If you don't want to get pregnant - or get your partner pregnant - you need to use birth control, also called contraception or family planning.

There are lots different types of birth control methods. They include taking hormones (like the pill), using barriers to catch the sperm (like condoms), or using natural methods.

Another way to avoid getting pregnancy is abstinence - simply not having intercourse. And then there's also 'outercourse' - making love without actually having vaginal intercourse.

Read more about deciding whether you need birth control and how to go about choosing a method to suit you. And find out more information about the different methods you can choose.