2000 to 2002
Four new birth-control products enter the U.S. market. They are Ortho Evra, a birth-control patch; NuvaRing, a vaginally inserted ring; Lunelle, a hormone injection; and Mirena, an intrauterine device that's effective for five years.

2005
After its withdrawal from the U.S. market because of manufacturing plant deficiencies in 1995, the FDA approves the Today Sponge. It prevents pregnancy by covering the cervix and releasing spermicide. According to packaging information approved by the FDA, 13 to 16 percent of women using the sponge will get pregnant within a year of typical use.

2006
Implanon—a small, thin, implantable hormonal contraceptive—enters the U.S. market. Implanted in the skin of a woman's arm, it prevents pregnancy for up to three years.

2007
The FDA approves Lybrel, the first low-dose contraceptive pill that gives a woman the option to stop her menstrual cycle. Researchers say the monthly bleeding that occurs during Pill use is unnecessary, so avoiding it should have no adverse health effects.