Which Methods of Birth Control are Totally Private?

Did you know that some methods of birth control are considered “private?” As in, you’ll be the only one who knows you’re using them?

It’s true! There are a select few types of contraception that either go inside you or are placed on your body in a place that people can’t easily see. Here they are, in no particular order, and here’s better news: they’re all available for free or at a low-cost at your nearest The Right Time health center.

First up are the two most effective types of birth control: the implant and the IUD. These methods work by releasing hormones when they are inserted into your body (either the upper arm or the uterus). People like them because they’re highly effective at preventing pregnancy, but also because it’s unlikely that anyone will know that you’re using them unless you tell them. The insertion process for the implant (which lasts up to five years) might leave a little tiny scar on your arm, but it looks like any other scar. And with the IUD (which can last from three to 12 years), a partner may be able to feel some strings inside you during sex, but there’s no other way for anyone else to know about your IUD.

Two other methods of birth control that are considered private are the shot and the ring. With the shot, you visit your health care provider, and they give you an injection that protects against pregnancy. However, unlike the implant and the IUD, the shot only lasts for three months – which means to be protected against pregnancy, you’ll have to visit your provider four times a year. In terms of the ring, you use it by inserting it into your vagina, leaving it in for three weeks, and then taking it out for the fourth week. After that, you put it back in your vagina for another three weeks, then take it out for another week, and so on. Like the IUD, a partner may be able to feel the ring inside your vagina, but most partners say they can’t.

If you’re interested in any of these methods, make an appointment to talk to a provider at your nearest The Right Time health center, where you can get them all for free or at a low-cost.