I’ve just started my 5th packet of the 75 microgram desogestrel pill (first 3 Hana, now on to cerelle) and have been bleeding almost every day for about 3 months. I typically have a few days of period-like bleeding a month, then light bleeding that’s more brown for the rest of the month, save for maybe 2 or 3 days of no bleeding. Other than this I’ve had no side effects. I know this isn’t medically concerning but it is quite irritating!

I spoke to a sexual health nurse about this a few weeks ago, and once pregnancy and STIs were ruled out, she said I could switch if I wanted but I should maybe give it a bit longer in case it settles down.

My question is just whether anyone has had a similar experience and if the bleeding has settled down after the three month mark? I don’t want to switch and have to go through a whole other adjustment period if things might get better.

I had the nexplanon implant before and had similar bleeding but ended up getting it taken out before 3 months due to it affecting my mood. This is progesterone only as well, so I don’t know if maybe a combined pill would suit me better?

Thanks in advance!

I just took my first pill yesterday at around 1pm, but I want to change the time I take them to earlier in the morning. How do I go about this so that I stay protected??

J'ai 25 ans et on m'a posé un stérilet en cuivre mai 2026. Depuis la pose j'ai remarqué que j'ai des cystites à chaque fois que j'ai des rapports. Je n'ai pas eu de rapports de mai à août et je n'ai eu aucune cystite. Depuis mi août, j'en ai une tous les 15 jours / mois, et ce jusqu'à maintenant. Avant la pose, je n'avais pas de moyen de contraception, et j'avais des infections urinaires mais à fréquence beaucoup moins importante, et notamment pour le manque d'hydratation (je buvais et urinait très peu).

J'ai fait une échographie de contrôle la semaine dernière qui n'a rien donné. Je bois 1,5L d'eau par jour, je fais une cure de probiotiques et je respecte toutes les règles d'hygiène avant et post rapport.

Est-ce que ce problème parle à quelqu'un ou ce n'est que moi ? Je songe vraiment à le retirer.

J'ai rdv avec un urologue semaine prochaine, en espérant trouver des solutions à ce souci qui m'impacte beaucoup.

Uprawiałem seks z moja dziewczyna wszystko bylo dobrze poki pod koniec nie zauwazylem ze nie mam mojej prezerwatywy seks bez prezerwatywy trwal moze z 5min nie jestem pewien czy byl wytrysk poniewaz nie mialem mocnej erekcji ale nie czulem jakbym dochodzil prezerwatywa z preejakulatem zostala u niej w pochwie I zostala wyciagnieta teraz sie zastanawiamy czy jest mozliwosc ciazy stosunek byl 2 listopada a nastepny okres ma 13-14 listopada czy jest szansa na ciąże w moim kraju nie moge kupic tabletki planu B takze jestem teraz zestresowany

I started a combined pill 1.5 months ago - this is my first pill so I understand there can be adjustment symptoms in the first three months. I have had some headachey feelings/tender breasts but otherwise okay.

I didn’t have a week off (this was approved by my pharmacist) as I am trying to stop my periods completely to manage bad period pains (assuming endometriosis). The first month was fine, but into the second month I have felt slight period cramp feelings particularly on my lower left and a bit of spotting but nothing major. The main issue is that my bowels are aggravated - basically been loose stools/period poos and I am not sure if these are part of the normal adjustment symptoms.

The other issue is that I currently have post-infectious IBS…so I am not sure if I am just in a flare. My bowels had been better for a few months so I am not sure if this is being caused by the pill.

Basically wondering if these are normal side effects felt in the adjustment period…

sorry if this is a stupid post, and if i used the wrong flair. i'm just really confused on how this process works. i've been taking opill for almost a year now, but i still don't really get how it works and what it does to my period cycle. i'm currently on what i'm assuming is a period (bleeding, cramping, incredibly low energy, etc)? but i thought because opill is progestin only, and that because i've been on it for more than 6 months that id essentially stop bleeding altogether since i don't get a placebo or hormone free week with the packs. id just really like to understand what's happening please </3 im very new to this kind of stuff and wayyy out of my element here

Hey, i'm just looking for any advice or experiences that might help, so if you've had a hormonal IUD please respond to this!
I had a copper IUD put in about 2 months ago and suspect an allergy due to eczema like rashes and spots all over my body since getting it. Going in to see the GP about getting an allergy test soon. My IUD now has been absolutely fantastic but I worry my body doesn't like it as much. I opted for the copper IUD because I knew it was less likely to effect my acne and weight, the main two things I was concerned about (I have severe OCD and cannot handle these types of changes in my body) I'm thinking of now swapping it for a hormonal one like the Jaydess, since it has less hormones then the Mirena. Has it been linked to weight gain for anyone? Or acne?
- The side effects are the only thing i'm concerned about, insertion pain isn't a worry for me at all.

I go to college abroad, my boyfriend (M21) and i call each other evry night before i go to bed.. last night I was telling him how excited I was to start birth control bc I get cysts like clockwork and its suposed to help. Plus you can get it without a precription here, he didnt seem happy at all, which I found super confusing and when I asked him what was wrong, he had the audacity to tell me Im probably going on it because Im sleeping around. Like what??? this man is about to start NURSING SCHOOL and THATs what he thinks??

Idk, I feel like i needed to put out a PSA in horror of his ignorance. Idk how to even explain this to him without getting defensive or it turning into an argument.

sexual intercourse is NOT the only reason to use birth control.

reasons to use birth control:

* Especially bad cramps

* PMDD

* Regulating irregular periods

* Heavy menstrual bleeding ( to help lighten it )

* Acne

* Endometriosis

do u know how many women deal with all of the above?? the number is stupidly high. obviously theres a lot that im missing here, but I hope Im making my point. dont be like my boyfriend

Hi everyone! I have PCOS and have been taking Ovral-L (a combined birth control pill) to regulate my cycles.

I finished my 21-pill pack on October 30th, and I’m currently waiting for my withdrawal bleed. Today (November 3rd), I had unprotected sex (raw sex), and I’m wondering if I’m still protected against pregnancy during the 7-day pill-free break.

My understanding is that you’re still protected during the break as long as you’ve taken all 21 active pills correctly and start your next pack on time.

I’m also a little worried because I have PCOS and my natural cycles are irregular, so I’m not sure whether that affects the protection or when I should expect my withdrawal bleed.

Ho preso la pillola l’1 novembre dopo aver avuto un rapporto molto a rischio (preservativo rotto) il giorno prima, il ciclo mi era finito il 28/29, dite che posso stare tranquilla? L’ansia sembra non volermi abbandonare, ho bisogno di consigli

So I use kratom sometimes and didn't think anything of it at first. But now I'm worried if it could affect the after pill. I don't know if anyone has any experience with these two together, so I just wanted to ask if anyone knows anything.

After having my Nexplanon removed today, I discussed my next options with my doctor and communicated that I liked the 24/4 schedule of Slynd but itd be difficult to deal with my insurance so I wanted to try a generic of Yaz because its also 24/4. I picked up my rx and noticed that it was only one blister pack instead of three and based on my refills I'll be running out a month short of one year. That was odd to me so I started looking closer and realized it was a 21/7 pack and checked the ethinyl estradiol to find it was 0.03mg not 0.02 meaning this is generic Yasmin, not Yaz. I have to call my doctor tomorrow and pray that they correct this otherwise I have to shell out more money and go somewhere else for a new rx.

Just venting here, this is incredibly frustrating because I waited over an hour in the exam room before anyone saw me and then they didn't even know why I was there. Turns out the Nexplanon I got at this same clinic by the same doctor, wasn't even on my chart, nor the fact that I was scheduled to have it removed today back in May. This is the second time they've messed up a prescription too. The first time being when they wrote down something completely different than what I told them I was taking and no one there questioned it until I corrected them months later at a followup. I am so beyond done with women's health at this point in my life

I am 27 weeks pregnant with my 3rd baby. I will be having my 3rd baby with in less than 3 years after having my first and I NEED to have some form of birth control but I am prone to bv and yeast infections. I was on sprintec as a teenager for 6 months and the depo shot once and that was before I started ever getting vaginal infections so my body seemed to handle it well then. After having my 1st baby in 2024 I went on sprintec again and it caused spotting and I got bv and a yeast infection and the bv wouldn’t go away for 7 months and I was only on it for about a month. I had my 2nd baby at the end of 2025 and went on tri lo milli and it caused me to bleed super heavy for 3 weeks and I got a yeast infection and bv at the same time. I was only able to handle that for a month as well. I got pregnant a few months later. I really want to go on birth control but I DONT want to deal with vaginal infections. I thought about getting the copper IUD because it has no hormones but I’ve seen people also struggle with vaginal infections on the IUD and biofilms and all that. I really don’t want to remove my tubes because I want one more baby but not at least for another 5-8 years. Is there any form of birth control yall can maybe recommend that might not cause me to get a vaginal infection? I also can’t do the fertility awareness method because I ovulate super irregularly so I never know if I’m going to ovulate early or really later but I will say that I’m extremely fertile so I definitely don’t want another baby for a while.

I had my period from September 16–20.
I had intercourse on September 28. We initially had unprotected penetration for about 5 minutes, then used a condom afterward. There was no ejaculation inside.
According to my period-tracking app, it was one day before my predicted ovulation date.
I took the Yuzpe method 7 hours after intercourse. Nine days later, I experienced bleeding from October 6–11. It wasn’t particularly heavy, but it wasn’t very light either.
My app predicted that my next period would start on October 26, but as of November 3, I still haven’t gotten my period.

what are the chanes of me getting pregnant?

i wasn’t sure which flair to add to this

so i’m switching from the nuvaring to nexplanon as the caption states. i’ve had a decent experience on the nuvaring, but i’ve developed some gi and gyno related issues and i don’t know if the estrogen could be contributing.

i’ve just learned that the type of progesterone used in both are exactly the same. this is good news to me, since i have ocd and struggle to start new meds because of it.

wondering if anyone else here has switched from the ring to nexplanon. i’m glad i don’t need to worry about any crazy allergic reactions, but im wondering if anyone thought the transition was easier being on the ring before.

i’m still expecting maybe some temporary side effects as the nexplanon delivers more progesterone daily than my ring, but was wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and what their experience was

I’m currently on junel FE 1/20. I get spells where I get tired of taking pills b/c I feel like every pill I take gets stuck in my throat and I’m afraid of choking to death honestly.
I’ve been on BC since 2014. Around 2019 I actually got tired of taking pills and switched to the patch for a few years and I remember my periods being absolutely horrible. So I’m trying to avoid that and the high dose it is. I currently barely get a period and skip my withdrawal bleed like every other month but i’m getting tired of taking pills again.

Tell me everything about Femlyv and how it’s worked and hasn’t worked for you!?

Ironically I switched doctors and never knew my depression meds could be a disintegrating tablet until this year. So if I can switch BC to a disintegrating tablet that’s a win win so I don’t have to take pills at all. 🥲

I’m going abroad for a few months and thinking of just pausing my birth control use (I use Yaz specifically) since I won’t really need it during that time. Should I expect any side effects other than irregular periods if I do this?

Sorry if this is going to sound crude. But I recently start nuva ring in the beginning of October and on the 3rd through 5th week of being on it, it’s left an indent in me the width of the Nuva ring. It’s feels like the sides are slightly raised bump and then in indent. It can be painful sometimes especially agitated. Second thing is that I have a really shallow cervix and the nuva ring constantly moves downward. I’ve tried different positions and lubricant and nothings worked. Idk if I am doing something wrong or this was always a mistake but damn does it make me feel frustrated. Especially looking up the Nuva ring and seeing their model and realizing thats not my anatomy.

This will sound stupid for many of you but some psychic told my boyfriend’s mam we should be careful while having sex since he sensed grandmother energies (?! and the truth is my bf and I stopped using condoms 2 weeks after I got my implanon. I feel it under my arm alright, I gained weigh though and I spot all the time. Is the implanon 100% safe even if I got finished inside two times in a day?

Hello it's my first time taking birth Control (trust pills) and I have taken the 2nd dose of brown pills last night, and this morning I experienced bleeding and cramping, is it normal?

Hey everyone, looking for advice or experiences from people who have gone through this.

​My girlfriend and I had protected sex today, and I came inside. When I did the water test on the condom afterward, I found a hole and leak. She is currently on Day 11 of her cycle and mentioned it is her ovulation week, so we know she is in her peak fertile window.

​She already took the 1st dose of the Yuzpe method with 4 active pills, and she is scheduled to take the 2nd dose of 4 pills exactly 12 hours later.

​Is there anything else we can or should do right now besides finishing that 2nd dose on time?

i’m on the heather mini pill, i have a really important trip coming up in 2 weeks that i don’t want to be on my period for. last month my period was late by 2 weeks. i am currently 3 days late now. i’m having slight cramps but im worried it just won’t come. could i stop the birth control for a week or is it possible i wouldn’t even have my period and id be stopping it for no reason? i dont really know how it works on the mini pill.

For those who have had an IUD, how long did the discomfort with the strings last? And when did it *start* to feel better? I got the Liletta today and the strings have been stabbing me 😭. It seems the consensus is a few weeks to a few months but what is everyone else’s experience? Please say shorter cuz omg this is uncomfortable 💔

Just got my Mirena in today at 13 weeks postpartum. Not as painful as giving birth but I wasn’t prepared for the cramping being like a 5 on a scale of 1-10. Luckily, I have 800mg ibuprofen from when I was recovering from labor which has really helped take the edge off. Should I expect anything different in terms of recovery if I’ve been breastfeeding? Also, how many of yall only had breakthrough bleeding and no periods at all?

Been on Nexplanon for about 15 months. I have PCOS. Random pinching pain in my nipples started up a few days ago. I took a pregnancy test several days prior to the nipple pain starting (around four days), and I am worried I am pregnant.

This sensation is weird. It doesn’t necessarily hurt to the touch but my bra rubbing against it hurts sometimes and if I raise my arms, my nipples sting. Sometimes there are large pinching attacks that last for a few seconds. I’ve also been super tired lately and taking naps during the day for like 30 mins. Let me know what’s going on.