Contraceptive Knowledge Everybody should Know

(Content revised 04/2026)

Hormonal Methods:

Hormonal methods are suitable for most women. Clients should consult a health care professional before commencing any of these methods.

Pills

How they work
  • Contain hormones, act by suppressing ovulation
  • There are 2 main types:
    1. combined type contains both estrogen and progestogen
    2. progestogen-only
How you use them

Take the pills at the same time every day

Helpful Tips
  • Contraceptive effectiveness: Effective to very effective (93 - 99.7%)*
  • Common side effects: May have nausea, breast tenderness and change of your periods, i.e. irregular, increase or decrease in menses

Injectables

How they work
  • Contain hormones, act by suppressing ovulation
  • There are 2 main types:
    1. combined type contains both estrogen and progestogen
    2. progestogen-only
How you use them
  • For combined injectable, you need to have a shot every 1 month
  • For progestogen-only injectable, you need to get a shot every 13 weeks
Helpful Tips
  • Contraceptive effectiveness: Effective to very effective (94 - 99.8%)*
  • Common side effects: May have nausea, breast tenderness and change of your periods, i.e. irregular, increase or decrease in menses

Contraceptive Implant (Progestogen-only)

How it works
  • Contains hormone, acts by suppressing ovulation
How you use it
  • Contraceptive implant is a small plastic rod loaded with progestogen that is inserted under the skin on the inner side of upper arm (non-dominant) by a trained health care professional
  • It lasts up to 3 years
Helpful Tips
  • Contraceptive effectiveness (> 99%)
  • A small scar may remain after insertion and removal of the implant
  • Pain, bruising and itchiness at the insertion site are common and may last for 1-2 weeks after insertion
  • Women may have headache, acne, breast pain, weight gain, etc. in the early stage of using the contraceptive implant, which usually subside gradually. Change in periods may also occur, i.e. irregular, heavier, or lighter menses, etc

Patch

How it works

Contains estrogen and progestogen, acts by suppressing ovulation

How you use it
  • 4 weeks as 1 cycle
  • Change the patch on the same day of the week for 3 weeks and then stop for 1 week
Helpful Tips
  • Contraceptive effectiveness: Effective to very effective (93 - 99.7%)*
  • Common side effects: May have nausea, breast tenderness and change of your periods, i.e. irregular, increase or decrease in menses

Barrier Methods:

Condoms for Men / Women

Use of condoms can reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection

How they work

Prevent sperms from entering the womb

How you use them
  • Man puts a new condom on the erected penis every time before he has sex
  • Woman puts a new condom in her vagina every time before she has sex
Helpful Tips
  • Contraceptive effectiveness
    • For male condoms: Moderately effective to effective (87 - 98%)*
    • For female condoms: Moderately effective to effective (79 - 95%)*
  • Majority of the condoms are made of latex. People with latex allergy can use condoms made of polyurethane
  • Please consult your doctor for emergency contraception as soon as possible if condom ruptures or slips out during sex

IUD

Intrauterine device (IUD)

How it works
  • By prevent fertilisation and implantation of the fertilised egg in the womb
  • There are 2 main types:
    1. Copper bearing IUD
    2. IUD that contains hormone
How you use it
  • Put in woman's uterus by a trained health care professional and regular follow-up is required
  • Depend on the model of IUD, it can be used or contraception for 5 - 10 years
Helpful Tips
  • Contraceptive effectiveness: Very effective ( > 99% )*
  • Common side effects: May have pain during menses and increase menstrual flow after insertion of IUD

Others:

Spermicide

How it works

Inactivates and kills sperms

How you use it
  • Woman puts the spermicide in her vagina every time before she has sex
  • Avoid vaginal douching 6 hours after having sex
Helpful Tips
  • Contraceptive effectiveness: Moderately effective (79 - 84%)*
  • There are different forms: tablet, vaginal film, vaginal sponge, etc
  • Some spermicides cannot be used together with condoms, please consult health care professionals for details

Permanent Methods:

Sterilisation for Women

  • Female sterilisation is a minor operation by tying or cutting the fallopian tubes
  • It is a permanent form of contraception
Helpful Tips

Contraceptive effectiveness: Very effective (= 99.5%)*

Sterilisation for Men (Vasectomy)

  • Vasectomy is a minor operation by cutting the vas deferens.
  • It is a permanent form of contraception
Helpful Tips

Contraceptive effectiveness: Very effective (> 99.8%)*

Emergency Contraception (EC):

  • Includes emergency contraceptive pills and copper-bearing intrauterine devices (IUDs)
  • Can be used in the following situations:
    • After unprotected sexual intercourse
    • Slipped or broken condom during sex
    • Delay in receiving injectable contraception
    • Missed oral contraceptive pills
    • IUD loosened or slipped out

Emergency Contraceptive pills (EC pills)

How they work
  • Stop or delay the release of an egg from ovary
  • Depend on the type of EC pill, it should be taken within 72 or 120 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse. The earlier the intake of EC pills, the higher the efficacy
Helpful Tips
  • Failure rate: 1-3%
  • Cannot be used as a regular contraceptive method

Insertion of Copper Intrauterine Device (Cu IUD)

How it works
  • Should be inserted within 5 days after the index sexual intercourse in suitable clients after assessment by health care professional
  • In suitable clients, it is more effective compared with EC pills
Helpful Tips
  • Failure rate: Less than 1%
  • Can be used as ongoing contraception

Family Planning Service

  • Family Planning Service is provided to all women of childbearing age in selected Maternal & Child Health Centres (MCHCs), enabling them to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children
  • MCHCs provide appropriate and effective regular contraceptive methods and emergency contraceptive service according to individual needs and the availability of such contraceptive methods
  • MCHCs only provide referral services for sterilisation
  • MCHCs do not provide contraceptive patches, contraceptive implants (progestogen-only), female condoms or hormonal intrauterine devices

Women who require this service may call the booking hotline 3796 0879 to make an appointment

The office hours of the booking hotline are 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday; and 9am to 11:30am on the 2nd and the 4th non-public holiday Saturdays of each month.

*Contraceptive Efficacy: The percentages show how effective each method is for most users who use the method for a year. Some methods work well only when the users use them the right way.

Source: Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use, 6th edition by World Health Organisation (Nov 2025)