Birth Control Specialist

Sagar Patel, M.D.

Obstetrics and Gynecology located in Holmdel, NJ

With so many options for birth control, it's essential to have an OBGYN who understands your needs. That's why Dr. Sagar Patel, MD, OBGYN, of Holmdel, New Jersey takes the time to answer all his patients' questions about contraception. If you're planning to be child-free for the short or long-term future, call or click online to book an appointment with Dr. Patel today.

Birth Control Q & A

Who is birth control for?

Birth control, or contraception, includes a variety of different methods that prevent pregnancy. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 62% of women in their reproductive years are on some birth control. Among those surveyed, most women used the pill or permanent female sterilization.

If you're sexually active but not interested in having a baby, birth control may reduce your risk of an unintended pregnancy. Depending on your needs and point in life, Dr. Patel advises you on the best available options for contraception.

What kind of birth control should I use?

There's a wide variety of different birth control methods available to women. Here are some of the most common types of contraception in the United States:

Hormonal birth control

These methods of contraception use hormones to stop your body from releasing an egg so sperm can't fertilize it.

Hormonal birth control comes in the following forms:

  • Pills
  • Patches
  • Insertable vaginal rings
  • Shots
  • Implants

Intrauterine devices (IUDs)

IUDs are small devices that Dr. Patel inserts into your uterus. They're made of either plastic or copper. The plastic IUD releases hormones to keep you from getting pregnant, while copper is a natural sperm killer.

Sterilization

For women who decide to end their fertility, Dr. Patel is one of the few OBGYNs trained to perform new, same-day, minimally invasive hysteroscopic sterilization procedures like ESSURE and ADIANA. He also offers traditional postpartum and laparoscopic sterilization procedures.

How effective are birth control methods?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention measures birth control effectiveness two ways-- typical use and perfect use. A perfect method is used according to instructions all the time. Since nobody’s perfect, the measurement of typical use, which takes mistakes into account, is probably more accurate.

Hormonal contraception methods that require consistency, such as taking a pill at the same time every day or remembering to change your birth control patch, have the greatest potential for user error. The typical use of these methods leaves you with about a 9% chance of getting pregnant.

IUDs and implants, on the other hand, are effective without any help from you. Because these devices do their jobs steadily and consistently, they each have less than 1% failure rate with typical use.

If you have questions about birth control, call or click online to book an appointment with Dr. Patel today.