Birth Control: Time-Release Hormones

Certain hormones can help prevent pregnancy. Hormones like the ones used in birth control pills can be taken in other forms. These must be prescribed by your healthcare provider. Because there’s very little for you to do, you may find one of these methods easier to stick to than pills. Side effects for this method will vary depending on the type of time-release hormone you use. Talk to your healthcare provider for more information.

Using Time-Release Hormones

Methods to deliver hormones include:

• A skin patch placed on your stomach or thigh, which you replace weekly.

• A ring that you insert in your vagina, leave in for 3 weeks, and remove for 1 week.

• Injections given either once a month or once every 3 months by your healthcare provider.

Pros

• Lowest pregnancy rate of the birth control methods that can be reversed.

• No interruption to lovemaking.

• Easy to use.

• Don’t require taking a pill each day.

• May decrease menstrual cramps, menstrual flow, and acne.

Cons

• Do not protect against STDs.

• May cause irregular periods.

• May cause side effects such as nausea, weight gain, breast tenderness, fatigue, or mood changes. (These often go away within 3 months.)

• Three-month injection: After stopping injections, may take up to a year for you to become fertile (able to get pregnant).