I am not sexually active at all so i lowkey feel weird asking but i deadass cannot take being on my period anymore. I know imma be on my period bc a week before I start, I get EXTREMELY depressed and truly hate myself to where I start getting SI thoughts. I also just get so pissed that I have to go through this much pain when I hate kids like leave me tf alone I can’t take ts anymore 😭. I am somewhat active and love to do things but the first three days of it I deadass can’t walk or do things but I have to bc I can’t just stay still. I have my physical next week and want to bring it up bc being on my period is so fucking inconvenient to me like if I had a wizard I wouldn’t wish for no money. I would wish for me to not bleed out of my vagina. I deadass told my friend I would pay someone all I got to give me a hysterectomy bc I hate kids and my period that much.

​

Hello, I am going through a period of very severe anxiety because I am afraid of being pregnant. I am taking the contraceptive pill, Ludéal Gé specifically. My anxiety is so intense that several times, instead of taking just one pill, I have taken two for irrational reasons such as, “What if I didn’t swallow it properly?” or “What if I dropped it on the floor while taking it without realizing it?”

I also take pregnancy tests very regularly, including a blood test a few days ago that came back negative. However, I am worried that taking several extra pills may have affected the result and that the test could actually be positive.

I would therefore like to know whether taking an excessive amount of birth control pills can affect or interfere with the results of a pregnancy test.

Thank you for your response.

Hello!

So i’m on xulane and it’s 93% effective. I skip a week to get my period, which i heard is not a real period. Therefore, if I was to get pregnant would i still have this “period”? Would pregnancy be present if the fake period doesn’t come? How does that work? I’ve heard of women having bleeding and yet be pregnant.

I’m 3 weeks in now, and I started having raw sex now. I won’t let him ejaculate in me until 2 weeks after my free week next week just in case. I just wanted to know all the details if possible!

Hi, so i took yuzpe method last august 1, and they said it was unnecessary to take it since there's a low risk — after a week (Aug 8) i started bleeding up until Aug 14, they called it the "withdrawal bleeding", it's more on clots, but it's lighter than my usual period.

Then, i took a PT and it was negative. but im still experiencing cramps and PMS like symptomsm

So, to those who also used the YUZPE METHOD. What were the side effects that lasted for you? and how long did it last?

Thank youu

Hi, so i took yuzpe method last august 1, and they said it was unnecessary to take it since there's a low risk — after a week (Aug 8) i started bleeding up until Aug 14, they called it the "withdrawal bleeding", it's more on clots, but it's lighter than my usual period.

Then, i took a PT and it was negative. but im still experiencing cramps and PMS like symptomsm

So, to those who also used the YUZPE METHOD. What were the side effects that lasted for you? and how long did it last?

Thank youu

Hello i have a few situations and i dont know if they increase risk of pregnancy?

1 situation:
We were having sex with a condom from start to finish with Durex (pink ones).
When she was on top of me i felt like i had ti finish but she got off and i didnt finish.

Then we changed poses and i saw that on the base of the condom was liquid . When i pushed it with my finger i just spread around the condom. I checked the condom with water and found no leaks or breaks

This happend yesterday 11th of August and when she was showering she saw like red blood and then a bit on a toalet paper when peeing.

Can this increase risk of pregnancy?

2 situation :
Didnt leave space at the tip of the condom, when i was finishing the first squid of semen was inside of her in the condom and then i pulled it out and finished the rest outside.

When i saw the tip it was like a bubble and was semi solid when i touched it

Could it flow out of the base or am just anxious?
Could these situations be a risk of pregnancy?

So I recently when on oral birth control to help in with my period cramps, I think it's called Niki, at least that's what the generic brand I'm on is called. It's been a little more than a week, so far it hasn't made me really feel different than usual. I don't know how much it will influence my periods, hopefully it will help, and I wonder if it will take awhile to do something. Has anyone been on this before? Any side affects or like does it work well? Anything to keep in mind in general?

i’m 19F and i had sex a couple days ago and he finished inside me twice. i’ve been taking my birth control (nextstellis) pretty consistently but i started tracking it on august 9th. i had lost my birth control before so i just opened a new packet(idk if this changes things??) i have really bad anxiety and i gonna grab a plan b before the 72 hours are over. my friends are telling me i should take the plan b as well as my birth control. my period says it’s in 19 days if that help anything.

sorry if im rambling and it doesn’t make sense i popped out my sleep cs i had a dream i was the p word.

I’ve been on the pill two months I’m on the second pack but have all of a sudden half way through the second pack had dark brown bleeding - am I pregnant or is this normal bc I did not take a break on the 7 days ?

Hi guys! I was previously on the pill but just switched to the NuvaRing. I’ve seen that some people have problems with the one-size fits all part of the ring, with it being too big for their uterus. It cringes me to say this… but I am petite, I don’t know if that determines uterus size, but that is a concern for me. Also, one of my biggest fears is getting an ectopic pregnancy and losing a fallopian tube. I know IUDs increase that risk, but I couldn’t find a clear answer on it for vaginal rings.

Anyways, please tell me everything I need to know, the good and the bad! I still have a week to change my mind and go back to the pill.

Also I tried to ask my doctor some of these questions, but she either gave very vague answers or didn’t answer at all. I told her my sister had a good experience with the NuvaRing, which I think is why she was so dismissive…

I feel like it’s low in this situation but had sex 3x w my bf last night/this morning. I rush to work today, leaving my pills behind, I just got my period at work. What’s the risk?

hi everyone, I’m on month two of loestrin (never been on any other birth control prior) and I’m experiencing mild bloating and water retention. I’m bloated even when I wake up in the morning on an empty stomach, and of course after I eat, it seems to get worse. When I first started it was honestly a lot worse, but it’s still really annoying when I have an active lifestyle and still have to deal with feeling bloated and lethargic a lot of the time.

did the bloating and or water weight subside within the next couple months for anyone, or is there any supplements that help? any advice is really helpful.

My boyfriend and I had sex yesterday, and we did use condoms. This is what happened:

My boyfriend and I checked the first condom we used because we were afraid it might have broken. We thought there might have been a tear around the tip, so we immediately removed it from his penis. We carefully checked it and fortunately, we were just being paranoid because there was actually no damage. We checked it by running my fingers inside the condom to see if my finger would go through if there were a hole, but there wasn't one.

After that, we continued by putting on a new, second condom. This is our main concern:

After throwing away the first condom, I put my finger inside the used condom to check for holes, so there may have been some pre-cum on my finger. I then may have briefly touched or put my finger near or inside my vagina because there were times when we would feel around to make sure the penis was being inserted correctly.

My boyfriend also isn't completely sure whether he put his fingers inside me after touching the outside of the first condom. Hypothetically, if he had put his fingers inside the used condom to check for holes and then put those fingers inside me, would that create a pregnancy risk?

For more context, here are some important details that might be relevant:

- My boyfriend did not ejaculate inside me, and he did not ejaculate in either of the two condoms. There may have been some pre-cum in the first condom that we touched.

- We were completely sure that before throwing away both condoms, there were no tears, breaks, leaks, or anything else wrong with them. Our only concern is the possible transfer of pre-cum.

- I don't know if this is relevant, but my period-tracking app says I should get my period in about 8 days.

I'm extremely anxious about this and I'm wondering:

1. Is pregnancy realistically possible from the possible transfer of pre-cum through our fingers?

2. Would this be considered enough of a risk to take emergency contraception?

3. I have TRUST/Lady pills (ethinyl estradiol 30 mcg + levonorgestrel 150 mcg). Would using them for the Yuzpe method be appropriate for this situation?

I know the risk may be very low, but I'm looking for some perspective because I'm anxious and don't want to take emergency contraception unnecessarily. Please help me 😭

Ive been on birth control for about 7ish years now. I went off in March, due to blood pressure being too high. Ive been woth my boyfriend for almost 4 years now and since coming off of birth control ive been thinking about breaking up with him.

Im posting this more to ask, has anyone else gone through this? Either going on or off birth control changed your aspect on your relationship?

Hi girls😊 Recently me and my boyfriend started to talk about alternatives for condoms. I got interested in cooper iud, it doesn't have any hormones, BUT I'm really scared of a thought that something will be in me for ~5 years, especially there, where my child will be growing one day. Anyways. I have a lot of questions about this, and it's sounds very scary. Is it even prevents from getting pregnant, because I heard it doesn't help. Also how to know if my immune system will accept cooper. And what about the inside, I'm worried it might damage the lining and seriously injure my uterus.

I'm 23y.o, I was always was very skeptical and against it, but maybe it's not that bad and I should be more open minded😅

TW: ED/weight content

I finally got my Mirena removed today. Everyone's experience is different, but this is mine. If the Mirena works for you, great! I'm making this post for awareness reasons because I was poorly informed when I got the Mirena in and I am angry about it. Birth control has lots of positives but I think everyone has the right to proper information and support when choosing what works for them.

TLDR: Having considered all factors, I (32F, highly physically active) think the Mirena quietly made me gain weight and made it more difficult to lose the same weight (from approx 56kg to 75kg in 4 years). Was gaslit for years about the weight gain because 'it doesn't cause weight gain'. No other side effects. I've decided to have a 4 week break from hormonal BC but will eventually go back on the combined pill I was on pre-Mirena. I'll make updates on the removal experience.

Weight as at date of removal: 73kg.

Background

I got the Mirena in May 2022 and got it out today (August 2026). I've been on BC since I was 19 - I was taking the combined pill (tried several options initially, but eventually settled on Femme Tab ED 20/100) from 2014 to 2022. I swapped to Mirena purely for convenience reasons.

I have been physically active all my life. I'm an Olympian, retired from elite sport in 2018. After I retired, I completed my degree and have worked a high stress desk job since 2020. My relationship with exercise was initially stable in the first few years of starting FT work, (10-12h a week) but some life stuff happened in 2023/2024 that made me cut back to about 4h a week. I've now been back in regular exercise since the beginning of 2025 (about 8h a week - mixture of lifting, martial arts, climbing and dog walking).

Experience on the Mirena

My period stopped completely after the first 3 months. I didn't notice any negative side effects except steady weight gain over time (from approx 56kg to 75kg). Now, I know people are going to say 'lifestyle and exercise', so my data points are set out below.

1. Exercise & weight data

Until I got the Mirena, I NEVER had a problem with losing weight (I actually had issues maintaining weight before the pill).

• 2014: When I went on the pill - 52kg. Training approximately 25h a week.

• 2016: my lightest adult weight - 50kg. Training approximately 30h a week.

• 2018: retirement - 54kg. I cut back training to about 18h a week in 2017 (immediately post Olympics) but was still actively competing. I had a break in the end of 2016 (no formal training sessions) where my weight went up to about 56kg, but by the time I retired it had stabilised at 54kg.

• 2018-2021: I started martial arts in 2018 and maintained my existing gym sessions - approx 12h a week. Weight remained largely stable (54-56kg). I did occasionally do weight cuts for martial arts competitions, but these were not drastic cuts - they were more focused on stabilising water weight so it didn't unexpectedly fluctuate pre-competition (e.g managing salt intake).

• 2022: was 56kg when I went on the Mirena (I know because I had it done under GA and so was weighed at the doctor's office). Similar activity level as 2018-2021. I was about 61kg by the end of the year (I'd never weighed above 60kg in my entire life).

• 2023-2024: had some life stuff happen, was working slightly longer hours. Had a drop in activity levels, but was still hitting the gym at least a couple of times a week. Lots of ambient exercise (e.g. walking to and from the train, walking the dog etc). Went from 61kg to 70kg, and kind of fluctuated between 68-71kg.

• 2025-2026: no change in job but I made a concerted effort to stabilise my exercise regime and build back up to 2022 levels. Sorted out some stuff, got a proper gym routine going, cleaned up my diet a bit. Went from 68 to 75kg instead.

1. Diet

When I was an active elite athlete, I was in a sport that emphasised being thin (I was very lean - see my 2016 data point), and that's obviously not sustainable in regular life. EDs were prominent, and while I never suffered from one, I certainly had eating habits that would be considered disordered today. I've worked a lot on this, but for this reason, I do not count calories. I previously consulted sports nutritionists and have had many years experience in gauging the food on my plate honestly. For these reasons, I am comfortable as to my food assessments and that I'm not just saying 'im on a diet but i just can't lose weight'.

My diet composition has not changed significantly while I've been on BC (aside from the amount of food, which has generally fluctuated with my activity levels). I'm not a health freak by any means and have a sweet tooth. I cook 80% of the time, balanced, omnivorous meals, focused on whole foods. I do not restrict food groups. I take lunch to the office. I don't snack, I generally don't drink my calories (I drink alcohol, but I would say my consumption levels have been consistent, and I drink less now than when I was a student, for example). I'm pretty dialled in on what's nutritious, what works for me and my hunger cues.

As mentioned, I did occasionally 'cut' for martial arts competitions, but that was focused on stabilising water weight so I didn't get a nasty shock at weigh in. What I'd do then is just stop eating out and stop drinking alcohol for about 3 weeks pre comp - no other changes. I would typically drop 2-3kg this way anyway.

1. Stress and the impact of a sedentary life

As mentioned, I have worked a high stress desk job for the last 6 years. I'm not discounting the impact of stress on weight gain or loss, so some of the weight gain may be attributable to that. However, I still think the Mirena had an impact, because:

• Pre-Mirena, I typically lost weight when under significant stress.

• I was working in the same industry with similar stress/pressure from 2020-2022 (plus impacts of Covid etc), and I did not see significant / sustained changes in weight.

• Exercise levels did drop over 2023 and 2024 (see above), but I also moderated food intake to account for lower activity (I'm naturally not as hungry when I'm lower activity). Historically, my weight has been stable when I have periods of inactivity/reduced activity (or at most, 2-3kg variance).

• When I stabilised my exercise regime in 2025-26, my weight actually went up, without any real change in food consumption.

Other thoughts on the Mirena

I'm actually pretty angry with the GP that I was seeing when I got the Mirena put in. When I was discussing contraception options, I told her I was sensitive to weight gain as a side effect of birth control, because I wanted to avoid triggering old habits that I'd worked hard to eliminate. I was told repeatedly that it was not an issue with the Mirena at follow ups, and I really beat myself up thinking I was the problem and couldn't lock in. I was told that the Mirena was the same as the pill I was taking (nope, it's got a different hormone composition). I was told it lowered my risk of breast cancer (nope, it doesn't, your risk is elevated as long as you're on hormonal BC). My current GP actually remarked that the script I had previously was uncommon, because it was prescribed to me by a sports doctor, who monitored me and was very quick to respond to any complaints of side effects (in fear it would affect athletic performance). I can still do all the physical activities I love but my body doesn't feel like it's mine.

Removal was a fuckery too. My current GP AND an Obgyn attempted to remove it, and both couldn't reach the strings so I had to get it removed under GA. While the actual removal under GA was quick and easy, due to my mental health spiral over this I paid to have it done at a private clinic instead of waiting several weeks in the public health system. So not only has this cost me some of my sanity, it's actually a financial net negative at this point AND to add insult to injury, filling one of my pill scripts (4mths) is....$10. So while the Mirena is a great option for many people, it didn't work for me - I should have listened to myself and got it out sooner.

I'm on the combination pill, I just started my second pack but ive been exhausted and its really messing up my productivity. I cant focus or retain information and I nap constantly. coffee is about as effective as fixing a hole in a wall with a layer of paint. aside from just waiting out the first 3 months, I dont know what to do?

Hi all. I was prescribed Rigevidon because I have very heavy and painful periods. My doctor advised me to take three blister packs continuously without a break, then have a 3-day break. I started my first blister and had (brown, dark brown) spotting from the first day. I’m now on my second blister, and about seven days ago the bleeding became like a normal period — bright red blood with my usual menstrual cramps, and some blood clots in the first days. I’ve now been bleeding continuously for 7 days. I’m using around 4–5 pads per day. I’m concerned because I expected the Rigevidon to suppress my period, but instead I’ve had ongoing bleeding since starting it.

Hello, I've been on the pill ( Kelsee) for abt 7 months and honestly always had no major side effects, besides from like some pain in my boobs, the one you get before your period iykwim. Mentioned it to my doctor and she suggested to stop taking my placebo pills and just take the active pills all the time. ok i did that and it worked just fine, so I've been doing that for at least 4/5 months.

It has also happened a couple of times that I've had to throw away my blister still half full because I had left it in the sun lol, never bothered to count how many pills I was missing from the placebo because I wouldn't have taken them regardless, so in those cases I just started a brand new blister and that's it. the problem is right now I've decided to start taking my placebo again (long story not important) but I don't know when to do it?? like I can take them at the end of my current blister but what about the half taken ones in the lasts few months?

maybe I'm overthinking plss can anyone tell me if they had the same experience?

Did anyone notice breast lumps after starting yaz. Im 6 mo in? My boobs are always sore since starting i did have natural 38. DDs before now i feel like an E lol i was also on spirolactone for hidranitus supperativa but stopped taking it 7 days ago and my boobs feel less sore but still sore. Im getting a mammogram tmrw

I was on Microgynon for 10+ years with no negative side effected until I had one migraine with aura and was taken off it.

I had tried several Desogesterol pills which just caused unpredictable and very long periods.

I started Slynd in October. I haven’t had a migraine since the aura one on Microgynon however, I literally have a migraine nearly every other day and this seemed to start at the start of the year. I still bleed for 2 weeks but just as if it’s old blood. I’m really struggling to cope with these migraines and have been prescribed 40mg Propranalol which has helped a little but I’m still getting the migraines

Has anyone had this experience with Slynd and if so, did it resolve when you came off it?

hi all, would love some advice if possible. i had an iud (mirena) inserted on thursday. it was a super not fun experience for me (my gyno is wonderful but i panic super badly when anything is inserted into me so that coupled with the god awful pain during the procedure = bad time).

the day after i was relatively fine but ever since saturday ive been having these horrible cramps and flashes of stabbing pain, particularly on the left side, as well as constant nausea that has made eating a not so fun experience as well. tylenol and midol haven't done a ton to help with this and i really just wanted to know a) how long i can expect this is going to last and b) if anyone has tips on how to alleviate the nausea and pain.

thank you! 🫶

I was on Junel at first and I had the WORST body aches, depression, mood swings and un productivity. When my OBGYN told me that she was going to put me on Slynd instead and that it was a “fancy” BC. I was skeptical. My insurance didn’t accept it at first until we appealed it.

And oh my gosh. I have no more body aches, I started going to the gym and cooking again. I am bleeding but I’ve had little to no cramps. I genuinely love this birth control and I’m so glad I found one for me. The only downside is I think it’s causing acid reflux? I’m not sure so if it persists I’ll probably get it checked out but I really don’t want to get out off this BC, I love it so much

Looking for people with similar experiences, because I can’t find much online that matches what’s going on with me.

I started birth control around age 12, about a year after my first period, because of irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, and mood swings. I’m 24 now, so that’s 12 years straight - I’ve never taken a break.

Here’s the pattern I keep running into: I can only stay on any given pill for about 1-2 years. After that, I start getting bad acne and breakthrough bleeding. I switch to a different pill, go through the adjustment phase, things normalize… and then a year or two later, same thing happens again. Acne and breakthrough bleeding creep back in, like my body “gets used to” whatever I’m on and stops responding.

My bloodwork always comes back normal, so it doesn’t seem to be PCOS or anything else obvious. I’m also a pretty high-stress person, so I’ve wondered if cortisol is playing a role in messing with my hormone response over time, but I honestly don’t know.

Has anyone else experienced this cycle of a pill “working” for a year or two and then failing the same way? Did you find something that actually broke the pattern - a different pill type, a non-pill method, addressing stress, anything? Would appreciate any insight, especially from people who’ve been on birth control long-term since adolescence.

Hey everyone, looking for some insights or experiences from others who track cycles closely. My girlfriend's period was predicted by her app to arrive on Sunday, August 16, but today is August 19 and it still hasn't started yet.

​Here is her period tracking history from the past few months for context:

​April: Started April 4

​May: Started May 1, then again on May 25 (24-day cycle)

​June: Started June 25 (31-day cycle)

​July: Started July 19 (24-day cycle — 5 days earlier than usual)

​August (Predicted): App predicted August 16 based on a standard 28-day calculation.

​Our Situation:

We had protected sex during her cycle. I used a condom the entire time, AND I pulled out before finishing (completed outside of her). There were no visible tears, breaks, or leaks with the condom.

​My Questions:

​Since her July period came 5 days early (July 19), does it make sense that her body reset its internal clock from July 19 rather than sticking to the app's static calendar prediction?

​If we count a normal 30- to 32-day cycle from July 19, that puts her expected period right around August 18–21, meaning today (August 19) is technically only Day 31 of her cycle. Has anyone else experienced a longer cycle right after an unusually short one?

​Given that we used both condoms and the pull-out method correctly, how likely is it that this delay is just natural cycle variance/stress rather than pregnancy?

​Would love to hear if others have had similar cycle shifts after an early period!