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New birth-control options for you and your honey

MAKE LOVE, not unplanned pregnancies--that could be the slogan of our times. In 1994, half of all pregnancies were unintended, and the highest rate of such conception was among young women of color, according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute. Why--with greater birth-control options than our mothers had --are we slipping up? "It has to do with not being educated about all the contraceptive options, as well as with inconsistent use," says Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at University of Kansas Medical Center.

But there are signs that we're taking control. Between 1982 and 1995, the proportion of Black women who were having intercourse but not using birth control fell by almost half. Furthermore, the birth rate for unmarried Black women is lower now than in any year since 1969.

New contraceptive options will continue to make it easier for us to plan parenthood. "During the next two years there will be a record launch of birth-control products in the United States," says Elof Johansson, M.D., Ph.D., vice-president and director of the Population Council's Center for Biomedical Research. Below, a look at birth-control products emerging in the new millennium. [Turn the page for a comprehensive listing of existing contraceptives.]

WHAT'S NEW FOR HER

Greater convenience and fewer side effects characterize many of the new female birth-control options.

* Lunelle You've heard of Depo Provera, a shot given every three months to prevent pregnancy. A new shot, Lunelle, is taken each month. Containing the same hormones as the Pill, it's as effective as sterilization. Unlike Depo, Lunelle impairs fertility for only a month after the last injection; Depo prevents pregnancy for three more months. Lunelle, expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) soon, is not recommended for women with heart problems.