Contraception: Knowing your options and choosing what fits you

Contraception is not a single, lifelong decision. The method that suits you best in your early twenties may not be the one that fits after having a baby, or when your relationship or reproductive goals change. Methods differ in how they work, their daily convenience, how quickly your natural fertility returns after stopping them, and how they affect your menstrual cycle.

Choosing contraception is entirely about informed choice and bodily autonomy. Some people prefer maximum reliability without having to remember a daily pill; others prefer hormone-free options or methods they can stop instantly without medical assistance. Neither approach is better than the other—what matters is finding what aligns with your body, lifestyle, and future plans.

Categories of contraception

• Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC): These include the hormonal coil (IUD/IUS), the copper coil, and the contraceptive implant. They are over 99% effective and do not rely on remembering a daily routine. They remain safe and effective for their entire licensed duration (ranging from 3 to 10 years depending on the type), but a midwife or doctor can remove them at any time if you decide to try for a pregnancy or wish to change methods.
• Hormonal methods: Combined contraceptive pills, progesterone-only pills (mini-pills), patches, vaginal rings, and contraceptive injections. Depending on the method, they can help regulate heavy or painful periods, though they require routine user action (daily, weekly, or monthly).
• Barrier methods: Male and female condoms. Condoms are the only contraceptive method that also protects against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Using condoms alongside another effective method (such as an IUD or the pill) provides ideal "dual protection" for sexual health.
• Natural family planning / Fertility awareness: Tracking temperature, cervical mucus, and cycle dates. This requires dedicated daily monitoring and has a higher failure rate in typical use, but is completely hormone-free.

Emergency contraception

If contraception fails, slips, or was not used, emergency contraception is available:

• The emergency contraceptive pill ("morning-after pill"): Available directly from pharmacies. It works by delaying ovulation and is most effective the sooner it is taken, ideally within 24 hours, though some types are effective up to 3 to 5 days (72–120 hours) after intercourse.
• The copper coil (IUD): Can be fitted by a healthcare professional up to 5 days after unprotected sex and is the most effective form of emergency contraception, offering ongoing protection thereafter.

Fertility after birth and the myth of breastfeeding

Many women assume they cannot get pregnant while breastfeeding or before their first postpartum period arrives. In reality, ovulation happens about two weeks before your first bleed, meaning you can conceive before you even realise your cycle has returned. While exclusive, on-demand breastfeeding (day and night, with no bottles or pacifiers, in babies under six months) suppresses ovulation to some degree (the Lactational Amenorrhea Method or LAM), it is not a foolproof guarantee. Discuss postnatal contraception with your midwife before or shortly after birth.

Planning for pregnancy

When you decide the time is right to conceive, most methods allow fertility to return promptly once stopped (with the contraceptive injection being the primary exception, where fertility may take several months to normalise). It is clinically recommended to begin taking a daily folic acid supplement (400 mcg) at least one to three months before stopping your contraception, which helps protect against neural tube defects in early fetal development.

Where to get support in Iceland

You do not have to figure this out alone. You can book an appointment with a midwife or family doctor at your local health clinic (Heilsugæslan). They provide confidential consultations, STI testing, prescriptions, and coil or implant insertion and removal.