Birth Control Effectiveness and Comparison

Birth control is a way for women and men to prevent and plan the timing of pregnancy. There are many different birth control methods, including hormonal contraception, non-hormonal contraception, and OTC methods. Birth control effectiveness is an important and common concern in your decision to choose a birth control method.

People have been using birth control for thousands of years. Today, we have many safe and effective birth control methods to choose from. Birth control effectiveness depends on different factors. As with any contraceptive, your chosen birth control method will be more effective if you use it consistently and correctly. This means that if you want high levels of birth control effectiveness, you must always use it and make sure that you are using it the right way.

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When you are comparing birth control effectiveness, it is helpful that you understand what failure rates mean. This is where birth control comparison can become a little confusing. The birth control effectiveness rate is the opposite of its failure rate. So, let’s say that you are comparing the effectiveness of the birth control pill and the effectiveness of Depo Provera. You read that that the pill has an 8% failure rate and Depo Provera has a 6% failure rate. What does this tell you?

Well, failure rates refer to the number of pregnancies that take place when 100 women use that birth control method for one year. Another way to look at this birth control comparison is that the pill is 92% effective at preventing pregnancy and Depo Provera is 94% effective. So the birth control effectiveness rate is the number you get when you subtract its failure rate from 100.

Birth Control Comparison Based on Typical Use

Birth control methods can be grouped into different categories and some methods are more effective than others:

  • Natural Methods (not including abstinence): Birth control effectiveness for these methods range from 77%-95%.
  • Nonhormonal OTC Methods: Birth control effectiveness for these methods range from 72%-88%.
  • Prescription Methods: Birth control effectiveness for these methods range between 86%-99.9%.
  • Hormonal Methods: Birth control effectiveness for these methods range from 92%-99.9%.
  • Permanent Methods: Birth control effectiveness for these methods range from 99.5%-99.9%.

Remember that some methods fall into more than one of these categories. For example, hormonal birth control pills are available both OTC and by prescription. And some people may opt to use more than one method at a time—such as a hormonal birth control pill and condoms—to achieve even higher effectiveness than one method alone.

In July 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Opill (norgestrel), a progestin-only oral contraceptive, to be sold OTC. Opill is the first and only birth control pill available without a prescription. Before starting a birth control method, it's a good idea to speak with your healthcare provider, even if your method of choice doesn't require a prescription.

Factors That Can Lower/Increase Birth Control Effectiveness

Except for abstinence (which is 100% effective), no birth control method is completely guaranteed to prevent pregnancy. But there are things you might do to lower or increase your birth control effectiveness.

Things to keep in mind:

Make your contraception works for you by asking your doctor about how effective each method is and which method will work best for you.

2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Planned Parenthood. Birth Control.

  2. Mosher W, Jones J, Abma JC: Division of Vital Statistics. Intended and unintended births in the United States: 1982-2010. National Health Statistics Report. 2012;55.

By Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC
Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC, is a published author, college professor, and mental health consultant with over 15 years of counseling experience.