It seems like every birth control has side effects. Is it really worth it?

There are positive and negative things to say about every method. And everyone’s different—so what you experience may not be the same as what someone else experiences. And what side effects are “worth it” to you might be different than for someone else.

You can start by thinking about what’s most important to you about your method. Is your top priority using the method that will be the most effective at preventing pregnancy? Something easy to use? Something that makes your period lighter? Something that you can stop and start without seeing a provider? There are birth control options for all of these. It’s also common to try more than one birth control option before finding one that works for you, so don’t settle if your current option isn’t working.