Birth Control

What methods of birth control are available?

At Boro Park OB/GYN, a range of birth control options are available including:

• Pills
• Shots
• Patches
• Implants
• Intrauterine devices (IUD)

During your birth control consultation, your doctor reviews your medical history and performs a physical exam. To determine the best choice of birth control for your needs, your doctor also talks with you about your sexual activity, your plans for expanding your family in the future, or your decision to prevent pregnancy permanently.

Your doctor may also recommend birth control to treat irregular periods, heavy periods, and symptoms of perimenopause.

How does birth control work?

Birth control pills, shots, and patches are short-acting hormone therapies that you take daily, or in the case of shots, monthly to prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs. Long-acting methods that prevent pregnancy include hormonal implants, like Nexplanon®. Your doctor may also recommend an IUD as a long-term form of birth control.

What is an IUD?

An IUD is a small birth control device your doctor inserts into your uterus to prevent sperm from fertilizing eggs. This method offers long-term pregnancy prevention that is effective and reversible.

There are two types of IUDs available.

Hormonal IUDs

Hormonal IUDs contain the hormone progestin that prevents the release of eggs, leaving nothing for the sperm to fertilize. Hormonal IUDs also thicken the lining of your cervix to trap sperm and prevent fertilization. Your doctor offers several types of IUDs, including Mirena®, Liletta®, and Skyla®.

Copper IUDs

Copper damages sperm and prevents them from traveling to the eggs. Your doctor offers the ParaGard® copper IUD  as a birth control option if you can’t take or tolerate hormones.

Which permanent methods for birth control are available?

If you’re interested in permanent birth control, your doctor may recommend Essure®. Essure involves a minimally invasive procedure that requires no incisions or anesthesia and leaves no visible scars.

Your doctor places a flexible insert into each of your fallopian tubes. Within a few months, a barrier of scar tissue forms around the inserts to prevent sperm from traveling to the eggs and preventing pregnancy.

Essure contains no hormones and requires minimal downtime following the procedure. This permanent method of birth control is highly effective at preventing pregnancy but requires the use of another birth control until the barriers develop fully.