birth control

[kddani]

I was on OTC for quite a few years, switched to OTC Lo in the spring b/c it was cheaper. Had more mood swings, some spotting, etc. Switched back to OTC now.

[rainbowbrightCS]

Originally posted by alphaiota
seaonale isn't all it's cracked up to be. i've been having breakthrough bleeding consistantly for the last month and i'm really tired of it. i've also been having cramping. i called my doctor to make sure this was normal and evidently it is. she said it takes the first three months (aka first pack) to get into your system and that in the next pack or next three months it shoudl subside.
all i know is i'm getting tired of this crap.

shelley j
sigma k

Depo pavera is the same way. After the first cycle (3 months) depo was great. The first one sucks though.

[alphaiota]

yeah, i'm getting to the end of my first three months and the breakthrough bleeding has started to stop. i get random times where i'll have a quick spell of bleeding, but then it stops and i'm fine for like 24hrs or so. just weirdness, but i'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

shelley j
sigma k

[KappaKittyCat]

I'm now on Month Three of the NuvaRing and am pleased to report that all the weirdness has cleared up. I would definitely recommend it to others. You just put it in and forget about it. It's more effective than pills because the chance of human error is so low.

Originally posted by valkyrie
What about an IUD? I'd almost try one, but I'm afraid of the procedure.

I'm told that the procedure's not that bad. If you request it, most places will sedate you for it.

[omegamcgee]

I use birth control, and I use a backup when it's with some random person. But in all my monogamous relationships, I didn't. It's more a "I don't wanna catch anything" thing than a pregnancy one. I'm super careful about my pills, and (knock on wood) nothing has happened yet.

[Munchkin03]

So I take it you're not very concerned about HPV.

[alphaiota]

quite honestly it's difficult to protect against HPV. my cousin has it and she always used protection when she would have sex. irony is she got it from her ex who she had sex with one time after dating him for over a year.
reality is you can get it simply from touching. if you give a hand job to someone who has it, then turn around and touch yourself, you can get it.
last i heard it was nearly 90% of the female population (18-34yrs old who are sexually active) has it.

shelley j
sigma k

ps - please feel free to correct that statistic if it's incorrect.

[PM_Mama00]

I didn't know about the whole overweight thing and the usefulness of the pill being lowered. Does anyone know a percentage on that?

Also, never asked my doctor, but what if you conceived, but you were still taking the pill everyday at the same time? Wouldn't that screw the baby up? How does that go?

[KappaKittyCat]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
I didn't know about the whole overweight thing and the usefulness of the pill being lowered. Does anyone know a percentage on that?

Also, never asked my doctor, but what if you conceived, but you were still taking the pill everyday at the same time? Wouldn't that screw the baby up? How does that go?

Birth defects. Often quite severe. And frequent miscarriages. If you miss a period when you're on the Pill, you must see your doctor immediately to discuss your options.

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by alphaiota
quite honestly it's difficult to protect against HPV. my cousin has it and she always used protection when she would have sex. irony is she got it from her ex who she had sex with one time after dating him for over a year.
reality is you can get it simply from touching. if you give a hand job to someone who has it, then turn around and touch yourself, you can get it.
last i heard it was nearly 90% of the female population (18-34yrs old who are sexually active) has it.

Right, it's pretty easy to get...but isn't it just smarter to protect oneself? Yeah, condoms aren't the most sensational form of protection, but when there's a pretty high correlation between cervical cancer and HPV, it's up to us women to protect ourselves.

My old doctor said that 60% of her patients of childbearing age had some form of HPV. I could see how it could be higher based on the population.

[Peaches-n-Cream]

I know that I am probably preaching to the choir, but here goes. That's why medical exams and PAP smears are so important. I know a few women who had cervical cancer and quite a few who had pre-cancerous cells because of HPV. I agree with Munchkin that we really do need to protect ourselves. Not just with condoms, but also regular exams.

[alphaiota]

i absolutely agree with both of you. i'm just mentioning the fact that it is so common and so easily contracted. i guess the reason i mention this is to say that you shouldn't feel like your dirty or a slut or something b/c you have it. not that you were insinuating that, but it came to my mind.

shelley j
sigma k

[AGDee]

Originally posted by PM_Mama00
I didn't know about the whole overweight thing and the usefulness of the pill being lowered. Does anyone know a percentage on that?

Also, never asked my doctor, but what if you conceived, but you were still taking the pill everyday at the same time? Wouldn't that screw the baby up? How does that go?

I miscarried while on the pill. The effectiveness was reduced for me because I ovulate twice a month and I was on the tricylic pill. It wasn't enough hormones to stop the second ovulation apparently. I wasn't considered overweight at the time either.

The female condom is more effective against HPV than the male condom is, as an FYI.

Dee

[alphaiota]

really? i've never used a female condom. has anyone ever used one? i know that they act like velcro when used with a male condom. are they comfortable?

shelley j
sigma k

[AGDee]

no idea.. I just read that...