I am thinking about using birth control. How do I know whether it’s right for me and what method I should be using?

While the decision to start using birth control should be made by you in accordance with your religious, political and moral beliefs, if you are sexually active and are not planning on having a baby in the next nine months, you should definitely use some form of birth control. There are many options to reduce the risk of pregnancy, according to the American Pregnancy Association. However, abstinence remains the only foolproof method. If you are having sex, though, there are many options.

Condoms are one popular choice because they are cheap and only used when needed. They also do not force women to take hormones. According to Parents magazine, “Ideally, condoms work 98 percent of the time; in reality, it’s closer to 85 percent.”

The pill is a good option for women who want to take control of their own sexual destiny. These pills have to be prescribed by a doctor (or by someone at a women’s health center) and work by releasing hormones in your body. You need to be sure to take them regularly, though, or they will not work. According to Parents, the pill works 92 to 99 percent of the time.

The shot is a hormone injection you receive every three months, which prevents ovulation and alters the lining of the uterus. Although these are more expensive, they are effective 97 to 99.9 percent of the time, according to Parents.

There are many other forms of birth control that should be researched before a decision is made. However, it is important to remember that besides condoms, other forms of birth control do not protect against STDs, so you might not want to ditch the condoms just yet.

Emma is a sexual health reporter and a Medill sophomore. Send her your sex questions at [email protected].