A Question for the Ladies
I’m well aware that I have more than a few male readers. Most of you might not leave comments ever, but I know you dudes are there, soaking up the Afrobella love. And being married to a typical manly male, I know there are some things he’s down to discuss, and some things he doesn’t get as much. One of those things is birth control, and its particular effects on the female body.
He doesn’t fully comprehend that some pills can make you turn into a total cry baby, and others make you feel like Oscar the Grouch on steroids. He just gets to bear the brunt of it while my body figures out the crazy new hormones that I’m introducing to the system.
So if you’ll excuse me, gentlemen – I’ve got some birth control questions for my ladies after the jump. Or hey — if you feel like learning something new in the company of women, by all means stick around. I’m about to put my business in the street.
I’ve been on some form of birth control or another starting from age 17. Not because I was sexually active yet – because my mom’s gynecologist, an older gentleman by the name of Professor Roopnarinesingh (heretofore to be referred to as The Professor), said it would help to regulate my irregular period.
I believe the first pill I was on was something called Celesta. And it was cool, whatever. I barely remember any side effects, and I was so young, I didn’t know my body and my mind as well. So if I did have any crazy mood swings, they could easily have been explained as teenage angst. But when I came away to college, I realized that Celesta wasn’t available in the USA. So I got on the birth control pill switcheroo roller coaster, and the ride continues to this day.
Ortho Tricyclen made me weepy and prone to melodramatic fits. I’d find myself getting way more upset about little things than I should be. If I was mad at my roommate for not doing dishes, it immediately became “I hate my roommate. I want to destroy her.” (Sincere apologies to any roommates I may have destroyed in this period). All jokes aside, that pill turned me into demon spawn. Hungry demon spawn at that — I’d find myself wanting to consume a whole loaf of white mountain bread from the grocery store, for example. Ortho Lo was a bit better, but left me lethargic and low energy, with a leaden libido. Because I’d been steadily gaining weight, my doctor recommended Mircette, which didn’t make me feel great mentally (I honestly don’t recall why exactly I switched off it. Just didn’t care for it for some reason). Finally I tried Alesse, which did the trick just fine. It’s got a high androgenic/low estrogenic pattern, so it helped with the moodiness and weight gain the other pills seemed to be contributing to.
But over time, I just became terrible at remembering to take a pill every morning at the same time. I found myself skipping days and popping two to compensate, then being scared after the fact. The whole thing wasn’t working for me, and this was around the time of my hair transition. To my husband’s eternal delight, I decided to shun most of the unnatural products I was consuming and applying on a daily basis. And that included birth control.
Just as there are many different reasons to begin birth control, there are many different reasons to quit. For me, it was a desire to discover how my body would react to totally not ingesting a hormone to control my cycle. That, and the fact that my monthly pill went from $11 to $35 a pack. Gotta keep it honest, here. Finances had a lot to do with the initial decision.
When I came off the pill, people told me all kinds of ridiculous things. “Oh, you’re going to lose so much weight.” “You might not get a regular monthly period, because the pill helps to regulate that.” “You’re going to lose so much weight.” Um, no, no, and not at all. I learned pretty fast that maybe somehow the pill had contributed to my weight gain – my appetite increased and I felt sluggish, and instead of fighting against those side effects, I indulged my hormonal desires or lack thereof. But stopping the pills didn’t like, make 50 pounds fall off me — that kind of weight loss requires a lifestyle change, not just one whimsical decision. So if you’re thinking of quitting your pill, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons for you. Consider the scary side effects, and a greater chance of blood clots, stroke and heart attack. If you smoke, those possibilities become even scarier. Do the research, educate yourself about what you’re ingesting every day. Ask your doctor lots of questions.
After trying all kinds of atypical birth control methods — including this weirdness. Love the reviews on that one, “I really liked this stuff at first, but I am pregnant now, so I won’t be using that anymore.” LMAO — I’m back at an important decision-making juncture. I’ve decided to return to the pill. I am not ready for a baby just yet, and I really do feel ready to give birth control another whirl. Which brings me to my dilemma.
My doctor just gave me a free sample of an exciting new form of birth control called Nuvaring. It’s a flexible contraceptive ring that slowly releases a low dose of hormones inside your body. You insert it for three weeks at a time, then take a week off. For a Forgetful Jones like me, that sounded perfect. The doctor hyped it up, and offered me a free sample AND a coupon for the next one. And I must admit, it appealed to the product junkie in me. Contraception, exciting and new. Come aboard, Nuvaring’s expecting you. Then I read this scary blog post, titled Nuvaring/Nuvadeath. Uh oh.
She links to the side effects, some of which include vomiting, temporary infertility after treatment, and “spotty darkening of the skin, particularly on the face.” WTF?
This from the Message Whore blog: “Also, the NuvaRing could cause behavioral side affects. My friend reported being extremely angry while on it. So much so that slightly annoying things, like foot tapping, made her completely, irrationally angry.
Okay, so maybe you’re not allergic to the NuvaRing and have survived without passing out in the woods or going to anger management classes, but you do have a very high chance of developing a yeast infection. And it’s not just women who are susceptible to infections, women who never had an infection are developing them with continued NuvaRing use. Yay?
The idea of a once a month birth control that you can’t feel or don’t have to worry about appeals to many ladies out there. The NuvaRing is also being heavily pushed as the new substitute for Ortho Evra, AKA the killer patch. Joking aside, the patch kills (too much estrogen) and maybe the NuvaRing does, too? I guess we won’t find out for sure for a couple more months. After all the NuvaRing still is in beta testing. ”
Dios mio. The LAST thing I need is irrational anger. The second-to-last thing is a yeast infection. The comments — a whopping 178 of them — ranged from “I heart Nuvaring” to “Nuvaring = evil.” So I now have this plastic ring sitting on my kitchen counter, next to a prescription for the more-familiar (and quite acceptable) Alesse. What do I choose? The more comments I read about Nuvaring (as awesome as once-a-month contraception sounds), the less I want to try it. I understand that things work differently for everyone, but I want honest reader feedback before I make a final decision on this thing.
So my question for you ladies is, have any of you tried Nuvaring? What have been your experiences? If you haven’t, what form of birth control do you use, and do you like it? And finally – when oh when will there be an effective, appealing pill for men — that they’ll actually use?
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I tried the NuvaRIng for a month before I had to give up. In addition to a killer yeast infection, it caused severe vaginal irritation to the point where I would have to sit in a cold bath to get some relief. But I do have really sensitive skin in general so maybe that’s a factor.
I’ve been on Loestrin 24 for 4 months and I have no complaints…
I’m going to date myself here, since the last time I used birth control pills I was 25 yrs old. I got off of them through recommendation of my doctor, since I was on them from the age of 14 (grandmother put me on them early, so that I would not surprise her with a pregnancy during my teenage years – she knew I was boy crazy and was not taking any chances).
By the time I was 19 (when I finally had a use for them) I had been on pill for 5 years. I was on Ortho Novum 1-35, 28 day regimen. I had no side effects whatsoever.
But by the time I was really active I had to use condoms due to HIV/AIDS becoming rampant. I have been using condoms (carefully) ever since, w/o any problems.
I find it interesting that all of these new birth control methods are making people sick, moody, irrational etc. My friends and I did not have any of the symptoms we hear young woman are going through now. It makes me wonder what the medical profession is putting into the product.
What I find even more absurd it that anyone would be willing to use something that prevents them from having their period. I agree with Aisha,; I understand that it is a pain in the neck monthly, however, you cannot be doing justice to your body, not depositing “waste” that your body is supposed to get rid of naturally. And people wonder why they are having reproductive problems, weight gain, mood swings?
I am not an advocate of any woman changing what goes on with her body for the sake of having sex. Men as far as I am concerned are the ones putting these insane medications on the market based on their impatience and lack of wanting to take responsibility. Besides condoms and Viagra, what else are they going through? Please…
Had to just rant and rave for a moment…
Oh no, I love the NuvaRing! It’s the only birth control I’ve ever been on that doesn’t make me sick at some point or another, and I’ve been on a lot. (Including Ortho Evra! Dun dun dunnnnnnnn) I’ve never had any problems on this birth control…no anger, no weight gain…oh wait. I have experienced a bit of sadness the week before taking it out, but besides that it’s been great.
I think all medicines of this type come with great risks, so I don’t freak out that much when I hear reports like this.Don’t get me wrong now, I do pay attention. I just don’t get all up in arms unless I’m personally experiencing a problem. Afterall, you are altering the natural course of your body…there’s gonna be some sort of risk involved.
I got married at age 23 and went immediately on the pill (mini gynon 30) and after three years I came right off and we decided to use condoms. I experience
the mood swings and headache etc, weight gain was the
major turn off for me. It just gives some people a bloated look, and its not because of any diet change.
I just looked rosy. Anyhow I thought about harmone replacement therapy, and its risk for cancer. I told my hubby that i don’t see any reason why the same harmones via birth control, in smaller doses would not
be also a risky thing.That was about seven years ago
and when I started seeing in the news where they are saying that women with cancer family history would up
their risk on B.C, I knew that some of what i felt years ago was logical.I am not telling anyone they should not use them, that is a personal decision. My
reason for not using them is because I would rather not up my risk for anything and we are doing fine on the “rubber love”.Before I hear the foolish comment about whats the sense in being married and not being
“natural”,People who make these decisions do it TOGETHER and after a while it actually feels weird
not using any.There are no negatives for us and we would never want to go back to me being like a pregnant person, all moody,and nauseated and tired.
After using the condoms for seven years now, we realized that if you believe that they are a deterent
to good physical relationship, then the deterent is really you and your mind, they actually made us practice more foreplay and now it is weird to go without it.Being married don’t mean you have to be on the pills. As a matter of fact I asked the hubby about
going back on, just to see what he would say, and he was more concern about how they made me feel and the fact that we are both mentally and physically satisfied with what we are using now.
Another thing, there is really no safe period, along with condoms we use to go without after my monthly, for a day or two and now I have a 2 year old daughter.
The same thing happen to my sister. I was doing the
safe period days for more than two years until one day……………….
I love my IUD. Due to issues with irregular, heavy periods I used various birth control pills for almost 20 years to regulate the cycle . Five years ago they stopped working. No matter what we tried my period would not stop. So I spent six months on Lupron an hormone shot that actually shuts down the ovaries. That was REALLY awful. No sex drive!! Hair growth!! No ovarian function = no estrogen production. Fibroid tumors respond to estrogen my poor body needed a break. After that she inserted the Mirena IUD. I had some cramping the next two days but it has been great. It has been almost two years and I love it. I love it. I love it. I do have a regular period for the first time in my life. I will take a three day period over a month long ordeal any day.
I was on NuvaRing for several months and thought it was okay. On the plus side, the convenience cannot be beat — you only have to worry about inserting it once a month; no more missed pills. Like a few others have said, my husband could feel it during intercourse, but he didn’t mind. The one side effect that I experienced was a greater amount of bloating and cramping during my period than when I on other birth control methods. It was not severe, but it was definitely noticeable. After several months, I decided to discontinue using it becuase of the uncomfortable periods I was experiencing. Still, I would recommend trying it — everyone’s body is different and you may find it meets your needs.
One more thing – Let me point out that birth control pills put ALL women at an increased risk for stroke (not just those who do or have smoked). Sure smokers’ chances are even worse, but nonsmokers on the pill still have increased their risk of stroke (vs. women who are not on the pill). Someone recently shared their first-hand experience with me. She had a stroke in her early 20s due to the birth control pill she was taking. A doctor in her early 30s recently died from the same thing (I’m sure a lot of you may have received an emailed forward about that story. Sadly, her story is very true.) Exercise caution and do your research, whatever route you choose.
My husband and I currently live and work in Japan. In the states, I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen, which kept my acne under reasonable control. I took a similar concoction in Japan. Yeah, I got a little bitchy around my period, but it did the trick.
Recently, however, my doctor discovered a small fibroid in my uterus. I am horrified. I hear all the statistics about Black women and fibroids and we’re just supposed to accept them as par for the course, but I’m not accepting that.
I recently stopped taking the pills because the extra estrogen can feed a fibroid. I’m scared for my skin, but I’m willing to make extra visits to my estetician and just be patient that some combination of products will eventually work for my skin– without the pills.
My husband really wants us to get down to making babies when we return to the states. I’m a little older–in my late thirties– so I want my body clear of the synthetic hormones and ready to reproduce! Not to mention, the pills had sapped my libido. I’ve been off the pills for a week now and I already feel my nether-regions coming back to life. Hah! It’s a good feeling!
I already told my husband that after this whole deal is over, he’s going straight for a vascetomomy. I’m tired of dealing with it! Hah!
I agree with all of the nonpill takers.
My suggestion to all of you is to get off the pill.
Pretty much 90% of my friends over 40 who have been on the pill since they were teens have magically all had breast cancer, of course the press won’t tell you this, but there is definitely something wrong with the pill. Yeah now it’s safer, but really why f*ck up your body, just so you won’t get pregnant. A condom works great and you’re not chemically changing your body and causing all kinds of odd damage that you won’t even realize and the doctors will lie to you about when it manifests itself years later. Oh yeah don’t even think about trying new stuff, wait until people start dying five years later before you risk your life for sex. I think it’s odd how they always remember to let black women know about all the birthcontrol devices that are on the market, but simple mammograms and things like that seem to slip their mind. You got to love the US medical system. Jane
Well I used the pill a LONG time ago, for about 3 years, then I stopped because I too had problems with moodiness and it just cost so much! I don’t currently use anything because there’s nothing to control right now :-] but I was married for about 11 years, and for 8 of those years used spermicides with/without a condom, depending on what phase I was in with my cycle. And the only time I got pregnant using the spermicide was when I planned to. It was the kind that came in a tube; I wasn’t feeling the foam for various reasons, which if you’ve ever used it you know some of them. Anyway, I liked that I didn’t have to use anything unless it was needed. Spermicides and condoms can be a bit irritating to the mucosa if you’re sensitive to elements in them, and you need to be sure that you follow the directions, but other than that, when I used them I found it to be the best thing for me.
Sometimes people like to believe the Pill is fool-proof, but it’s not, of course. Nothing is, except abstinence. I know three people personally who’ve gotten pregnant on the pill…one forgot about the whole antibiotic thing, another had a stomach virus and didn’t realize she had lost the pill with her cookies over a couple of days…with any BC, like I said, you need to follow the directions carefully and pay attention to your body.
Birth control works a little differently for everybody.
Pill – if you have side effects like moodiness on the pill, try an alternative like Yazmin – different progesterone that has worked well for a some of my patients. If you have a lot of headaches, try a lower dose estrogen.
Nuvaring – works well, but can increase risk of yeast infections
IUD – great choice for a lot of women. Paragard IUD (copper) – no hormones, last 10 years, my have heavier menses/cramping. Mirena IUD – progesterone, last 5 years, shorter, lighter periods.
Rhythm method works – either abstaining or using using condoms during fertile period. It does require you to have regular menses (so ovaulation can be predicted) and be disciplined.
There are lots of others out there, but these are the ones I saw mentioned the most in the comments. Remeber, EVERY method has a failure rate and side effects (except abstinence!). There is a link below listing the failure rates of most contraception available in the United States.
http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/1997/conceptbl.html
Good luck.
I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about the side effects of various form of BC. Fortunately, I have never experienced any. I was on Ortho-Cyclen for about 8 years and have been using Nuva-Ring for a little over a year. I haven’t had any of the side effects listed. I have a slight concern about using hormones in general but not enough concern to risk pregnancy.
I am the worst at taking pills and my ARNP gave me NuvaRing samples last year. I have been using them ever since. I have two big complaints: 1) can cause excessive vaginal discharge; 2) cost a small fortune. (I pay $40 w/ insurance.) However, the idea that I have a birth control that I don’t have to think about eases my mind since neither hubby nor I am ready for a family yet. One other thing- I am starting to think it has altered my libido a bit, but a little creativity in the bedroom can take care of that.
To Naomi,
Sorry I didn’t get your response until today. The last week of the Seasonique is a small dosage of hormones (not sure which ones though) that keep you from experiencing that huge drop in hormone levels like Seasonal does. I’m about to get a little graphic here, so I do apologize, but when I was on Seasonale if I missed more than 2 days then I spotted for the remainder of my cycle. So that meant if I missed 2 days in my 2nd month then I spotted through the end of my 3rd month. Not fun for my sex life! If I remember correctly from when I talked to my doctor about this a year ago, the hormones in Seasonique are slightly different the whole month through. Honestly, I think Seasonique is great and a better alternative to Seasonale, at least for me. I don’t like getting my cycle, and I dont like the horrible cramps and PMS that comes with it. As always you want to do your research, talk to your doctor, and pray on what feels comfortable for you. Not everything works for everybody.
To Juicy77 – the email about the doctor is a hoax. If you go to http://www.snopes.com and type in the girls name it will come up. You can also Google it. Please don’t believe everything that someone forwards you!
I’m a little put off by the fact that there seems to be some judging going on here. Women who choose to use BC shouldn’t be judged any more than a woman who chooses to use the rhythm method or condoms. And for someone (Moni) to say it’s “absurd” for a woman to not get her period, well that comment in itself is absurd. I won’t even get into the the fact that my cycle is my business. I’ll just tell you that studies have shown that periods really are not necessary other than for reproductive purposes, and if you’re not reproducing then there’s no reason a woman needs to have one. Periods can actually do harm in that they deplete a woman’s iron levels and for many women (such as myself) that can be unhealthy if you are anemic.
Please keep your judgements to yourself. Bella asked our opinion of our preferred method of BC, not what you think of other peoples. Thank you, and have a nice day.
Blackjada: No, my friend has never been pregnant. I don’t know what kind of IUD she uses, but I think she had in removed (which, she said, was very painful)
Hey Bella,
I was on the Nuvaring for about a year with no real side effects…except for having problems removing it without a partner. I don’t know why that happened, but I could never find it when it was time to take it out. I am not especially deep or anything, so it’s a little odd.
I switched back to pills late last year (I take a generic called Kariva because all the Orthos made me wamt to puke)and I am a little loopy and a little munchy around the last week, but I am ok.
I am seriously considering what BC is doing to my body, but I prefer to be on the safer side and chemically control my pregnancies. Not the best decision, but…we shall see.
(IUD isn’t for me by the way…my body tends to reject foreign things, which is why I suprised that the Nuvaring didn’t realy have any effects.)
SoSo – Actually, whenever I receive such forwards, I check them out. I also checked into the story and saw that it was not a hoax (also on Snopes and Google). When I searched Google, I also found a broadcast news story about the stroke victim and watched the entire thing. So now I’m wondering if we’re talking about the same person?? Either way, I know someone who had a stroke as a result of the birth control she was given. The risk is very real.
Here’s the story:
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=healthcheck&id=5303491
WOW! I knew I’d get some comments on this, but wow. You have given me ALOT to think about. I am still not sure what I’m going to do with the NuvaRing — 1/4 of me says “try it!” and 3/4 says “go with what you know.” So I’m already leaning away from it a bit. The risk of new side effects that I haven’t had before (yeast infection, hello), is definitely steering me away.
So glad to hear from so many of you, and thanks for being as honest and open as you’ve all been.
I know it’s a bit late, but I decided to chime in since my experince has not been told yet. I am currently on the Ortha Evra Patch and have been for the almost two years. I have had little to no noticiable side effects (no weight gain, no excessive dischage or infections). The only known side effect I’ve had are dark spots at the site where patches are placed, which are only noticable to me since I put them on my upper butt. I did my research before I started using it and found it to be the best solution for me. I too am horrible at remembering to take pills, so the once a week change is perfect. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE that I can predict, down to the day, when my period will start! It took a bit of getting used to, placement and making it stay on (alchol wipes helps it too attach better), but overall I would recommend it.
Anyone out there using Cycle Beads?
http://www.cyclebeads.com/
I started on Ortho Tri Cyclen at 18. The nausea and upset stomach wasn’t worth it for me, so I stopped. At 21, I got on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo, but forgetfulness caused me to have to “double up” on my dosage. A college friend suggested the patch, but it irritated my skin. At 25, I am now receiving the Depo Provera shot. It is injected into either your arm of backside once every three months. The only side effects I have experienced (since i began in Januray’06) have been slight weight gain–and I’m pleased with the 10lbs i’ve put on, as I was always on the skinny side.
that really messed me up. there is currently a law suite against Othro..
http://www.spymac.com/details/?2290046
Juicy77,
Thanks for the link. I’ll watch it when I get home from work – the firewalls are CRUCIAL here. I must have misunderstood your posting and assumed that you were only speaking of the email and not a news story, so I do apologize for that. The email that I received did turn out to be a hoax, but I agree, BC is not for everyone and can be a risk. BTW, I hope your friend who had the stroke is well and healthy now.
I’ve always been timid about any IUDs b/c they seem to be most associated with intermittent bleeding. I’ve used Yasmin off and on for several years and never experienced any of the adverse side effects associated with birth control.
WOW!! Will I use it? hmm….I guess, if they can promise me that it will still work when I need it
As a “Manly Man” i guess my fear is that if they turn off the production of fertile sperm then what is the risk that it will not turn back on. I think a pill for men could work but it will have to evangelized by women with more passion than the “Just Say No” or “Rap-It-Up” campaign.
I wonder who will pay for this campaign for male birth control, definitely not the Man Law Committee
-Boogielee
Yeah, I looked back at Snopes and I think they could neither confirm nor deny the story for some reason. Anyway, she’s a friend of a friend and she’s okay now. It happened when she was 25 (so mid not early 20s – my bad) and she’s 34 and completely recovered now. She actually shared her story in response to the email in question. The scary thing is her only symptom was a mild headache, and she didn’t fall into any of the high risk categories.
SoSo,
What I said re: it being “absurd” was in no way a reflect on you. What is going on when a person states their opinion and gets attacked for it?! How old are you?
As a 41 year old, who had used the pill and who has had reproductive problems before she started the pill at 14, and who continues to have the same problem, I CANNOT imagine taking ANYTHING that is going to stop my reproductive organs from doing something it should have to do naturally. I was not referring to you, but Afrobella did ask, WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCES?…So I posted mine along with what I thought.
Birth control is a private issue, but if everyone here is talking about what works for them, a lot of people have also said what doesn’t work for them. Cut and dry, plain and simple. What is the frickin problem?
Your tone was unnecessary. I don’t come to a site as Afrobella to get blasted about what I think, especially when the creator of this site asks readers opinions.
“Periods can actually do harm in that they deplete a woman’s iron levels and for many women (such as myself) that can be unhealthy if you are anemic.”
That’s why they have B12, Pre-natal, broccoli, spinich get your diet together.
There has also been report of strokes, blood clots, and such, so my ideas are so far fetched that I shouldn’t say how I feel?
Did anyone here here me say that I would not use birth control, again, I stated what I felt, based on the question.
And futhermore, although it is an inconvenience, if periods were not necessary, we would not have them. Plain and simple. To “write” in a tone like you are talking to young child was disrespectful and uncalled for. How dare you!
Apologies to Afrobella and the readers for reading this…not how I like to behave on message board.
The only one I’ve been on is Yasmin. I took it when I was in high school. I had a weight problem, so I stopped getting my period. It actually supressed my appetite, and made me lose weight…
But, everybody’s different, so do your research.
Whoa! What happened here? SoSo and MoniMoni, somewhere along the line this discussion took a turn for the too-personal. I didn’t think that would be possible in a post about birth control, but it did. Please allow me to defuse this right now before it escalates.
I found both of your perspectives interesting, and I think it is possible to learn from each other rather than feeling attacked and lashing out at each other. It is late and I had a long day, so perhaps I’m not phrasing this correctly. Forgive me. I do want this to be a forum without judgment, and I would like our exchanges to remain positive and enlightening. I hope we can continue in that fashion.
AND – to continue the original discussion, I made a decision. NO to NuvaRing for this chick. I totally see the allure, it sounds so incredible. But having read all of the comments online, I was already almost ready to go with the pill I know. Then I mentioned this post to one of my work friends, and she immediately shrieked, NO NivaRing! And blushingly, she told me some of her not-so-fun-to-go-through-but-kinda-funny-to-tell-someone-about experiences. So, yeah. I’m goooooood on that.
Well as a physician AND an avid user of the nuva ring I have to tell you how great it is. Informed choices are best and there’s a lot of misinformation out there (including that blog I guess). I used nuva for 3 years, had Increased libido, NO infections and Reversal of my PMS emotionality. The reason we have so many choices in birth control is because there is something for everyone. Most of my patients who use it love it and have not had problems with it.Regarding the recurrent infections in others, perhaps there are other underlying medical issues you are not aware of. Oh if you’re wondering why I switched it was just for something a little more long term and cost-effective, an IUD which is also a great choice. Viva la choice!
Bella,
You are correct and as I did earlier, I apologize. I just thought that SoSo’s statements were uncalled for.
But I’m glad you made the right decision for yourself!
Have a good night!
Love the site by the way!
Bella,
I would also add that if you are seriously considering the ring, you should bring your concerns up with your doctor. Its scary the information that’s out there; even scrolling through some of these posts was overly sensationalized. Yes hormonal contraception can increase your risk of blood clot; but guess what, pregnancy carries and EVEN HIGHER risk!!! Much like the news, people’s personal experiences can sometimes be distorted. Better to get the factual risks and make up your mind that way.
To Boogielee — I imagine if ever such a pill for men did come about, care would be taken so that when you stopped using it your boys would eventually swim with the same potency as they did before, sooner or later. That’s what happens with us when we stop using hormonal suppression — usually, for some pretty darn quick, for others maybe a year — your body goes back to its pre hormonal suppression state. The human body is a fabulous thing. That said it’s still hard for me to believe that men would be as committed to taking it even it was 100% risk free. Not because they don’t love their partner or aren’t invested in the decision not to have kids or or more kids, but because, if even we forget it and we’re the ones with the body shocking experience (and it does shock the body) if it should happen, I can’t see taking a daily pill being uppermost in the average man’s mind, when they can’t get pregnant. If it did happen, it would probably work best in a long-term mongomous relationship, IMO. I just had to comment on your post, it made me smile.
I’ve tried Orthro-tri cyclen and ortho tri cylen lo. I like the first one better but not I want to give Yaz a try. I have a friend that is suing the company that makes the patch because of blood clot issues. I don’t trust nuva ring and my doctor doesn’t recommend it for me.
I used Nuvaring and it gave me a clot in my right arm. My new doctor told me that it’s really not “low dose”. I’m currently on Lo Ovral to help treat my polycystic ovarian sydrome and I have had no issues with it so far. Keep your fingers crossed.
I am currently using the copper IUD. I tried various types of pills and the Ring and had the hormonal nightmares. I have never had children so at first they were discouraging me from it. But I am happily married and my husband and I are very sure that we don’t want any children any time soon.
At first my body rejected the thing (it got dislogde and came down. My husband actually was the one that noticed it
) But I got another one.
I was crampy and bleed like crazy. But after a few months everything was ok. I have had it for two years and don’t plan to change. If you can get over the hump it might be worth it. Hope that helps
P.S. Sex is definately better when you don’t have to worry.;)
I am glad there are a wide spectrum of people who experienced “craziness” on Ortho bc regimens, b/c I thought I was the ONLY ONE!I o longer take those. I honestly just want to get my tubes tied, but my drs. won’t do it! I have a little girl already who has plenty of cousins to play with. I don’t know how to get what i want without having to wait 6 more years ’til i’m 35….
Bella, this is such a great topic. HaitianRoots, sak pase? Like you I was searching for natural contraception. I have successfully been using the Fertility Awareness Method for the past three months. The book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler is an excellent resource for information on this method. There are also a few websites that also go over the same info. I am now able to recognize when I am fertile and identify the day of ovulation. I simply avoid intercourse on the days when I am fertile (about 6 days a month). Since I am not fertile everyday, it made no sense for me to take a pill everyday. It’s been working so far. I’ve never tried birth control pills, but I did have Mirena inserted two years ago. I had it removed in August’07 because of weight gain and bad acne. I did seriously look into the Cycle Beads. But information on the website indicated that my cycle length is too long for this method. Hope this helps. Let me know how things turn out.
I know that I’m late, but I agree with Ms. Peajai.
I WISH there were more non hormomal BC methods.
I was on ALL of the ORTHOS and I experienced weight gain, LOW libido, and depression at my cycle.
My fiancee’ and I are currently using condoms in conjunction with spermicidal foam. I hope that it continues to work.
In the meantime, wish me luck, as I will go to my Dr. and try to find a non-hormonal BC that’ll work for me.
I have tried many pills in the past the best pill being Yaz but after being on and off the pill for over 15 years, knowing that I do not want any children and neither does my husband. At the age of 33 I asked my Dr. what did she suggest and she said the IUD would be a good fit I used the one with copper that can last for 10 years this is going to be my second year Feb. 2008 so far no problems.
Copper IUD insertion is uncomfortable, but if you have a couple of paracetamol beforehand it really isn’t awful – just period strength cramps for a day or so afterwards, I haven’t had any pregnancies but I was able to go straight into work after getting mine fitted. The device is good for 10 years and starts working as soon as it’s inserted – but you’d have to be pretty game to try it out immediately! The contraceptive effect dissappears as soon as it’s removed and I’ve found it well worth it for 15 mins of intermittent discomfort and the usual gynae embarrassment.
@TiClos
Sak Pase ti fille? Thanks for the book reference. Will mos def purchase. My husband has been looking at all forms of birth control kinda crooked but has been like, “it’s your body”. So we are researching together on more natural options, so what you sent is helpful. We’ll be monitoring the next couple months once I finish this pack of pills to see if the Cycle Beads would work for us. Appreciate you sharing! God bless.
I just switched to the Nuvaring after being on the pill since I was about 15 (I’m now 26). I went through the EXACT same things you did with the pill–fine being on it when I was younger, but horrific side effects (excess spotting between periods, heart palpitations, mood swings, you name it) as I got older and “experimented” with different brands of pills.
After being fed up with the pill, I decided to try the Nuvaring. I’ve been on it for about 3 months now, and I absolutely love it. I don’t have any of the horrible side effects that I had on the pill. If this continues to work out, I don’t think I’ll ever switch to anything else. If you do decide to use it, but be aware that you’ll probably notice some spotting in th first month while your body becomes adjusted to the hormones.
I started on birth control before I really knew my body. I wasn’t until I had an ectopic pregnancy that I stopped taking if for a couple of months while everything was getting squared away. After the pregnancy had dissolved and my body was back on it’s natural cycle I was happier than I had every been. I don’t know how to describe it but I even felt lighter. On the Sunday after the start of my first period I resumed the birth control pill and within hours I was angry, irritable, restless, and very unhappy. Needless to say by the second day I put two and two together and stopped taking the pill. I am now trying to find something non-hormonal as I just want to be myself. My doctor suggested an IUD (intra uterine device). It is T-shaped in can remain in your uterus up to 5 years (the non hormonal one). the starts working immediately and there are no side effects. you can have it removed whenever you want and your fertility is not compromised at all. Hope this helps!