If becoming pregnant or giving birth is something you want to do away with, contraception is what you should look forward to. Yes, birth control or contraception is a course of therapy of one or more actions, devices, or medications that prevents pregnancy. In other words, the mechanisms responsible for lessening the possibility of the fertilization of an ovum by a spermatozoon can be precisely referred to as contraception.

Stepping into the past, you will know that the oldest methods of contraception included coitus interruptus, certain barrier methods, and herbal methods. Don’t be taken aback because historic records say that Egyptian women used a pessary made of various acidic substances and lubricated with honey or oil, good at killing sperm. On the other part of the world, the Asian women took to oiled paper as a cervical cap while the Europeans had supposedly used beeswax for that matter.

It was not before the seventeenth century that condom came into being. In the nascent stage, condom was ready from a length of animal intestine. It was only with the advent of modern latex condoms, that they became all the very effective and accepted. It came to prominence as an effectual means of contraception and not to mention giving hopes avoiding syphilis whatsoever.

What are the different methods?

Speaking of the different methods, you will come across physical methods. Under physical methods, the first one that comes to mind is barrier methods. Here, the male condom is the most popular. It is nothing but a latex or polyurethane sheath to be found over the penis.

As for the female version, it is made up of polyurethane. What happens here is that, the female condom comprises of ring at each end, one stays outside the vagina while the other finds place behind the pubic bone to hold the condom in position.

When it comes to hormonal methods, combination of synthetic estrogen and progestins are normally used. No just that, combined oral contraceptive pill, the Patch, and the contraceptive vaginal ring are also taken into account.
 
The widely popular, Centchroman, which is a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, or SERM is also an effective means for birth control. And how about, intrauterine methods where devices are positioned in the uterus? Preventing pregnancy is more than possible with these "T" shaped devices.

Hormonal emergency contraception can be the last recourse in case of a birth control failure or after unprotected intercourse for that matter. These are also called the "morning after pill" and they must be used well within five days in the above-mentioned cases.

Induced abortion is another option out, whether it is done with surgical methods or drugs to put an end to pregnancy.

In this world, where sex is not a taboo and population explosion is a serious issue, the importance of contraception cannot be disregarded.