Often, a woman's birth control choice is based on word-of-mouth from friends (which pill relieved monster cramps; which procedure was covered by insurance), familiar routines unchanged since college (same old pink pill case) or even TV commercials (seen the ones that make taking birth control look like boarding a Caribbean cruise?).

But as women cross over into the years beyond 30, there are new doctor-recommended options that go beyond basic oral contraception and condoms and can offer unique benefits. A recent Health magazine article by Alicia Potter did the research for us and presented seven top birth control options for women after age 30.

Women ages 30-plus may find themselves in a situation where they have had their children and want to protect against pregnancy mistakes in their mid-30s and 40s (research mentioned in the article cites that approximately 40 percent of pregnancies in fortysomething women are unplanned). Is the Pill Harmful?

Some of these women may want to abide by a decision not to have children while still enjoying a healthy sex life. Still other 30-ish women may be looking for ways to manage overly heavy menstrual cycles or unbearable menstrual cramps (two types of extended-cycle pills mentioned, Seasonique and Seasonale, stop a woman's periods for three months). FDA Approves Generic Plan B

Each of the options mentioned offers unique benefits to women in their thirties. One of the options (the progestin-only pill) is especially made for breast-feeding women (daily pills that won't diminish milk supply). Other choices offer longer-term birth control (from three-year-effective upper-arm implants to 12-year-effective Intrauderine Device (IUD) to two types of forever-effective permanent sterilization procedures).

Can you name two types of birth control pills other than progestin-only pills? If not, we suggest you check out the full article here.