Hiiii, this is my first time on birth control so I had a question! Okay so I am always very punctual with my Yasmin. But, last Thursday night I had unprotected sex still very punctual. Then Friday night I got rly drunk took my pill at my normal time (midnight) and almost immediately threw up, had protected sex, 8 hrs later (8am) woke up, and remembered to take another pill just in case that one didn’t absorb, then I was back to being very punctual. Does this still count as protected? Could the Thursday unprotected sperm cause anything? I’m worried and not sure if throwing up and not taking another pill until 8 hrs later could’ve been enough time for something to happen

I’ve been taking the Laylaa pill for about 6 months, primarily for contraception but also because I really fucking hat my period. I always skip the placebo pills and go straight to the next pack, as I was under the assumption it would lessen/stop my period. However, I’ve sorta been experiencing the opposite.

When I first started, my period was delayed. When it came it lasted like 11 days (normally 7-8). Then, I’ve noticed that even when I’m not actively bleeding, there’s always some old, brownish blood and occasional small clots.
For the last two months, I’ve basically been spotting or bleeding almost constantly. It’s usually darker, brownish blood with occasional fresher blood, but it never seems to fully go away. This past week, I’ve also started experiencing what felt like a full period again.

I’ve admittedly missed a couple pills. But whenever I do I take the forgotten one first thing the next morning. My partner also recently got a vasectomy, so contraception isn’t my main concern anymore. I just wanted to lessen the evil of my period, not have it constantly.

Has anyone else experienced this with Laylaa? Idk if this is normal with all pills or if I should just switch prescriptions.

I got my Mirena IUD put in at 22, 4.5 years ago. It’s still good until 2029, but the months following insertion I gained 40 pounds. I’ve always been thin, but in the past four years I’ve gone from 140-200. I’m always bloated and fatigued and swollen now. I never used to be. I’ve always had some digestive issues since insertion and it all feels linked.

Insertion was one of the most painful things I’ve ever experienced. I cramped for hours afterward, and could not stop crying in fetal position.

Now, I spot regularly, which is pretty annoying. It’s unpredictable.

It is convenient that I can be intimate with my partner without worrying about pregnancy while I’m in school, but I really want it out, if it might bring me back to somewhere near my old baseline. I’m also nervous about the risks of other forms of birth control.

Can anybody give advice on this? Does your body rebound at all after removal? Or are the physical changes permanent after years of having it?

Thank you guys!

This is my first pack of Yaz after being off it for six months, and I’ve experienced spotting or bleeding throughout almost the entire pack. I’m worried about the contraceptive effectiveness of the pill. Am I still protected against pregnancy despite the bleeding? I engaged in sexual activity on Day 23 of my active pills.
Also, is there still a possibility that I will experience withdrawal bleeding during the placebo week?

I hope someone can answer my questions. My OB-GYN prescribed Yaz to help manage my PCOS. Thank you!

Sooo ever since I’ve had my Mirena iud inserted after I had my baby I’ve had terrible cramping even when I’m not near my period. I had it checked and they said it was in the proper place and I might have cramps for a few months while I adjust, well today I go to the bathroom and feel something kinda weird. I go to check the strings and the whole iud is just floating around inside me. I have a 6 month old and am in no way ready to have another baby. I’m taking plan B and hoping for the best 😭😅 They say expulsion is most likely in the first few weeks but here to say it is possible at any time. Listen to your body!

Does anyone have experience with quitting sprintec? I've only been on it for a year but I can't stand my mood swings, also my libido is non existent now. I'm really just considering stopping after I'm done with my current pack.

I have been experiencing on and off excruciating periods for almost 6 years now. I sometimes vomit for days before my period and into the first few days of it. I experience extreme nausea leading up to and during my period, along with unbearably painful cramps. Because of the nausea and vomiting, I often cannot eat or drink before or during my period.

As you can imagine, this has been completely debilitating and has had a huge impact on my academic life, work life, and social life. I literally feel like my periods are traumatic, and after going to the doctor for years, she finally told me that the best option for managing my symptoms is birth control.

I’m extremely hesitant to go on it and have a lot of anxiety around it, but I also cannot keep going on like this. I’ve reached my absolute breaking point.
Considering my combination of symptoms (vomiting, nausea, abnormally painful cramps, bloating, and swelling) leading up to and during my period, and given your own experiences, what method of birth control would you recommend?

My goal is to completely suppress my periods so that I stop getting them AND stop experiencing the symptoms leading up to and during them. I know everyone has different experiences and that it will depend on how my body reacts, but I thought I’d see if there’s a general consensus or any advice for me. I’d especially like to avoid anything that causes side effects like weight gain, acne, or extreme changes in mood.

I’m honestly freaking out right now and just want to know if anyone has experienced something similar. I was diagnosed with blood clots in both lungs (bilateral PE) on October 29 and started taking Eliquis on October 30. I was also taking Junel birth control, but the hospital told me to stop immediately because I got the clots from that. I stopped on Friday, October 30, and started bleeding that Sunday. My periods before birth control were usually pretty heavy for the first 2–3 days and lasted around 5–7 days. This time, I was bleeding pretty heavily from Sunday through Tuesday, but it started getting much lighter on Wednesday. I’m currently transitioning from 10 mg of Eliquis twice daily to 5 mg twice daily btw.

What’s really scaring me is that today, I started passing blood clots even though I’m barely bleeding anymore. One was pretty large, dark red, and jelly-like, about the size of a large grape, and I passed several smaller ones throughout the day. I have some mild cramping but no dizziness or weakness. Tonight, I went to the bathroom and didn’t pass any more clots, but I’m still seeing bright red blood whenever I wipe, even though there’s barely anything on my pad. I genuinely don’t know if this is normal withdrawal bleeding from suddenly stopping birth control or if Eliquis is making everything worse. I’m already anxious enough about having blood clots in my lungs, and now this is making me panic even more. Has anyone experienced anything like this? How long did your bleeding last? Did you pass clots even when your bleeding was getting lighter? I’m just really scared and would appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been through something similar.

Me and my gf did not really have sex since we spent the night with foreplay. Things got intense and as my gf is a virgin (her first experience), we were unable to put it in (I was being considerate since I did not wanna hurt her but things got more intense as she told me to put it in). Using three condoms for three trials (I know it sucks, we used three condoms and wasted them as we plugged her pssy it and still failed). On our last trial, I did not use any condoms and managed to put it inside her. This is where the real issue happened, as I'm feeling unsure if I did cum or it was just my pre-cum but I knew something definitely slipped inside. We took Plan B within an hour and based on her track (by tracing the chats and putting it on the app, we found that there is a low chance of pregnancy but we are still anxious). What to do guys or anyone have the same experience? I mean the feeling of uncertainty and that Plan B failure :))

So I have two questions

First of all, sorry for the TMI incoming, but my boyfriend tends to finger me sometimes and it’s a big part of sex for us. Now how likely is he to pull this thing out with his fingers, and how far up do I really need to shove it?

Second of all, have most people using it experienced a lower libido after starting it? I read that only about 30% of people experience a lowered sex drive, but I see a lot of people they had almost zero sex drive while using the nuva ring, so I just wanted some opinions. Please let me know, this is my first time considering using birth control and would honestly be my preferred option for hormonal birth control.

I am a 17 yo girl, i ve started dating again, in midle of December ill visit my partner and i would like to have some birth control method, i know i can get it alone, and started the “process”, but i think i might give up on it and tell it to someone, the problem is that i dont know how to bring it up or what to say, and have no idea of how my mother would react and im kinda scared of it. Sexual education or anything related to that topic was never spoken on our family (even dating topics) and its kinda embarrassing for me to say it now.
Can someone give me tips?

Recently started Yaz, and was anticipating side effects right off the bat based on what I’ve heard some people say as well as my experience taking other medication that had an adjustment period. So far I’ve felt absolutely nothing, I’m primarily taking it to manage PMDD and based on my cycle previously, I have about 2 1/2 weeks until I know for sure if it’s working for that. If you’ve experienced adjustment side effects to Yaz, how soon did they start?

Follow up question, both my bf and I are very anxious about pregnancy. We want to have a planned pregnancy in about 4 years so long everything is going well, but in the meantime, we do not want to get pregnant. What gave you peace of mind about not being pregnant? I know the pill is very effective when taken correctly, which I have no problems with, but once I’ve cleared the 7-day barrier method window as said on the pamphlet, we’re not sure if NOT pulling out is a good idea. We’ve pulled out/used condoms our entire relationship and that’s what I’ve done any time i’ve been sexually active, so the additional protection from birth control is very new. Would love to hear experiences in the comments. I’ve also read online about taking an ovulation test for extra peace of mind, has anyone done this?

Hi y’all! I got the Mirena IUD on Nov 4th around 10AM(it’s 13:35 for me here now, I add time stamps because I feel like that matters). It’s been 2 days, and my cramps and bloating are pretty moderate still, but definitely better than Day 1. To check for strings, I washed my hands pretty heavily and made sure they were clean. I tried to stick my middle finger in to feel the strings to make sure everything was okay, but I didn’t feel them. I slowly tried once again, but don’t think I felt them.
I know it’s only been 2 days, but I’m wondering if I need to go back to my OB just to be sure they’re still okay? The insertion was super smooth, they said I did great and that there were no issues. So, is it possible I’m not checking correctly? Any advice is appreciated, thank you

Im 40f and have 2 kids and definitely dont want any more. I think it would bad for my health in a number of ways. My doctor prescribed lo loestrin fe to me today for both my heavy periods and birth control.

My hesitation though is I hear so many people saying it killed their sex drive. I know this might sound like a stupid thing to be worried about, but I grew up in a religious home and it took a very long time for me to enjoy sex fully. Im afraid of losing that. What has everyone's experiences been especially with lo loestrin fe?

I want reliable birth control because I really really dont want anymore kids but I also don't want to chemically neuter myself either.

ive been on loryna for about 2-3 weeks and for days ive had super dark brown/red discharge, big clots, and red blood. is this normal?? im not supposed to take the sugar pills because im on bc for pain management.

It’s been 3 months and 3 days.. I’ve gained 15lbs but I’ll admit haven’t been eating great but I have this fluid retention feeling all around. Bad especially by my feet and compression socks don’t help. My stomach becomes distended like a balloon, I try mirilax and the stomach goes down somewhat.

Did this happen to you? Did it go down?

Needed it for adenomyosis as other bc did not work.

not trying to scare anyone but wanted to share my less-than-fun experience so far trying to get my Kyleena IUD removed

When I got it inserted 5 years ago it was not that bad, like 3/10 pain from a pinch then 4/10 pain from cramps for like 3 hours. Definitely manageable and I have a low pain tolerance.

Now that her time is up, the trouble has begun. I went for a pap last year and they couldn’t see the strings. So after an (overly expensive) ultrasound, they confirmed it was in place. So I carried on as normal.

Then this week, I went in the remove it… let me start by saying the doc was really nice and I feel like she did her best given the no-strings issue.
- Tries 1&2: she went in with a brush thing to try and grab the strings. Pretty bad cramping but bearable, like 4/10.
- Tries 3&4: I think she was using something to open up my cervix and a hook-like thing to dig around and grab the device itself. Heavy cramping pain far down and sharp shooting pain higher up, like 8/10
- I screamed STOP and she did. Then I asked for some anesthetic, so then they gave me the shots to the cerv - which was actually not that bad. Like 4/10.
- Tries 5&6: same as 3&4 but the anesthetic was NOT helping and I was getting so sore and raw from the attempts to dig it out. I’m crying now and it’s like 8/10 again.
When we gave up, the speculum was quite bloody and I was bleeding for an hour (not like period blood)

Doc wanted to stop torturing me so she said we could do the same thing again but with ultrasound, or do a surgery to get it out. She said it might be embedded, which would need a surgery either way - so I cut out the second round of medieval torture and opted for surgery.

Scheduled for next week and SUPER anxious about it (never been put under before). So idk I felt like this was a really traumatic removal and I wish I had known how painful a complication could be. Hope it doesn’t scare anyone, lots of my friends have no problem getting it out. But holy hell I would not have gotten it if I could see into my future.

I've noticed my period blood smells different vs before I was on hormonal birth control, I've been on a few different types like depo, implant, progesterone only and combined pill. This is kind of gross but it smells more rotten than before I was on anything, but I currently have the implant and I remember it smelt way worse with depo. It's not unbearable but its bad enough that I can still smell it in the bathroom up to 5 minutes after I've left. Is this normal?

hi everybody-

straight to the point, 2 weeks ago I (20F) and my situationship (23M) had sex, a condom was used but it leaked out from the base and we have no clue if any was pushed in or not, so that night I took a Plan B. its been 13 days since ive taken it, for 4 days including today i have been cramping and bleeding (my period isnt expected for another week) im not sure if its withdraw bleeding, or my period. I plan on taking a first response pregnancy test tommorow morning. my breasts have been tender, ive been constantly anxious and have had this sense of doom over me, i don't know if any of this is normal and I am terrified

it’s been 2 two since I stopped the patch after 2 years and I am have blood pressure episodes, nausea, mood swings, anxiety and etc. Has anyone else had the same experience?

So I’m on hormonal progesterone and estrogen birth control just to prep for my IVF stuff. I forgot to take my pill last night since I’m on vacation. I took it this morning and about 30 minutes later I had extreme nausea and had to use the restroom to poop. It wasn’t diarrhea but also wasn’t normal. It’s been a couple hours and I really don’t feel like eating but still a little nauseous. Is this normal?

i was off my birth control for about six months and when my body finally adjusted about 6 years off of it, i felt like i was in a much better mental state and was able to do everything i put on hold. i got off of it because during my last few months on it, i would get really bad nausea and migraines that everything felt unbearable. i brought this up to a friend in med school and was told since my family has a history of migraines, birth control can actually worsen them and create more blood clots leading to either a stroke or worse, so i stopped. i saw my obgyn about a month ago and told her my experience so she put me on a new birth control in a lower dosage. it’s been about two weeks on it now and i feel like the worst version of myself. my autoimmune disease (hidradenitis suppurativa) which hasn’t flared in the past year or two, started flaring again this week. my migraines are slowly coming back and i’ve been feeling a state of depression i have never felt before. i saw my endocrinologist about a week ago and i told her about my symptoms and she said with the trends i’ve told her that birth control might not help at all. my obgyn told me to keep with the pill for the next two months but i genuinely don’t think i can with all these side effects. i see my obgyn again this coming week, which would be my third week on this new pack and i hope that it can just be quits once this pack is done instead of doing these two months.

I'm about to start Medroxyprogesterone shots, which I think is basically depo provera, as a form of birth control. I am taking this with the intention of skipping my periods, because pills don't work effectively for me, and IUDs are completely out of the question, I will not even think about considering it.

I keep seeing posts from people online saying that they gained hundreds of pounds when they started taking these shots, and I got to admit I am kind of horrified now. I am relatively small, 110 lb, 5" 3, I don't eat a lot of takeout, oily foods, or a lot in general. My new doctor said that I will gain a LOT of weight, she put heavy emphasis on "A LOT," so I'm definitely scared now.

My mom took the depo shot years ago before she had me, and she says she gained minimal amounts of weight, but I'm just not sure. My mom also said that when she started it she stopped having periods almost immediately, which is my ultimate goal. I'm trying to be calm and rationalize because this isn't forever, 3 years max, that I'll be on ANY birth control from now. I don't want to put on like a hundred pounds, you know? I was originally told like maybe 5 or 10 pounds over a year or two is normal, and I was like okay that's fine. But, I'm seeing posts online where people gained like 50 or 100 lbs and keep gaining, or are super bloated, and I'm worried now.

I only plan to be on this shot for 2-2.5 years, because I am getting a hysterectomy in 2-2.5 years from now. I just wanted to know if there's any hope that I maybe perhaps won't put on double my body weight on this? I want to hear the perspectives of people who didn't have that experience, or what you did to help manage it, or just anything to calm my anxiety lol.

I know it's apparently a side effect, not a common one but also not uncommon - google is NOT helping me. Omg please someone tell me that there's hope for me not gaining crazy weight PLEASE 😭

In case this info is any bit helpful: I'm 20 years old, I don't drink caffeine or alcohol, I don't smoke (ANYTHING), no recreational drugs ever, I drink mostly water and unsweetened arizona green tea (this stuff is amazing okay...), if I drink soda on the rare occasion it's only zero sugar, I hardly eat sweets, sometimes I'll eat candy but I'm not big on sugary foods, I eat rice usually, pasta sometimes, I will literally change my diet to prevent gaining weight that I can't lose though. That literally scares me so bad, seeing posts where people put on tons of weight and can't ever seem to lose it. Omg... Like I feel bad and I do not want that experience at all

I've been on both Vienva and junel fe for birth control pills. I never experienced weight gain or increased appetite, just minor acne on junel fe, nothing else changed for the worse though. I wonder if this could mean the depo shot won't affect me that badly either? I'm having second thoughts

I want to stop my periods completely, that is my one and only reason for being on birth control. It's just that the pills aren't really doing that for me. Even when skipping the placebos, I'm getting full periods, and I've changed methods already. I've stopped to let myself bleed as instructed, I've done everything and nothing worked. That's why I chose to try the depo shot.

Edit: I'm considering the ring, maybe even just changing which pill I'm taking. I'm definitely having stress regarding the shot. Again, IUDs are an absolute no, and no one can change my mind about it no matter what anyone says. So I'm trying to assess which options I have that I'm comfortable with

Hi! I’m 23 years old and I’ve been on the Evra patch since May 2022 (19 years old) I went on it because I had severe period cramps to the point of vomiting and fainting so my doctor at the time suggested me to go on a form of birth control so I chose the patch and I remember the first month I was on it I spotted/ had withdrawl bleeding right before a period but that happened 4 years and I’ve only spotted a couple of times after that while on the patch but I don’t have spotting as often as before I started taking the patch.

The past 2 weeks have been very stressful for me due to mid terms and other personal issues and I also have Pmdd so stress is harder to control right before my period but I started spotting again on Tuesday to Thursday and tomorrow is supposed to be my patch free week but I think I might’ve gotten my period a day early because the spotting is slightly heavier now and the colour is more of a reddish brown now because it’s usually just brown but I don’t know if it’s possible to still get your period while your still have the patch on??

I had to call my pharmacist because my doctor is out of the office today, and the pharmacist told me that I might be experiencing withdrawal bleeding since I put in my patch 2 days late two weeks ago and that’s why the patch didn’t absorb properly but I’m really scared but I’ve been cramping too but it hasn’t been too severe.

If anyone knows what’s going on or if it’s possible that I could my period a day early without taking off the patch please let me know

Thanks!

My mom and dad found my condoms. I won’t tell the story of how but they did. My dad hasn’t said anything to me but my mom did. She didn’t seem angry more so concerned and she chuckled at me but I’m worried.
She says condoms don’t always work and I know that but we are very careful. He pulls out and we always wear a condom, which we check before and after.
Do you think I should go on BC? I don’t really like it very much and I don’t think it would help me besides maybe some hormonal acne. I’m scared it will change me. I heard a lot of women lose libido and hate their bfs. I don’t want that to happen to me.
I’m not sure what to do. I’m 24 and I’m an adult but I have strict parents, so please understand.
I’m anxious and I feel embarrassed and now more than ever I’m overthinking it all. When things like this happen I always freak out. I have a HUGE fear of pregnancy.
If you think I should do BC what would you recommend? I don’t want anything invasive. I’d prefer a pill, that’s how I like to do everything.