Contraception
How each method works, what it does to your cycle, and stopping safely.
About contraception
How each method works, what it does to your cycle, and stopping safely.
2 guides ·57 answers
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Answers — page 3 of 3
- Which contraception side effects should I put up with, and which mean stop? Editorially reviewed Many methods cause changes in the first three months — irregular spotting, tender breasts, headaches — that settle on their own, and stopping early is the commonest reason a method is judged to have failed when it might have suited. Three months is the usual advice before… Reviewed 26 Sept 2026· English
- What are the options after unprotected sex, and how long do I have? Editorially reviewed There are two kinds and they differ a great deal. Emergency contraceptive pills work by delaying ovulation and are more effective the sooner they are taken; the common one is licensed up to 72 hours and loses effect across that window. A copper IUD fitted up to five days… Reviewed 26 Sept 2026· English
- My periods changed after starting contraception. Is that a problem? Editorially reviewed Usually not. Bleeding changes are the commonest effect of hormonal contraception and are expected rather than a sign something has gone wrong: irregular spotting in the first three to six months, much lighter periods, or periods stopping altogether are all recognised patterns… Reviewed 30 Aug 2026· English
- What contraception can I get free in India? Editorially reviewed A range of methods is provided free through public health facilities under the National Health Mission — condoms, oral contraceptive pills, emergency contraceptive pills, the intrauterine device including immediately after childbirth, sterilisation, and the injectable… Reviewed 28 Aug 2026· English
- I missed a pill. What should I do? Editorially reviewed What to do depends on which pill you take, how many you missed and where in the packet you are — and the progestogen-only pill and the combined pill have different rules, with a much shorter margin on most progestogen-only pills. The leaflet in your packet gives the rule for… Reviewed 26 Aug 2026· English
- What is having an IUD put in actually like? Editorially reviewed It is a short procedure, usually a few minutes, done during a pelvic examination. Most women feel cramping like strong period pain during and shortly after it, and experiences vary widely — some find it uncomfortable and brief, some find it very painful. Pain relief and how it… Reviewed 25 Aug 2026· English
- Will using contraception now make it harder to get pregnant later? Editorially reviewed No. Hormonal contraception does not reduce your long-term fertility. After stopping the pill, an implant or an IUD, fertility generally returns quickly — often within the first cycle or two. The one method where the return takes longer is the injection, where it can take several… Reviewed 23 Aug 2026· English
- How long after sex can emergency contraception work? Editorially reviewed It depends which method. The emergency pill most widely available in India is licensed for use up to 72 hours after unprotected sex and works better the sooner it is taken. A copper IUD fitted within five days is the most effective form of emergency contraception, and it can… Reviewed 21 Aug 2026· English
- How do I choose a contraceptive method? Editorially reviewed The choice turns on four things rather than on which method is best: how well it prevents pregnancy in ordinary use, how much it depends on you remembering something, whether you want children within the next year or two, and your own medical history — which rules some methods… Reviewed 21 Aug 2026· English
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गर्भनिरोध के विकल्प: कौन-सा तरीक़ा क्या करता है, और निर्णय किन बातों पर निर्भर है
Editorially reviewed -
Contraceptive methods compared: what each does, and what the decision depends on
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