Mandy Moore Wants to Talk About Birth Control

Photo: Getty /Paul Archuleta

Going on birth control can be a life-changing decision. But if you're like a lot of women, you might not have put a ton of thought in the exact type of birth control you chose. Mandy Moore is setting out to change that.

The This Is Us actress partnered with pharmaceutical company Merck to launch Her Life. Her Adventures., a campaign encouraging women to discuss birth control options with their doctors. The ultimate message: There are a ton of birth control options, and you should work with your doc to find the best one for you.

Four other women front the campaign along with Moore: rock-climber Emily Harrington, dentist-adventurer Tiffany Nguyen, and fashion bloggers Christine Andrew and Gabi Gregg (side note: Gabi just launched the cutest fashion line). On the campaign's site, each woman shared a blurb about their traveling habits, and visitors to the website can add their post.

"Having a plan in place that includes birth control helps me stay focused on my priorities," Moore says in a video on the website. "For all of us, adventures are going to be different, and they're going to come at different times in our lives, so whether it's landing your dream job or traveling to a new country, or whatever your passions may be, it's important to plan ahead, to know your priorities, and to stay focused on your goals."

While the adventure stories are a fun spin, the aim of the site is to persuade women to take their birth control method decision seriously. After all, different methods work better for different bodies, lifestyles, and women, so don't be afraid or too rushed to fully discuss all your options with your doctor. There are many factors to consider-potential side effects, cost, required maintenance-and talking with your doctor can help you sort through the pros and cons. (Here are some of the questions you should ask before starting a new birth control method.)

"People usually know about the Pill, but there are non-daily, long-term, reversible methods that often get overlooked," says Pari Ghodsi, M.D., an ob-gyn who joined the campaign. (But such methods shouldn't be ignored; IUDs have been proven more effective at preventing pregnancy than other forms of birth control.) Do your research on what's out there before deciding on a birth control method.