New Delhi, Mar 17 (IANSlife): Modern women can resort to many methods of contraceptive measures but most commonly used are oral contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices, vaginal ring, condom, contraceptive injection and contraceptive implant.

Anita Gupta, Senior Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Fortis La Femme, New Delhi explains in detail about the safest options.

Oral contraceptive pills are of many types, all containing hormones as a part of formulation. Most effective are the pills with low dose hormones. The low dose ensures less side effects and the combination of hormones ensures regular menses and less chances of inter menstrual irregular bleeding or spotting per vaginum. These pills can be taken for A considerable period of time. But it is better to start these after visiting a gynaecologist. One caution! Smoking and oral contraceptive pills is a very bad combination!!

The safer contraceptive with very less failure rate are the various intra uterine devices. There are two types of these devices; copper and hormonal. These have to be inserted in the uterus by a gynaecologist as an OPD procedure. Of these, the hormonal ones are better, available by the name of Mirena which can be used for five years and then replaced with a new one. The copper devices are of two types which have to be replaced after every three or five years depending on the one used.

Then there is hormone-loaded rings which are placed in the vagina every month and the lady can insert it on her own every time. This is also a safe contraceptive method with less failure rate. Only issue is using a new one every month.

Injectable contraceptives are also available with an efficacy of three months. This is also a very effective method but sometimes there is a side effect leading to irregular bleeding in those three months.

Very commonly used method is the barrier method where the male partner uses condoms. But this has the highest failure rate.