Paul Quinn, PhD, is director of Inpatient Women and Children's Services at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ.

• Series ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroductionGuide to Health LiteracyCommon Misconceptions about Birth ControlQuestions and AnswersThe Menstrual Cycle1. How does the menstrual cycle happen each month?2. What hormones are involved in the menstrual cycle?3. Why is it so important to follow my menstrual cycle in relation to my choice of birth control?4. My periods are so irregular. Can I still get pregnant?5. My periods are light and barely last a day. Can I still get pregnant?Birth Control Basics6. How long has birth control been around?7. What are the different kinds of birth control?8. Why are most birth control methods targeted at women?9. What conditions or situations would prevent me from using birth control?10. If I use birth control now, will it affect any pregnancies in the future when I decide I want to have kids?11. Is there birth control for men only?12. Do I need to worry about sexually transmitted diseases if I'm on birth control?13. Does using birth control put me at a higher risk for cancer?14. Can I get birth control on my own, or do I need an examination and prescription?15. Is birth control covered by insurance?16. Will my partner know if I'm on birth control?17. If I start using birth control, what type of monitoring or follow-up do I need?18. If I've had a baby, how soon after delivery can I begin using birth control?19. Does breastfeeding work to prevent pregnancy?20. I recently had an abortion. When can I begin using birth control?Natural (Nonhormonal) Methods21. How does the abstinence method work?22. Is using the "pull out" method safe?23. How does the "rhythm" method work?Barrier Methods24. Are condoms safe and effective?25. There are so many different types of condoms. How do I choose the right one?26. How does the female condom work?27. How does the diaphragm work?28. Can I use spermicidal creams or lubricants safely as birth control?29. What is the cervical cap, and how does it work?30. What is the contraceptive sponge, and how does it work?Contraceptive Pills31. How do oral contraceptive pills work?32. How do I start taking OCPs, and what should I do if I miss pills?33. Can I stop taking OCPs at any time if I want to become pregnant?34. Do I use the same pill all the time? Will I ever need to change the type of pill I use?35. How might my periods change while I am on birth control pills?36. What do I need to look out for while I am taking OCPs?37. Are there foods or medications that interfere with OCPs?38. How does the "morning after" pill work, and how often can I use it?Long-Acting Contraception39. What is the patch, and how does it work?40. What is the vaginal ring, and how does it work?41. What is an IUD, and how does it work?42. What is long-acting injectable birth control, and how does it work?43. What is implantable birth control, and how does it work?44. Are there any noncontraceptive benefits to using hormonal contraception?Sterilization45. What is a tubal ligation, and how does it work?46. What is the Essure coil, and how does it work?47. What is a vasectomy, and how does it work?Case StudiesGlossaryDirectory of ResourcesIndex

Paul Quinn, PhD, is director of Inpatient Women and Children's Services at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ.

• Series ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroductionGuide to Health LiteracyCommon Misconceptions about Birth ControlQuestions and AnswersThe Menstrual Cycle1. How does the menstrual cycle happen each month?2. What hormones are involved in the menstrual cycle?3. Why is it so important to follow my menstrual cycle in relation to my choice of birth control?4. My periods are so irregular. Can I still get pregnant?5. My periods are light and barely last a day. Can I still get pregnant?Birth Control Basics6. How long has birth control been around?7. What are the different kinds of birth control?8. Why are most birth control methods targeted at women?9. What conditions or situations would prevent me from using birth control?10. If I use birth control now, will it affect any pregnancies in the future when I decide I want to have kids?11. Is there birth control for men only?12. Do I need to worry about sexually transmitted diseases if I'm on birth control?13. Does using birth control put me at a higher risk for cancer?14. Can I get birth control on my own, or do I need an examination and prescription?15. Is birth control covered by insurance?16. Will my partner know if I'm on birth control?17. If I start using birth control, what type of monitoring or follow-up do I need?18. If I've had a baby, how soon after delivery can I begin using birth control?19. Does breastfeeding work to prevent pregnancy?20. I recently had an abortion. When can I begin using birth control?Natural (Nonhormonal) Methods21. How does the abstinence method work?22. Is using the "pull out" method safe?23. How does the "rhythm" method work?Barrier Methods24. Are condoms safe and effective?25. There are so many different types of condoms. How do I choose the right one?26. How does the female condom work?27. How does the diaphragm work?28. Can I use spermicidal creams or lubricants safely as birth control?29. What is the cervical cap, and how does it work?30. What is the contraceptive sponge, and how does it work?Contraceptive Pills31. How do oral contraceptive pills work?32. How do I start taking OCPs, and what should I do if I miss pills?33. Can I stop taking OCPs at any time if I want to become pregnant?34. Do I use the same pill all the time? Will I ever need to change the type of pill I use?35. How might my periods change while I am on birth control pills?36. What do I need to look out for while I am taking OCPs?37. Are there foods or medications that interfere with OCPs?38. How does the "morning after" pill work, and how often can I use it?Long-Acting Contraception39. What is the patch, and how does it work?40. What is the vaginal ring, and how does it work?41. What is an IUD, and how does it work?42. What is long-acting injectable birth control, and how does it work?43. What is implantable birth control, and how does it work?44. Are there any noncontraceptive benefits to using hormonal contraception?Sterilization45. What is a tubal ligation, and how does it work?46. What is the Essure coil, and how does it work?47. What is a vasectomy, and how does it work?Case StudiesGlossaryDirectory of ResourcesIndex

Paul Quinn, PhD, is director of Inpatient Women and Children's Services at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ.

• Series ForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroductionGuide to Health LiteracyCommon Misconceptions about Birth ControlQuestions and AnswersThe Menstrual Cycle1. How does the menstrual cycle happen each month?2. What hormones are involved in the menstrual cycle?3. Why is it so important to follow my menstrual cycle in relation to my choice of birth control?4. My periods are so irregular. Can I still get pregnant?5. My periods are light and barely last a day. Can I still get pregnant?Birth Control Basics6. How long has birth control been around?7. What are the different kinds of birth control?8. Why are most birth control methods targeted at women?9. What conditions or situations would prevent me from using birth control?10. If I use birth control now, will it affect any pregnancies in the future when I decide I want to have kids?11. Is there birth control for men only?12. Do I need to worry about sexually transmitted diseases if I'm on birth control?13. Does using birth control put me at a higher risk for cancer?14. Can I get birth control on my own, or do I need an examination and prescription?15. Is birth control covered by insurance?16. Will my partner know if I'm on birth control?17. If I start using birth control, what type of monitoring or follow-up do I need?18. If I've had a baby, how soon after delivery can I begin using birth control?19. Does breastfeeding work to prevent pregnancy?20. I recently had an abortion. When can I begin using birth control?Natural (Nonhormonal) Methods21. How does the abstinence method work?22. Is using the "pull out" method safe?23. How does the "rhythm" method work?Barrier Methods24. Are condoms safe and effective?25. There are so many different types of condoms. How do I choose the right one?26. How does the female condom work?27. How does the diaphragm work?28. Can I use spermicidal creams or lubricants safely as birth control?29. What is the cervical cap, and how does it work?30. What is the contraceptive sponge, and how does it work?Contraceptive Pills31. How do oral contraceptive pills work?32. How do I start taking OCPs, and what should I do if I miss pills?33. Can I stop taking OCPs at any time if I want to become pregnant?34. Do I use the same pill all the time? Will I ever need to change the type of pill I use?35. How might my periods change while I am on birth control pills?36. What do I need to look out for while I am taking OCPs?37. Are there foods or medications that interfere with OCPs?38. How does the "morning after" pill work, and how often can I use it?Long-Acting Contraception39. What is the patch, and how does it work?40. What is the vaginal ring, and how does it work?41. What is an IUD, and how does it work?42. What is long-acting injectable birth control, and how does it work?43. What is implantable birth control, and how does it work?44. Are there any noncontraceptive benefits to using hormonal contraception?Sterilization45. What is a tubal ligation, and how does it work?46. What is the Essure coil, and how does it work?47. What is a vasectomy, and how does it work?Case StudiesGlossaryDirectory of ResourcesIndex