Abstaining from sexual intercourse is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy. If you are sexually active, you can reduce your risk of having an unintended pregnancy by picking the birth control method that’s best for you and using it correctly and consistently.

This article will go over how effective different contraceptive methods are at preventing pregnancy.

How Birth Control Effectiveness Is Measured

Birth control effectiveness is either measured in terms of “perfect use” or “typical use.”

Types of Birth Control

Perfect use (or lowest expected) refers to when the method is always used correctly, consistently, and as directed. A failure of perfect use would be when a couple always used condoms as directed but still became pregnant.

Typical use refers to when the birth control method either was not always used correctly or was not used with every act of sexual intercourse. A failure of typical use might be forgetting to take a ​birth control pill as directed and becoming pregnant.

Birth Control Methods and Pregnancy Rates

The following table shows the percentage of people who experienced an unintended pregnancy within the first year of typical use of each contraceptive method.

For comparison, about 85% of sexually active people who do not use any birth control become pregnant within a year.

The Most Effective Contraceptive

Sterilization is the most effective birth control method, but it’s permanent. That might be an option for you if you are done having children or do not want to have children.

However, if you want to be able to have children at some point, you’ll want to choose a method that is reversible.

According to the data, a contraceptive implant was the most effective reversible method—only 0.1% of people using the implant for birth control became pregnant.

Contraceptive implants like Nexplanon use a hormone called progesterone to prevent pregnancy. 

The low, steady dose of progesterone is supplied to the body by a small, flexible plastic rod (about the size of a matchstick) that is put under the skin of a person’s upper arm.

While the contraceptive implant has an extremely low pregnancy rate, it’s not for everyone. The good news is that there are plenty of other reliable, reversible birth control methods to choose from.

Choosing the Best Birth Control Method for You

A contraceptive’s effectiveness is just one thing to consider when you’re choosing a method. There are also some other factors to consider, such as:

  • Your general health
  • How often you have sexual intercourse
  • How many sexual partners you have
  • If you want to have children in the future
  • If you will need a prescription or if you can buy the method over-the-counter (OTC)

When you’re talking about your options with your provider, there are a few things you should share with them to make sure that the method of birth control you choose is safe and the best choice for you.

Make sure to let your provider know if you:

  • Smoke

  • Have liver disease

  • Have blood clots

  • Have family members who have had blood clots

  • Are taking any other medications (e.g., antibiotics or daily prescription medications)

  • Are taking any herbal products (e.g., St. John’s Wort)

  • Are breastfeeding

  • Have been pregnant recently

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Contraception.

  • Guttmacher Institute. Contraceptive effectiveness in the United States.

By Tracee Cornforth

Tracee Cornforth is a freelance writer who covers menstruation, menstrual disorders, and other women’s health issues.