For many women, choosing birth control can feel overwhelming.
There are pills, patches, implants, injections, hormonal IUDs, non-hormonal IUDs, condoms and cycle tracking apps — all marketed as the “right” solution. Add social media advice, conflicting online information and busy schedules, and it’s easy to understand why many women delay getting answers or simply stay on a method that may no longer fit their lives.
At Women’s Medical Center, healthcare providers say the most important part of birth control counseling is not choosing the “best” method — it’s helping women find the method that works best for them.
“Women are complicated,” said Dr. Elizabeth Moore of Women’s Medical Center. “There is an unbelievably wide range of normal. It’s hard for any individual woman to have good perspective on what is actually normal and what needs additional evaluation.”
That philosophy shapes how the practice approaches contraception and family planning.
Rather than pushing one option over another, providers focus on shared decision-making — discussing lifestyle, medical history, symptoms, future pregnancy plans and comfort level before making recommendations.
For some women, that may mean a daily birth control pill. For others, a long-acting option like an IUD or implant may provide greater convenience and peace of mind. Some patients prefer to avoid hormones entirely and choose non-hormonal methods.
And increasingly, healthcare providers say women are asking more thoughtful questions about how birth control may affect mood, energy levels, menstrual cycles and overall quality of life.
“Some women feel better on something like a birth control pill that overrides their natural cycle,” Moore explained during a recent interview. “And other people are their better selves on their natural cycle.”
That individualized approach has become especially important as women balance careers, parenting, caregiving and packed schedules that make traditional healthcare appointments difficult.
To improve access, Women’s Medical Center has expanded telemedicine visits for established patients — including many appointments related to contraception and hormone management.
“You just need to talk about the risks,” said Dr. Ticaria Lipsey. “I need to go through your history and I can put you on a birth control pill.”
For established patients, some contraception and follow-up conversations may be appropriate by telemedicine, allowing women to talk through side effects, medication questions or next steps without always needing to drive to the office. For working women, mothers and caregivers, that convenience matters.
“I understand how it is to have a million things going on,” Lipsey said. “So just trying to increase hours and availability for patients — that’s been a big focus.”
Healthcare providers also emphasize that birth control appointments are about far more than preventing pregnancy.
Many hormonal contraceptives are used to help manage painful periods, heavy bleeding, irregular cycles, acne, mood symptoms and perimenopausal changes. In some cases, those conversations help uncover larger health issues that may otherwise go untreated.
Moore says menstrual cycles often serve as an important health indicator.
“Our periods are a little bit like an extra vital sign that we have to go by,” she said. “If something changes, something has changed.”
That’s one reason Women’s Medical Center encourages young women to establish gynecologic care early — even before they become sexually active.
According to Moore, simply having a trusted women’s healthcare provider can improve long-term reproductive health decisions.
“Most people who have ever seen a gynecologist will actually use birth control when they become sexually active because they have had information and been given access to where to get good information,” she said.
The practice also emphasizes that birth control conversations should evolve over time. A method that worked well during college may no longer fit a woman in her 30s balancing children and work. A woman approaching menopause may need completely different guidance than she did a decade earlier.
That ongoing relationship — and the ability to ask questions without judgment — is something healthcare providers at Women’s Medical Center believe still matters deeply.
In an era where many women turn first to social media or urgent care clinics for answers, the practice says personalized gynecologic care remains essential.
“Knowledge is power,” Moore said. “Helping women understand what’s normal, what’s not, and what choices they actually have — that’s part of good women’s healthcare.”
For Women’s Medical Center, that means making birth control counseling less intimidating, more individualized and more accessible — one conversation at a time.