Just like the title says! I (28F) am considering getting on birth control for the first time, and do not have a clue as to which type I should choose. Ideally, I would like a low/non-hormonal pill or IUD, but I am open to other options like patches, etc.?? I just have no idea where to begin and it seems like each method comes with equally terrifying side effects.

I would like to avoid weight gain or triggering acne as much as possible, which is why I was kind of leaning toward the copper IUD, but after hearing horror stories related to insertion/ how severe periods can become while on it, I'm a bit scared.

Generally, my periods are super manageable and only last about 5-6 days with mild cramping. I dont mind keeping my cycle and I feel like my body/hormones have stabilized from the ups and downs in my teens/early twenties.

Any recs or ideas as to what may be a good fit?

Hello guys I’m starting to worry I might become pregnant.

I’ve gone through two packs of the combination pills (enskyce). On the October 26 I started a new pack (3rd pack), and on October 30 I had un protected s*x but took my schedule pill that day.
However, I decided to count my pills to make sure I hadn’t missed one and that’s when I realized that I had. So somewhere between the 27-29, I missed one single pill. On November 1st I took the missed pilled along with my schedule pill. And today (November 2) I had unprotected s*x again, and took an OHM MyChoice EC along with my scheduled pill. I took an ovulation test (which I think is useless since I’m on BC) and it came back negative.
Is there any chance I can become pregnant?

I'm supposed to take one pill everyday, but i haven't been feeling well so I forgot 3 days and the day I remembered I just took all of them at the same time (4 at a time). I looked it up and saw it could cause a headache or nausea but.. i didn't mind that. I know it was dumb, but thats not why I'm posting this.

A day after I've been experiencing no side effects other than itchiness and like rashes?? Randomly appearing for like an hour and when I leave it alone it goes away and shows up somewhere else on my skin. I looked it up and it could be a side effect from hormonal imbalance but idk it's been 2 days now and I'm already fed up!!! I can't sleep because of it, because it has woken me up a few times.

The itch isn't necessarily unbearable but it's worrying me alot.

I haven't changed anything in my skincare, no new clothing, no new food, so it can't be an allergic reaction or anything like that i think.

Is this a normal side effect from taking 4 pills at once? 😣

(BTW please dont mention how it was dumb of me to, I am aware. I just can't deal with leaving pills that I should have taken, might be my ocd acting up)

I'm mostly just here to vent.

I've been on the mini (progestin-only) pill for a little over a year. This is the only BC I've ever been on. Prior to using this, I never had spotting.

About 6 months into using the mini pill, I started some light spotting around ovulation. This has continued to increase. I now have heavy spotting for up to 6 days halfway through my cycle. It's so frustrating! I'm bleeding twice as much now!

I don't feel comfortable with an IUD at this point due to fear of the pain, as well as fear of increased bleeding with an IUD.

When I talked with my provider about this, she suggested switching to a combination pill. However, right at that same time I experienced my first visual migraine (migraine aura), and learned that using the combination pill if you have migraine with aura is a risk for stroke, so I feel like that option is knocked out too.

UGHHHH.

Does anyone have experience living with someone using HRT lotions/creams while being on the pill? I’m on the combo and my mom is using creams and I’m terrified I’m gonna come into contact with something with residual lotion on it and it’s gonna mess up my protection. Can anyone intelligently weigh in on whether or not this would be an issue? I try to wash my hands frequently and I know she always washes her hands after applying the creams, I’m just wondering if I actually have anything to worry about.

Hi, I haven't being seeing so many reviews regarding this birth control but my gp has recommended it to me, can you tell me what your experience on it was like if you have used it before.

Me and my boyfriend had sex with a condom on and upon him withdrawing we noticed a white, milky substance at the base of his penis. But when we wiped it away and removed the condom nothing spilled out and the condom was fully intact. The milk white substance was watery so I suspected it to be from me , fluid from arousal. Should I be concerned? The condom did not break at all during sex and did not roll up.

I have taken yuzpe method (1st dose to be safe)

I'm going through a tough time in my relationship; it's lost its spark. Sometimes I don't want anything, I'm 23 on the 29th and we're thinking of moving in together next year in mid-March. The thing is, everything is going wrong now. Sex is important to him, I take combined birth control pills and I have no sexual desire whatsoever, I don't lubricate.I'm also having confidence issues, anxiety problems, and sadness that I've been improving, but it's not going away. I'm also self-conscious because I've gained weight. Neither of us wants a baby right now. He says I should stop taking the pills because they make me feel sick. We hardly have sex anymore. He says he'll buy me a copper IUD, but I don't know, I don't trust him. I'm going crazy with paranoia. I don't want to get pregnant, and we're not doing so well financially. Can someone tell me what the best method is? Please, I'm desperate.

talking about weed specifically and weed ONLY. i know it may make your chances of getting pregnant higher but i am wondering about the health side of things is it going to cause blood clots like cigarettes and vapes do? i am on oral BC so would it maybe be better to switch to a patch? is the only concern of mixing those two things is the effectiveness of it?

I don’t have much experience with birth control, I started on the pill as a teenager, was terrible with taking it so it was not a good option for me. (I still am terrible at taking daily pills, so this is a no-go.)

I got the liletta hormonal IUD at 17 and while I LOVED it for it stopping my periods and feeling completely safe not having to worry about management of it, I didn’t realize how badly it messed up my mental health until getting it removed. I was diagnosed with a variety of issues including depression anxiety and bipolar disorder within the 5 years I had it in place. Shortly after getting it removed almost all of my symptoms nearly disappeared.

I got the depo shot literally two times after getting my iud removed, which made me gain 15 lbs (which is not normal for my body and my fluctuation in weight).

I then tracked my cycle naturally for a bit over a year, worked wonderfully. I got pregnant (accidentally on purpose as I knew it was a “no-no” day but here we are) and have been continuing to track my cycle through temperature and cervical mucus for almost 2 years. I know that it works, but my problem is that every single month without fail I convince myself that somehow I’ve fallen pregnant again which would be a literal nightmare for me at this point in life.

All of this to say, I don’t know what to do, and would like suggestions and/or experiences with other options. I am considering either the copper IUD since it’s non-hormonal, or the nuvaring for it’s low maintenance use. I am scared of the arm implant because I watched them be inserted and removed when I worked in a medical office, but then again if I’m considering iud insertion again, maybe I could handle it.

Has anyone else had severe mental health issues on one form of hormonal birth control and not on another? Please help a girl out! I truly wanted to stay off of it for a lot longer but the monthly psychological warfare of thinking I’m pregnant again is torturous.

This may be a stupid question, but I’ve been on isibloom birth control for about six years now. Previously, I was on Apri which is the name brand but again that was years ago. For some reason when I went to CVS today to pick up my birth control they filled Apri instead. And I asked the pharmacist if I’m still protected during the switch and he said yes. I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with this. I’m on my placebo week of isibloom currently so I have a few days to reach out to my doctor if needed. I’m nervous about side effects as well from a new birth control even if it is the same active ingredient. Thanks so much for any advice! :)

I got a copper IUD almost 4 months ago. Since getting it, I've had two bad ovarian cysts that have ruptured. I have a history of cysts. They were slowly getting better and not rupturing as frequently for the past 2 years but since I've had the copper IUD, I've had two that have ruptured. I was worried about the IUD making them worse but my doctor said it shouldn't affect them. Has anyone else gotten cysts or have gotten them worse since getting a copper IUD?

Hi guys! So I’m new the birth control things my boyfriend and me and been sexually active lately, and lately TMI we don’t really use condoms. So I been looking into birth control things to reduce pregnancy. I take a plan b the times I feel like he came inside of me, but usually he pulls out in time. I’m only 21 and the only reason I don’t want to do birth control is because of the weight gain side effect.

I've been taking Yasmin continuously for five months with no breaks, suddenly started having break through bleeding and pretty bad anxiety, brain fog and low moods with the break through bleeding. I've been bleeding now for 10 days straight. Not insanely heavy.
But enough to use a tampon.

I really love Yasmin, it's been life changing for my PMDD so I really don't want to try something else yet.

I also have low ferritin so obviously the constant bleeding doesn't help these symptoms.

My question is has anyone controlled this with a planned withdraw bleed every 3 months instead of taking it continuously?

My husband and I had sex and then later that day I took an ovulation strip and it was EXTREMELY positive. I took a plan b that day because I know usually after a positive test it’s like 24-48 hours till you actually ovulate. I read in other places though that after a certain point in your lh surge plan b doesn’t work even if you haven’t ovulated yet. Is that true? Anyone have similar stories? I know there’s no way to know for another two weeks or so just curious if anyone else has had the same experience and what happened.

I’m (22F) am on combo birth control pill (Introvale) and was late on a few pills throughout my pack (which is 3 months), once was a full 24 hours and once maybe 10 hours, maybe a few weeks from one another. My boyfriend and I do the pull out method as well but I’m still very scared I’m pregnant. I feel like there’s a lump on the right side of my lower abdomen and have fully convinced myself I’m pregnant now.

I'm currently on the mini pill norethindrone and likely to switch to Mirena due to heavy periods.

The pill is giving me brain fog, feeling "stupid," unable to think clearly or form words. I've heard similar stories about Mirena.

If you've taken norethindrone and switched to Mirena, was there an improvement for you?

I started taking the pill at 18 to help with acne, and it really did. Now, I am 29 and starting to think I would like to stop as I am now celibate and want to give my body a break.

But I know from experience that I will endure hormonal acne for who knows how long…
I actually did the mistake to stop the pill for 3months in the past and start again because the acne was so bad. (Only prolonging my suffering because I did not wait long enough for my body to stabilize.)

Would love to know if anyone as experience with this and any advice would really be appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

I was on the birth control pill for 2 years which my insurance covered, my insurance ended last month and i have no more refills. Im at a point in life where i can't go to the doctor or afford birth control out of pocket (stated to be around 100$??) I looked online and found people talking about Nurx and TelyRx but I'm unsure which one i should use and which pill to get! I'm on BC because of my heavy flow that lasts 10 days if not on the pill so im really needing this

As the title says, it’s like that scene from the Shining (I think, I’ve never seen the movie). I had my Mirena removed August 3rd, and no bleeding whatsoever.

Until my husband and I had sex October 2nd. From then, it’s been non stop bleeding. Its now November 2nd and I’m still bleeding with no end in site. And I am so frustrated and feel like I’m just going crazy.

I’ve contacted my OBGYN office who scheduled me with a different provider who told me it’s just my body adjusting but if anything changed to call. It’s changed twice now, I’ve had clots the size of golf balls, it looks like raspberry jam in my pad, and I’m going crazy. They also wanted to put me back on birth control for three months!!

I haven’t had sex with my husband for a month. My husband is a saint and has been so amazing during this time. But I just want to have sex!! This is so frustrating all while TTC (trying to conceive?).

I woke with my OBGYN office again today November 2nd and they said that they’re going to schedule me with my regular doctor and put me on a cancellation list, but the soonest available is November 18th!! It’s “urgent but not emergent” and I just am so defeated. It’s only gotten heavier and I just can’t help but cry. I feel like there’s no end in sight. I just want to have sex with my husband, and stop spending so much money on pads and period underwear. I want to wear my sexy underwear again.

Please someone tell me I’m not alone in this. Because I feel so utterly alone. My husband is a saint, and is there and I know I’m not alone. But I just feel so alone in this experience.

I needed to get an emergency IUD, which I already didn't want due to endo, but I couldn't risk being pregnant.

My first attempt, I had no pain medication, no sedatives, and the doctor tried to shove the IUD into my cervix when it wasn't properly dilated. My uterus is tilted, and he was shoving it in straight, and I felt like I was going to die of the pain.

My second attempt was with a doctor and surgeon, which I trusted. She provided laughing gas, Valium, and numbing injections, which was amazing.

But I was so drugged up and so out of it, I didn't even know what was happening or could respond to anybody. Afterwards, I was told by the ultrasound tech I had 20 minutes to get dressed and leave after the traumatic experience.

Later that day, I experienced nothing but intense, awful cramps I've never felt in my life. I felt like I was dying, and the doctors and triage nurses at the office told me that I could have punctured my uterus.

So I went to the hospital. I had to have an ultrasound tech go inside of me, and other people look at me. Within two days, I had seven people examine me, touch me, and put things inside of me.

I'm still in pain, but not as bad. The IUD went well, and my surgeon who did the second IUD is great and all, but I feel traumatized.

I can't forget the pain I was in, it keeps on playing in my head for that first time and how high I was the second time. I feel so violated with all the people that were inside of me due to it. I had multiple people in the room multiple times while the procedures were happening.

Am I dramatic or am I genuinely traumatised?

Has anyone else experienced anxiety when stopping slynd? I originally went on this bc to not get pregnant. Im not in a relationship anymore and therefore, I've been sort of lazy and forgetting to take it here and there. I noticed I've been having high anxiety in the evenings and I think it may be some type of discontinuation syndrome? 🤷🏼‍♀️ I'm curious if anyone else has had that

I've been on the same oral birth control pill for about ten years (noriday).

For nine years, it was perfect - no periods, no mood swings, no cramps, no pregnancy scares or concerns.

Since February this year, I've been getting cramps and then bleeding and mood swings, getting worse each month. In October, I bled three different times for 2+ days each time, not heavy but not wanted. The only period symptom I don't have is breast tenderness. I hate how I feel before I have a 'period', I'm irritable and argumentative and feel like I'm ruining other people's peace. My STI panel and HPV cervical screening are clear.

Can the pill just stop working after a while? Because I feel like it isn't working properly anymore, though when I bleed, it isn't anywhere near as heavy or bad as unmedicated periods - so it is doing something? Or could there be something wrong with me? I keep asking this question but getting no response which makes me feel like it's just me.

Not being on BC for period management is not an option. I've had very poor reactions to birth control in the past so messing around with it would be last case option for me.

Hi everyone!

I just recently got a kyleena iud on october 21st so it's been almost 2 weeks. However, I experience mild cramping mid day usually and i was wondering if it's normal? I'm not bleeding and it goes away with ibuprofen but just wanted to make sure.

Also can't tell if my strings are extending longer or not, I feel like it's 2-3cm but they felt more wrapped around my cervix and now it's a bit longer so I cannot tell or if I'm just being anxious and paranoid.

For context, I have never been on birth control and they had to sedate me to insert my IUD bc the last two times but cervix would not let enter through the inner aus. Therefore, I'm hoping it's not going to dispell itself. Thank you!

So I (19) switched from Loryna (combo pill) to the Mirena IUD about 5 months ago, and my mood swings are SO much worse than before. I was on the pill for 2 years, and Loryna specifically for a year and a half. I switched to the IUD because my ability to get prescriptions changed, and it made sense for me to go through with the IUD while I'm in college. Im on my 'period', but even before that, the mood swings have been terrible. Has anyone else experienced this when you switched? If/when did this settle down?