These charts show the average number of women who accidentally get pregnant while using contraception over the course of one year.
- Typical Use: When contraception is not used every time, or it’s not used according to instructions every time.
- Perfect Use: When contraception is used every time, and it is used according to instructions.
Hormonal Implants |
Out of 100 Women Using Hormonal Implants |
Typical Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
IUD (Intrauterine Device) LNG-IUS (Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system) |
Out of 100 Women Using an IUD: |
Typical Use: 1 or Less Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Less Women Become Pregnant |
|
Copper IUD (Intrauterine Device) |
Out of 100 Women Using a Copper IUD: |
Typical Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Female Sterilization |
Out of 100 Women Using Female Sterilization |
Typical Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Hormonal Injections – Depo Provera- (Progesterone only) |
Out of 100 Women Using Hormonal Injections: |
Typical Use: 4 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Estrogen/Progestin Hormonal Injections
(not currently available in the US) |
Out of 100 Women Using Estrogen/Progestin Injections: |
Typical Use: 6 or Less Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Birth Control Pills – Combination |
Out of 100 Women Using Combination Birth Control Pills |
Typical Use: 9 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Birth Control Pills – Progestin-Only |
Out of 100 Women Using Progestin-Only Birth Control Pills |
Typical Use: 7 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Hormone Patch – Ortho-Evra, Xulane |
Out of 100 Women Using the Hormone Patch: |
Typical Use: 7 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Vaginal Hormonal Ring – NuvaRing®, Annovera™ |
Out of 100 Women Using the Vaginal Hormonal Ring: |
Typical Use: 7 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 or Fewer Women Become Pregnant |
|
Diaphragm |
Out of 100 Women Using a Diaphragm |
Typical Use: 17 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 6 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Contraceptive Sponges |
Out of 100 nulliparous* Women Using Contraceptive Sponges
*Nulliparous is a medical term that means a woman has never given birth to a baby |
Typical Use: 17 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 9 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Cervical Cap |
Out of 100 nulliparous* Women Using a Cervical Cap*Nulliparous is a medical term that means a woman has never given birth to a baby |
Typical Use: 14 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 9 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Male Condoms |
Out of 100 Women Using Male Condoms: |
Typical Use: 13 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 2 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Female Condoms |
Out of 100 Women Using Female Condoms |
Typical Use: 21 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 5 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Withdrawal |
Out of 100 Women Using Withdrawal: |
Typical Use: 20 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 4 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Lactational Amenorrhea Method |
Out of 100 Women Using the LAM Method: |
Typical Use: 2 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 2 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Fertility Awareness Based Methods |
Out of 100 Women Using Natural Family Planning: Numbers vary depending on method used |
Typical Use: 14-25 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 1 to 5 (average 3) Women Become Pregnant |
|
Spermicides |
Out of 100 Women Using Spermicides: 21 |
Typical Use: 28 Women Become Pregnant |
|
Perfect Use: 18 Women Become Pregnant |
|
No Contraceptive Method |
Out of 100 Women Using No Contraceptive Method |
Typical Use: 85 Women Become Pregnant |
|
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/index.htm#Contraceptive-Effectiveness
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