wrin

No matter what method you choose, there's going to be some kind of inconvenience, short of surgical sterilization. Most people on this board will warn you off the Shot (depo-provera) because of suspected ties to infertility, and just general bad-experience with side-effects. I honestly don't know a single person who got on depo and hasn't had a problem with it.

Norplant is somethign that's been around for years and is a rather permanent type of solution. They last 5 years, I believe, and are slow-release capsules that release the same hormones found in most birth control pills without having to remember to take them.

There's two kinds of IUDs, each with different risks and benefits. There's the copper one and the hormone-impregnated plastic one. The copper one doesn't have to be replaced more often than once every three years, but can cause heavier periods, cramping, and a higher risk of ectopic pregnancies. (My mother had a tubal pregnancy while she was using one.) The hormone-impregnated version is slightly more modern, as it works the same way taking the pill every day would, and it's made of plastic so the irritation isn't as likely to be so pronounced, though you'll probably still get a heavier period and some cramping. The IUD is generally recommended for people who've already had kids since it makes insertion easier, but this by no means means that you can't get one unless you've had kids.

There's Nuvaring, which is a ring you replace once a month that just sits on the cervix and slow-releases hormones a la birth control pill. You wear it for three weeks and take it out for the fourth week to have a period, then put in a fresh one.

There's also a patch you replace once a week.

No barrier method is fool-proof, and hormonal methods are generally regarded as the most reliable, but because of an increased incidence of user error, they can actually average out similarly. (Since it's harder to forget to put on a condom than it is to forget to take a pill.)

I've been on the birth control pill for, oh, like two and a half years now. I haven't had a single one of the side-effects, well, aside from a shorter, lighter period and decreased menstrual cramps. I'm taking Alesse, which is a low-dose monophasic pill, and because of the low levels of hormones may not be effective for everyone, especially people who don't own as slim a frame as mine.

The Planned Parenthood site has a lot of awesome information about methods I haven't even mentioned, and her doctor will be able to help her decide on a method that's safest and easiest for her.