Modern Birth Control Methods

Permanent birth control—when you know it's time
Permanent contraception is the most common form of birth control overall and the most popular type of birth control for women over age 35. In fact, 30 percent of women between the ages of 35 and 39 have opted for permanent birth control, while 10 percent of women in this age group have male partners who have been sterilized. Between the ages of 40 and 44, the percentage of women opting for sterilization jumps to nearly 35 percent.

There are three choices for ending fertility, each of which is more than 99 percent effective. You're no doubt familiar with vasectomy—the man's form of sterilization—and tubal ligation, in which your fallopian tubes are cut or blocked to prevent an egg from traveling down them to meet sperm. Today, however, women have a new option: a minimally invasive, nonsurgical permanent birth control, also known by their brand names, Essure  and Adiana.