birth control - Page 25

ASTalumna06 · #1 02-02-2009, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

I find it kinda strange though that drs hesitate to do tubal ligation/essure on younger women. Apparently we're old enough to decide we want children, but not old enough to decide we DONT want children?

When will they actually do them?

One of my friends is dead-set on having this procedure done. She's 25 years old and is absolutely convinced she never wants children. She has been to 4 different doctors, and none of them will do the procedure for her.

Is there a set age at which they will generally give the ok?

DreamfulSpirit · #2 02-02-2009, 11:50 AM

[QUOTE=HotDamnImAPhiMu;1773413]That reminded me. Another trick is to keep your pills in your purse. That way if you ever forget, the pills are right there with you. Otherwise if you take it in the morning and you forgot and went to work, being 20 minutes late turns into 8 hours late because you have to wait until you're done working to go home and take the damn thing. IF you remember by then!
[QUOTE]

That's exactly what I do! I take mine at 10 PM because I know that I'm going to be awake then, and although I may be out, they're in my purse so I can easily take it!

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #3 02-01-2009, 08:32 PM

Like I said, I know it's weird, but it worked.

Sometimes the crazy solutions are the ones that stick.

The docs tell you to take the pill at "the same time every day" and to match it up with something like brushing your teeth. But that's too subtle for me. I need a blaring alarm to remind me to take my meds!

libramunoz · #4 02-02-2009, 03:55 PM

I'm like you HDIAPM, I still get surprised by this sucker and I've had it since I was 9! Being in tune with your body does help, but sometimes, when it seems like life is getting in the way, being worried about that sucker isn't on the top list of my priorities at that time.
I took the pill for only about 3 years but I had to take it when I was having a period for a month. Most of the time, I could remember to take it, but it was because of the number of medicines I took at that time. When you take 19+ pills a day, you tend to just throw that one pill in with the rest. However, when I finished the pack one day, I threw it in the trash and told my dr. I that I'd run out on the script and didn't want to take them anymore and she didn't prescribe them from me anymore.

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #5 02-02-2009, 04:05 PM

Makes me feel better that I'm not the only one!

You know what else surprised me? I had no idea things like The Keeper and the Diva Cup existed. They don't cover that in school.

I wish schools and doctors' offices were better about presenting ALL your options for things like this.

agzg · #6 02-02-2009, 05:02 PM

Yeah I have absolutely no idea. I do know that my aunt had severe reproductive problems in which some of her stuff was connected to other stuff - an ovary connected to something else? I have no idea - but she had EVERYTHING removed. That was not elective surgery so I don't really know what's going on there.

All I know is that I have my period, and sperm+egg=babies, and most kinds of BC (besides condoms) are risky for me. That's really it.

Oh and that I have no STDs, nor do I have cervical cancer. Thanks, Pap!

nikki1920 · #7 02-02-2009, 05:17 PM

I hate that Pap Smear.
*checks to see when I need to get my next one*

I wish some of my clients would use that darn Family Planning coverage that we have.. argh..you should not be 29 on your 7th child. Just saying..

ASTalumna06 · #8 02-02-2009, 05:35 PM

Also good to note... a portion of that 5% who wish to have the procedure reversed don’t want to because they desire to have children, but because they don’t like the side effects of the tubal ligation. What they are, I’m not sure, but I know of someone who had one reversed, and it was for this purpose. She said that having the procedure done made her realize how much she’d rather just take a pill every day. It is invasive surgery, but these side effects also don’t happen with everyone.

libramunoz · #9 02-02-2009, 07:31 PM

Dr.'s generally try not to do this unless there is a medical reason to it. They do it in case the woman wants to "reverse" her mind and have children. There generally is no "set age" as to when they will give one.
Generally, if there is a medical condition then the dr will try to do everything besides a tubal litigation/hyerstectomy (?) for a woman under the age of 25. They will try to do a d-n-c or anything but! In the past, like about 30 years ago, if the woman wanted this type of procedure, the doctor was more willing to do this, but things changed.

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #10 02-02-2009, 08:38 PM

I don't like the tri-cyclic pills (I've tried a lot of them.) The three cycles seem kind of forced and awkward - I had side effects from the constantly changing levels of hormones. Plus tri-cyclic pills are no good if you tend to have spotting - you need a consistent level of hormones.

Joliebelle, I'm glad you love Ortho tri-cyclen! Every girl's got to find what works for her. And the Ortho cases are a lot cuter than the case my pills come in.

PhoenixAzul · #11 02-02-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu

I don't like the tri-cyclic pills (I've tried a lot of them.) The three cycles seem kind of forced and awkward - I had side effects from the constantly changing levels of hormones. Plus tri-cyclic pills are no good if you tend to have spotting - you need a consistent level of hormones.

Joliebelle, I'm glad you love Ortho tri-cyclen! Every girl's got to find what works for her. And the Ortho cases are a lot cuter than the case my pills come in.

I have to chuckle at this. I was on ortho as my first pill ever. It worked great!

And then I moved to Scotland, and my prescription ran out. I took my pack to the GP and said, "this is what I have now, it works great!". And she said..."what the heck? I've never seen this. You mean Americans STILL use tri-cyclic pills? We haven't prescribed them in YEARS!" They didn't want to switch to something that would make me nuts, so she looked through her desk reference, and got nothing. So she gave me a script for single cycle pills...which worked even better than the tricyclen (skin, shorter lighter periods). And then I decided I couldn't be arsed with remembering and so I opted for the IUD.

Man, you guys know a lot about my uterus now. All in the name of open dialog!

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #12 02-02-2009, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixAzul

I took my pack to the GP and said, "this is what I have now, it works great!". And she said..."what the heck? I've never seen this. You mean Americans STILL use tri-cyclic pills? We haven't prescribed them in YEARS!"

Are we behind the curve in reproductive medicine?

VandalSquirrel · #13 02-02-2009, 11:06 PM

I like the Nuvaring, a lot. I'd never be able to do any of the field work I do without it. I was down to very few options that didn't involve endometrial ablation, which would have left me unable to have children, and I want to try and do someday.

WCsweet<3 · #14 02-03-2009, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I like the Nuvaring, a lot. I'd never be able to do any of the field work I do without it. I was down to very few options that didn't involve endometrial ablation, which would have left me unable to have children, and I want to try and do someday.

My friend just got pregnant on the Nuvaring.

I was on ortho tri-cyclin, but it still gave me cramps and I still had those cramps at the two week mark like I had when I was ovulating. It freaked me out. Now I'm on Yaz and I like it so far. I have almost no cramps (I use to throw up from the pain) and I just feel better all over.

PhoenixAzul · #15 02-02-2009, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu

Are we behind the curve in reproductive medicine?

No, not really. It is a difference of perspective, I think. The review process for drugs is quite different in Britain because of the NHS. (Greatest good for the greatest number with the lowest cost). The doctor explained it as they found fewer side effects and better coverage with single cycle pills. Fewer complications= fewer hospital admissions= lesser costs. Also, on the whole, the British smoke more than Americans so that is yet another layer of concern (not that monocyclic pills are exempt from that). Plus, birth control in all forms is exempt from the standard prescription fee (in Scotland, that is 5.25 british pounds, about 6 dollars or less with current exchange, in Northern Ireland, all scripts are free).

There's also less of a stigma attached to birth control and family planning in Britain (in the ROI, this is changing). Again, because of the NHS, there is a vested (monetary and social) interest in keeping the population under control. Not in a creepy way, but in a "hey we've got limited resources!" way.