal! Here’s a ranking of birth control methods, from least to most effective at preventing pregnancy.

6. Condoms

Coming in last place is the good old condom—a tried and true birth control method that is, well, less tried-and-true than you might hope. Even when a male condom is used correctly, it’s only 85% effective at preventing pregnancy. (Female condoms are only 79% effective.) Though condoms can’t guarantee you a pregnancy-free sex life, condoms are the only birth control method on this list that prevent against STIs.

5. The pill, patch, and ring

For the needle-shy, there are three methods of birth control tying at fifth place in pregnancy prevention. This trio is the birth control pill, the birth control patch, and the vaginal ring. Each of the three emit hormones into the body, preventing ovulation and regulating the hormonal cycle. These three are 91% effective, and some of the most affordable options on the birth control market. The only downside? They require a little maintenance—the pill must be taken every day at the same time, the patch should be replaced every week, and the vaginal ring should be replaced every 3-4 weeks. Recently, a new birth control ring was introduced that only needs to be replaced once a year. Read more about Annovera.

4. The Shot

The fourth most effective pregnancy-prevention method is the birth control shot. This hormone shot is administered by a doctor and can keep users pregnancy-free for three months. When the shot is used on schedule, it is 94% effective. While it’s a lower-maintenance option than the pill, it requires a doctor’s visit and the tolerance of needles.

A more effective option than the shot is a Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptive, or, a LARC. LARCs include IUDs and hormonal implants, both of which are surgically implanted into the body. LARCs are 99% effective, and some of them last for up to ten years. While they are a low-maintenance option, they are more expensive than a pill, patch, or vaginal ring, and their insertion requires a doctor’s visit.

2. Sterilization

Coming in second place on the list is sterilization, surgical procedures that permanently disrupt the Fallopian tubes (“getting your tubes tied”), preventing the egg and sperm from meeting. Without insurance coverage, these surgeries may cost up to $6,000 and should not be thought of as reversible. Like abstinence, sterilization is a life choice. Unlike abstinence, sterilization is essentially permanent. While sterilization is 99% effective, it is not a decision one should make lightly.

1. Abstinence

This might seem obvious, but the most effective way to prevent pregnancy is to abstain from sex. That’s right, abstinence is still the best form of birth control—that is, if it’s a lifestyle you choose to maintain.

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