For Women Only : What is the most effective non-hormonal birth control?

The only long term birth control that I used (beyond the Pill and condoms) was an IUD. I was a bit nervous about having one but my doctor told me that they are very safe and I didn’t have any problems with it.

Natural Family Planning is all I have ever used with my husband.

Diaphragm plus condoms.

Wild carrot seeds are remarkably effective for women, but I wouldn’t use just that. Maybe in conjunction with other things, like condoms, rhythms, other plant-derived drugs, etc. Men can take papaya seed extracts and warm their testes daily.

And sorry for defying the “Women Only” thing.

Thanks for your answers.. keep them coming..

Marie Stokes (one of the largest international family planning organisations in the world) produced a music video aimed at 16–25 year olds with the line “one up the bum and you won’t be a mum”. With high quality advice like that it very surprising that STD’s and teen pregnancies are on the rise.

Diaphragm plus spermicidal gel (plus condom if you are not with a long-term monogamous partner).

A copper IUD is by far the most effective reversible, non-hormonal birth control method.

@incendiary_dan, do you have a reference for that? I couldn’t find anything on google scholar.

@nikipedia Which one in particular? I can dig up some sources when I’m at home, but before then no promises. :)

Having googled wild carrot seeds I think it’s probably due to confirmation bias. People had sex, took wild carrot seeds and didn’t get pregnant and assume the two are related.

@Lightlyseared There’ve been at least a few clinical surveys in addition to direct tests on the effects of the compounds present in wild carrot seeds, namely that they prevent implantation.

This is in addition to its traditional uses and testimony, which I always use as a starting off point in terms of herbal treatments.

The Lady-Comp fertility monitor. You take temperature at the same time each morning, provided that you have a regular daily routine. The “green” day is safe day; the “red” is not.

I’m not sure about it being the “most effective” non-invasive method, but you can probably find testimonials elsewhere..

More descriptions:

A fertility monitor is an electronic device used for fertility awareness. Some brands are marketed only to assist in pregnancy achievement, while other brands are advertized for both pregnancy achievement and as birth control. A fertility monitor may analyze changes in hormone levels in urine, basal body temperature, electrical resistance of saliva and vaginal fluids, or a combination of these methods.

Lady-Comp is very easy to use. Based on your morning temperature, taken orally, the fertility computer determines your fertile days and shows you when you are ovulating by recording, analyzing and storing your menstrual cycle data. It monitors your daily status of fertility and will alert you on the days when intercourse may lead to pregnancy: on the day you ovulate – and the five days before ovulation.

My mother in law always said, “Don’t eat an orange before. Don’t eat one after. Eat one instead!”

@longtresses i used to use something like it

I tried a Natural Family Planning book. It was based not only on morning temperature, but also on vaginal secretions. I never did get it figured out.

@SpatzieLover Has it worked out well? Are there better brands/models out there?

I used an OV Monitor like this one came out quite a while ago. Not even certain if the one I’ve linked is the brand. I watched the one you linked. It looks amazing! I used NFP. I had issues due to infertility, and NFP was not working for me at all. We “tried” having our son two years on our own, then I got the OV monitor and it took us one year with it to get pregnant. I used it for a couple of years after we had our son to make certain I wouldn’t get pregnant again. I now know myself well enough to feel confident without monitoring. Though I do use an app on my husband’s iphone so he knows/remembers.

Well, the best but most difficult method is abstinence. It requires a separate bedroom for you and a lock on you door. I didn’t say it was easy, but it does work. Definitely. Unless you cheat.