Contraception

Contraception comprises methods used to prevent pregnancy by preventing fertilization, preventing implantation, or making pregnancy less likely after sex.

Hormonal contraception: Contraceptive methods that use hormones to prevent pregnancy, chiefly by suppressing ovulation or altering cervical mucus. These methods change reproductive signaling rather than physically blocking sperm.
Condom: A sheath worn over the penis or inserted into the vagina to reduce pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection risk. Condoms are the contraceptive method in this set that also reduces STI transmission.
Abortion: The ending of a pregnancy through medication or a procedure. Unlike contraception, abortion ends an existing pregnancy rather than preventing one.
Unintended pregnancy: A pregnancy that is mistimed or unwanted when it occurs. Preventing unintended pregnancy is a central public-health aim of contraceptive access.
Barrier contraception: Contraceptive methods that physically prevent sperm from reaching an egg. Barrier methods prevent fertilization by interrupting sperm transport.
Combined oral contraceptive pill: A daily pill containing estrogen and progestin that primarily prevents ovulation. It illustrates a widely used, user-controlled hormonal method.
Emergency contraception: Methods used after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure to reduce the chance of pregnancy. Its timing after sex often leads to confusion with abortion, though it does not end an established pregnancy.
Reproductive rights: Rights concerning decisions about reproduction, including whether and when to have children. Contraceptive choice depends on the ability to make and act on reproductive decisions.
Intrauterine device: A small device placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy, available in copper and hormone-releasing forms. IUDs act within the reproductive tract and provide long-lasting contraception.
Copper IUD: A copper-bearing intrauterine device that impairs sperm function and provides long-acting contraception. It offers a nonhormonal, highly effective option that can also serve as emergency contraception.

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