# What is the best form of birth control? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 23, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691 "2012-02-23T03:27:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SDMBKL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdmbkl/32/7297_2.png) [@SDMBKL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SDMBKL)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/21 "2012-02-24T01:16:03Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Nope. The _best_ would be suicide. There are however side effects. Well, Wikipedia really doesn’t say that suicide as a form of birth control. But I see your point. When one is dead, one can’t reproduce. No, I’d say that suicide is more of a population control than a birth control. The two concepts are closely related but not exactly the same, for the change in populations can increase or decrease depending on births, deaths, immigration, and emigrations. Suicide can control births indirectly, because dead people can’t reproduce. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/22 "2012-02-24T01:22:42Z")
I voted for “implants, IUD and vasectomy/tubal”. Abstinence is absolutely impractical. So those 3 (almost completely) eliminate human error and have the highest overall success rates. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/23 "2012-02-24T01:57:22Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > If you dont have sex you wont get pregnant. 100% effective Tell it to Mary. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/24 "2012-02-24T02:23:09Z")
Total hysterectomy. I guarantee that with no uterus no pregnancy. I have been very happy with mine. Added benefit, no more bleeding, no more cramps, no more hormonal based migraines. ---
**Author:** ![SDMBKL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdmbkl/32/7297_2.png) [@SDMBKL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SDMBKL)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/25 "2012-02-24T02:34:30Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Tell it to Mary. 😉 Well, cows in factory farms are artificially inseminated. They give birth to calves, and the calves are removed. Where they go I do not know. However, the pregnancies stimulate the production of milk, so that corporate farmers can sell the milk. So, one can get pregnant without having sex. The Virgin Mary was impregnated by the Christian god before she gave birth to Jesus. Impregnation by deities is common in Greek mythology. One example would be Leda and the swan/Zeus. I am not sure if Leda would be considered a virgin, if she mated with Zeus. But presumably under Christian perspective, Leda would also be considered a virgin, if she only had sex with Zeus, and not her husband. It’s a wild guess, but I think it has to do with the penetrated hymen. Somehow, a god cannot penetrate the hymen like a man, so the woman remains a virgin. Or maybe, the sex act with a god does not count as a sex act. Then there’s also parthenogenesis that could explain the virgin birth of Jesus, but how a female procreates a male, I think, would be miraculous. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/26 "2012-02-24T02:54:50Z")
The best: being gay. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/27 "2012-02-24T03:04:35Z")
Just because I’m feeling a bit punchy tonight: celibacy, abstinence, being gay…all birth control failure possibilities as long as rape is a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/28 "2012-02-24T03:44:01Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Total hysterectomy. I guarantee that with no uterus no pregnancy. I have been very happy with mine. Added benefit, no more bleeding, no more cramps, no more hormonal based migraines. The chick with a miserable hormonal migraine asks: do you still have your ovaries? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/29 "2012-02-24T06:44:03Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > The chick with a miserable hormonal migraine asks: do you still have your ovaries? Nope. The hot flashes have gone totally - I am going to be at the 2 year mark this summer. I opted to not have any hormone replacement as you have to do menopause _sometime_ so I figured I would just get it over with. I do not miss my innards one little bit. I have absolutely no regrets at being gutted like a fish and having the miscreants yanked out with extreme vengeance. #5 years of torture were more than enough. If I could have had it done instead of the tubal ligation in my early 20s I would have. I was obviously behind the door when they passed out maternal instinct and desire. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/30 "2012-02-24T14:23:24Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Nope. The _best_ would be suicide. But only if you make sure to off yourself in such a way that no one could recover sperm or eggs from your corpse. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/31 "2012-02-24T14:27:15Z")
Pull and pray. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/32 "2012-02-24T14:57:18Z")
Being naturally infertile is effective, cheap, doesn’t cause any health problems nor does it affect your sex life. Until your guy decides he wants to be a daddy and adoption is not an option. Yes I still hate you, no I don’t want to add you on my FB page. m’kay? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/33 "2012-02-24T15:39:35Z")
Hmmm. well the top 9 would seem to be: Fist Chainsaw Pistol Shotgun Super shotgun Chain gun Plasma gun Rocket Launcher and if all else fails …the BFG9000! _squa-got-gah-gok!_ ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/34 "2012-02-24T15:51:34Z")
> [@madrabbitwoman](#): > > If you dont have sex you wont get pregnant. 100% effective Unless you get raped. I’m a little surprised outercourse isn’t on there. I view it as distinct from coitus interruptus, which isn’t nearly as effective as never traversing the fertile delta in the first place. It’s also utterly satisfying IMHO. I’ll take an engaged appreciation of my partner’s body over “put it in and pump” any day. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/35 "2012-02-24T16:07:30Z")
If you leave the word “best” to be open to interpretation, many people are going to assume it means “most effective” with NO consideration of practicality, and many people are going to assume it means “most all around practical PLUS effective” You could take the same poll to an Abstinence forum, and to a Sex Addict forum and get the same result. Is the main purpose of the poll is to see how people interpret the word best? If so, since some people actually do think Abstinence is the all around best, their answers would muddy the results. If the purpose of the poll is to learn something about people’s opinion on birth control, the differing interpretations of the word best will muddy the result. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/36 "2012-02-24T17:03:44Z")
Well, there’s also the **Hal Briston** method… ---
**Author:** ![snowmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@snowmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowmaster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/37 "2012-02-24T19:40:19Z")
The only truly 100% effective method of birth control is for the female to be already pregnant. Pregnancy being a binary condition, she cannot become more pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/38 "2012-02-24T21:42:20Z")
I’m an actuary. I use my personality. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/39 "2012-02-24T22:33:01Z")
> [@snowmaster](#): > > The only truly 100% effective method of birth control is for the female to be already pregnant. Pregnancy being a binary condition, she cannot become more pregnant. Because we’re a nitpicky bunch, I think it actually is possible. Not likely, but possible. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691/40 "2012-02-24T23:00:26Z")
It hard to improve upon the effectiveness of abstinence. May cause side effects. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-form-of-birth-control/613691.md?page=3)