Mugzy6

Have you or your SO tried birth control (as in the pill)? If so, did it cause any strange side effects or would you recommend it? Also, how do you go about getting it without going to the doctor? Can you even do that ? I know I am sadly uninformed, but I was really hoping some of you could help me out. I would greatly appreciate it. It just seems to me as if birth control would probably be cheaper than buying a bunch of condoms.

maleficent

Birth control pills can cause side effects, depending on the method used - most birth control pills are hormone based, so wheenver you mess around with hormones, strange things (such as personality quirks and emotional outbursts) can happen.

BC Pills are prescription based, you can get them from places such as Planned Parenthood but an exam would be needed first.

Thru Planned Parenthood, I believe it's a pay what you can afford system, so it might be cheaper than condoms, however, you want ot trust the person you are with and ensure that they are using them correctly. If BC Pills are not used correctly, well, a baby is a lot more expensive than a bunch of condoms.

Condoms are there to protect your sexual health as well... in addition to pregnancy prevention, and before you throw away the condoms, you want to make sure that you are free from any STDs as is your partner.

What bears repeating here, and I'm not a parent but I do a pretty good imitation of one.... if you are grown enough to be having sex then you are grown enough to be taking care of your sexual health. I beleive you are female, and you'd have to be over 18 to be here, so if you are sexually active (and based on some other posts of yours you are) you need to get your behind to a doctor and take care of yourself.

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noodle

i've had a horrible time with some forms of birth control. they put me on the pill at age 14 for other health reasons and i've only been off them for about 5 months (last year) since then. i'm almost 29 now. the first pill made me moody and cranky and downright evil, but then again, that was (gulp!) 14 years ago. geez i'm old. i was on a tri-cyclic pill for about 6 years and didn't like it after awhile, but due to the polycystic ovaries, i had to settle. just started yasmin and i really like it. no mood swings! (my boyfriend likes it, too, since i'm no longer the wicked witch of the west once a month). plus, with yasmin, you only have to have your period once every two to three months.

i broke out in terrible rashes with condoms, but nothings better until you get tested. he prefers pulling out in combination with the b/c pill, but somehow (gee, i don't know why??!!) it's not as satisfying. he doesn't get it.

absolutely talk to your doctor. and find a GOOD one. one that will talk frankly and openly. mine even prescribes antidepressants and monitors you. best way to find one? talk to other doctors and ask who they use. i have a teeny-tiny korean woman who looks like she's in her twenties (and probably is old enough to be my mother) who rocks. make sure you find one who's willing to look at ALL the options. i have a friend who used some rather unorthodox (and nonproactive) methods and her doctor went along with it 5 times and now she's scarred. just be educated.

Craven Morehead

My wife ended up in the hospital due to blood clots in her legs from the pill. Long time ago, all is well. Condoms ever since. No problem, actually.

MEAD

Going on "the pill" is an idea that I think is taken too lightly. It is not as simple as "take this and you wont get babies". This is a chemical that alters your body chemistry, just like (for example) prozac is a drug that alters your body chemistry. That understood, give the choice to use this as a means of preventing pregnancy the same weight as you would any drug that drasticly alters the way your body functions. Your lack of information on the subject makes me a bit nervous, Tilted is a great resource and you will get very helpful responses like the ones above, but this should not be the end of your research. Read up on its effects, discuss with a doctor any possible complications, and be sure you want to take the risk of it reacting negativly with your body, you might also want to research other means of birth control besides condoms or the pill (there are many). And just to repeat it's only for the prevention of pregnancy, it is important to make sure you are aware of yours and your partner's sexual health. And just to make a worst case scenario, if you or you partner happened to have unprotected sex outside of your relationship, catch an STD and then spread it to the other partner, how would you or they feel? Getting an STD usualy mean having to deal with it for your entire life. Outside of marriage, BC would probably be best used in conjunction with another form of protection. Buying lots of condoms or going on BC or going to a doctor to get tested for STDs seems like a pain in the ass, but honestly, is your safety and health not worth that pain. While sex is and should be fun, there's much responsiblity that goes with it, I'd hate to see a young person like yourself act flippantly to the possible consequences and end up regretting your actions for the rest of your life. be a smart girl, I know you are. This is comming from a friend and nothing more.

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"That's it, send out the ninjas!"
"So then I had to kill my way to the second floor."

Hardknock

Go see a doc kid.

ariekitten

my mother and sister have that same condition, it's called factor 5 lyden.

personally i dont like the fatigue and weight gain i got from the pill. actually, i didnt really gain weight but my weight distribution changed, and i had a lower sex drive. you can get birth control from a women's clinic or a family planning center, but you will most likely still be required to get a yearly exam (at least in texas as far as i know). some states like Cali might give it out for free to anyone, but i would hope not.

and like others have said, going on birth control can be a big decision and you need to know how to take it and stuff, so you might just do some light research online. lots of women really like it, so you might give it a try.

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I am known as Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III. Don't hesitate to call.
~Vash, Trigun

>'.'< kitty kitty, meow ^..^~

tres

****DON"T DO HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL**** Seriously.... If your not going to do condoms.... think about Non hormonal IUD, Diaphram... etc.... Bad bad experieces with The pill, the patch.. Almost ruined our relationship, and certainly did ruin our sex life...

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"Its better to be hated for who you are, then loved for what your not" --Van Zant

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healer

mandy went on Yasmin a coupla months ago and I haven't noticed any change in her mood whatsoever - not even during her period. The only physiological drawback has been that her breasts get a bit tender for the 3 period-days. Since we're both a bit paranoid we do use the BC in combination with condoms - there's no such thing as being too safe.

Follow maleficent's advice (she's like the authority on this kinda thing IMO) and get to a doctor before making any decisions.

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maleficent

I feel like Dr Ruth Actually I'm no authority, I just think sexual responsibility should be taken seriously... Well that and I'm oldish...

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scott_p_1

My girlfriend's main complaint was the loss of sex drive. I guess it's a pretty common problem...

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<Insert witty and profound statements here>

ariekitten

some IUD's are known to abort fetuses and/or cause tubal pregnancies (happened to my mom), so you should do alot of research before considering them, especially if you are pro-life, etc. um, also i believe certain kinds of IUD's can damage your female organs, but again, do some research.

__________________
I am known as Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III. Don't hesitate to call.
~Vash, Trigun

>'.'< kitty kitty, meow ^..^~

snowy

Some facts about birth control:

There are two common kinds of combination pills, monophasic and tri-cyclic. Monophasic pills give you the same dose of hormone regardless of time of month. Tri-cyclic pills change the dosage of hormone depending on the time of month. Combination pills consist of varying levels of synthetic estrogen and synthetic progesterone (progestin).

Another kind of birth control pill is the minipill. The minipill, while not commonly prescribed any more, contains only synthetic progesterone (progestin).

Other methods of hormonal birth control include the ring (Nuva-Ring), the patch (Ortho-Evra), the shot (Depo-Provera), and a specific IUD (Mirena). All of these methods use varying levels and kinds of hormone. For example, the ring is similar to a monophasic birth control pill, as is the patch. Depo-Provera consists only of progestin, and Mirena is an IUD coated in progestin.

Side effects from any method of hormonal birth control vary widely. Being responsible for one's sexual health means being aware of what the risks of birth control are, what possible side effects are, and pursuing another method if the side effects become too much. Yes, hormonal birth control changes your body chemistry--essentially it tricks your body into thinking it is pregnant so that it won't release an egg at ovulation--so you must be aware that there will be changes in how you feel. Some women are very sensitive to the additional hormones while some are not. There is no pill or method that works perfectly for everyone. You must be willing to talk honestly with your doctor in order to take responsibility for your sexual health, and if you cannot do so and cannot take responsibility, you shouldn't be having sex.

There are other methods that are non-hormonal--for example, barrier methods. Some of these are as effective as hormonal methods when used correctly. The diaphragm, the cervical cap, condoms, etc--all of these are possibilities when it comes to barrier methods, as is a good ol' Copper-T IUD. But again, these methods aren't for everyone: people with latex allergies should probably not use a diaphragm, some women have allergies to the spermicide that must be used in conjunction with a diaphragm, and in some women the Copper-T causes heavier periods and worsens menstrual cramps.

With every method there is the element of prevention of pregnancy, but there are also those side effects--good and bad. For instance, some tri-cyclic pills have been shown to reduce facial acne. Many women use hormonal birth control to regulate their cycle, lighten their flow, and reduce their menstrual cramps. There is also the possibility the flip side will occur--many pills cause weight gain, irritability, mood swings, and if you are a smoker hormonal birth control is not the wisest choice, as smoking on hormonal birth control increases your chance for blood clots.

As for myself, I have been on birth control since I was 17 and I am 23 now. I was on Ortho Tri-Cyclen for a long time but didn't like it because I didn't like taking a pill every day. Recently, I switched to the ring, and I love it. I don't have to take a pill, I don't have to get a period (because it's monophasic I can just skip the week off like one would with Seasonale or a continuous cycle of monophasic pills), and when I do get my period it lessens my flow and therefore my chance of horrendous menstrual cramps. Plus, I know it's there and I know it's working There's no chance I'm going to mess it up by forgetting anything, which is the best part.

But as I said, everyone is different, and you should go to the doctor for an exam/consultation and have a long discussion about what, precisely, is the best method for you and your situation.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

snowy

Ectopic pregnancy is a risk with IUD but it is also a risk associated with other forms of birth control and also has the possibility of happening randomly. As for the possibility of damage, the IUDs that caused such problems were taken off the market in the 1970s. The Copper-T and Mirena are the only two remaining IUDs on the American market. There is a small risk for perferation on insertion, but if a woman chooses a good doctor this won't be a problem. There is a small risk for pelvic inflammatory disease IF a woman with an IUD has unprotected sex with multiple partners. This is why most doctors will only insert an IUD if a woman is in a monogamous relationship.

How do you get PID from an IUD? Every IUD has a thread or string that descends down through the cervix so that after it has lost its effectiveness it can be removed. The string also allows for women to check that the IUD is still in the correct position (which should be done once a month, following their menstrual cycle) and hasn't been expelled during their period (expulsion of IUDs is common, though it usually happens within 3 months of insertion). So if a woman is having unprotected sex with multiple partners, she ups her chance for contracting an STD such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. She also ups her chance of coming into contact with other bacterial and viral nasties. The thread hanging out of her cervix acts as a conduit for these infections, taking them straight into the uterus. Thus she develops PID. But, provided one always uses condoms with the IUD or remains in a monogamous relationship, the odds of contracting PID with an IUD are virtually nonexistent. The odds are pretty slim to begin with, but one must always be aware of all the risks.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Martian

Just balancing out the negative with a bit more positive input. Being in a commited, monogamous relationship with a girl on the pill, I have to say I love it. There's no real chance of STD's, since we're only having sex with each other, I don't have to wear a condom, which increases both the pleasure and the spontaneity of sex. She's a girl who keeps everything organised and always takes it and really knows her stuff (I've been learning more about it too, since this is the first time I've dated a girl on birth control). My rather limited understanding on the matter is that it affects every woman differently and that the side effects range from almost non-existant to very severe. So, yeah, it can be great, just learn everything you can about it and talk to your doctor. He or she will help you figure out the best course of action. But don't dismiss the pill out of hand or just start taking it without considering the other options out there. The reason there are so many methods of birth control available is because everyone has different needs in that department. If, like us, you only need something to keep two committed individuals from making a baby at the wrong time then it may work for you; if not you'll want to look into other possibilities.

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I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
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- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

ErcDaMerc

like Martian - i love it-
my gf does get cramps earlier from the pill though

jalora

My wife was on the pill for about ten years straight. She stopped in 2002, and we've been trying to have a child since then with no luck.

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nickynicole

I was on the pill for a few months in high school for medical reasons, and I ended up with migrains and "vision abnormalities." I went off of it shortly there after, and when I went to talk to my doctor about hormonal birth control several years later, I was told that I was most likely having tiny blood clots in my brain. He perscribed a low dose pill, and I decided that the risk of blood clots wasn't worth the one percent increased chance of pregnancy over condoms.

I know plenty of people on hormonal birth control, and they love it, but I like to remind people that there are other options.

And for me, birth control would be more expensive than condoms.
Condoms, when used correctly, are almost as effective as the pill, and the possible side effects are far less severe.

Lead543

My doctor never really explained bc to me. He kinda just gave it to me because he thought I was at high risk of getting pregnant. I'm not really sure why...

I've had no side effects other then breast tenderness 1 week before my period.

I've tried 2 different brands, my doctor said about 80% of women do just fine with a low dose and the other 20% require different means. Different brands bring different side effects too. I know a girl who tried several, she gained weight, lost weight, turned into a pms-psychopath all from switching her pills around. Once I found one that worked I stuck with it.

JARM

My girlfriend has been on the pill for the duration of our relationship thus far (about 4 years). Therefore I have no pre-pill experience with which to compare my present circumstances. She claims that her periods were easy before the pill, but are easier still now. She also says that she has not noticed any reducation in sex drive. To me, IUD's seem archaic and uncomfortable. BTW she uses Yasmin.

noodle

Wow, thought that tenderness thing was just me! but, believe me, the trade off for way less PMS and cramping is priceless. and i've actually lost 15 lbs since switching from ortho tri-cyclen to yasmin. my sex drive increased drastically, too.

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