Okay, so, you’ve followed my stories and advice throughout The Birth Control Chronicles (if you haven’t here’s the link to the first article) and you’ve settled on the fact that hormonal birth control just isn’t for you. Nice job for taking care of your mental and physical health!
I’ve scoured the web and have found 5 natural, hormone-free and reversible birth control methods that are worth a shot. This list is not all-inclusive as there are countless other methods to try, however, these are the ones that I have found to be the most notable.
1) The Daysy
The Daysy is a natural fertility tracking method that uses the ‘Fertility Awareness Method’ to track when you are fertile throughout your cycle. The Daysy measures your temperature every morning and evaluates whether or not you need to have protected sex. The best part about this little monitor is that it’s simple to use; it literally takes less than a minute to use every day, and it’s 99.4% effective when used perfectly!
2) The Rhythm Method
You may have heard of this method as the ‘Fertility Awareness Method’ or ‘Natural Family Planning’. What I love about FAM is that there are various ways to utilize this natural form of birth control and it’s totally based on what works for you and your body! There’s the Temperature Method, the Cervical Mucus Method, the Calendar Method, and the Standard Days Method. FAM is most effective when you are disciplined at tracking your fertility throughout your cycle and are responsible enough to use another barrier method when you are most fertile in your cycle. Check out the link here to learn more about FAM!
3) Diaphragm
The Diaphragm is a dome-shaped barrier method made of silicone. I will say that this method is not completely natural because you do have to use spermicide in order for this method to work effectively. So, if you’re allergic to spermicide, you might want to try another method (GIF). However, it does steer clear of progestin and estrogen hormones!
4) Sponge
Similar to the Diaphragm method, the Sponge is a non-hormonal birth control method however it does utilize spermicide for it to work properly. The sponge is made of a plastic foam and acts as a toxic barrier method to sperm. It can be inserted up to 24 hours before sex and is 91% effective when used perfectly!
5) Condoms
This may seem like a no-brainer and this was probably the OG birth control method for all of us. But, the condom has consistently been the most reliable at preventing pregnancy and providing protection against STIs, which no other birth control method, hormonal or non-hormonal has been able to provide. Therefore, it is important to note that even if you’ve looked through this list and decide to go with one of the natural options, it is still important to wear condoms. Protect your flower!