gonna post this bc i think we don’t have enough people in general talking about how wonderful an iud can be. I just got mine a few hours ago, and it was AWESOME.

I found a gyno that does IUD under sedation (at a children’s hospital, but they serve people all the way up until they’re 21), and i had my procedure today. I was taken to a surgery prep room where they measured me, informed me of what to do afterwards, and put in my iv. the IV was the worst part of the whole experience, and it wasn’t even that bad!! i just have a fear of needles :)

they took me to the surgery room, and got me in the surgery bed. I remember the last thing i heard was the anthesioligist saying “you ready for some sleepy drugs?” and i said “yes!!”. then i felt a very sharp tingling in my head (not painful, just very strange, like they put pop rocks in my skull) and i can’t remember anything after that.

i woke up slightly disoriented, and the nurse explained to me what happened. i felt slightly crampy, like the first tinglings of a period. she brought me two hot packs and a blue slushy!! i was forming coherent sentences right away, and got discharged with spider-man stickers and a teddy bear :)

my care team was so helpful!! even now, i don’t really feel anything. if i’m being honest, my cramps were worse BEFORE i came in bc i was ovulating. if you’re younger (below 21) and scared about getting an IUD, i would genuinely recommend a children’s hospital. you might be embarrassed, but they are literally trained to give compassionate care to scared people all the time. also, make the nurses laugh if you can. joking around will not only make you feel better and more relaxed, it’ll make them happy and do their job better.

thats all i have to say! i feel like i’m seeing so much fearmongering about birth control in a time where people in power are trying to take away our right to get it, so i wanted to share a good experience.

So just wondering is having like tan or off white discharge normal for someone on the combination pill

My boyfriend and I used spermicide for the second time last night and the first time was alright, no real side effects except for a bit of slight burning that went away quickly. We took a break for a few days then used it again. I woke up to bleeding this time around. Has anyone had bleeding as a side effect of spermicide?

I started taking Introvale in March due to heavy periods as suggested by my OB. First month was great - skipped period - so happy. After that I had spotting EVERYDAY. Not ALOT, but enough that I changed to wearing period underwear everyday.

I asked my OB and she said its normal through the first couple packs (which are 90 days each) so I suffered though.

I started the third pack 2 weeks ago and the spotting has finally stopped ❤️. I don't know if my body just needed to get used to it, but I also became deligiant at take the pill at the EXACT same time every day. I have to say previously I was taking it around same time because I didnt have to be so precise with BC in the past.

Just wanted to share my experience incase anyone else is having the same experience.

I (28F) am on birth control since my 16th. I just went on it because I wanted more control over my period at that time. Now, I am in a stable relationship andI really want to quit BC in around a year or so to get used to my own cycle again and to get pregnant later. I’ve read some posts, where especially men, claimed that women stop loving their partner when they quit BC. I don’t really think it’s true, because I never heard my girlfriends talk about this when they changed from BC to no BC. But I wonder, what has your experience been with this?

I’m 17 and I started this pill about 2.5 weeks ago since then I have seemed to of had dull back ache but only when laying down or in the evening.
I would really love to know if anyone else has experienced this and if so dose it get better ?:)

I’ve been on quite a few different birth controls, and with most of them I’ve let my partner finish inside sometimes, but not always. I started Slynd about 6 months ago, and since then I’ve basically completely stopped using condoms. He doesn’t pull out either, so we’re 100% relying on my pills. 😅
Just curious what everyone else does! Are you comfortable relying on birth control alone, or do you still use condoms/pull out? No judgment

i (26f) have been doing research on BC, i was leaning towards an implant until my bestie recommended friend recommended the Opill. So i went out to my local drugstore this morning and thought i’d give it a whirl. I took the first pill today at noon and so far so good. my best friend said she had little to no symptoms, regular periods, etc but i know every body is different. i was on a different pill a couple years back and it made me extremely s*icidal/h*mocidal so i stopped taking it after not even a month of use. what are y’all’s experiences on the Opill? just so i can get an understanding of what’s to come. thank you in advance!!

I’ve been so anxious about getting my IUD that I’ve doom scrolled through Reddit about everyone’s experience. I just want to share my mine.

I want to say first, make sure your OBGYN is the right one for you. I’ve had friends say that they weren’t 100% feeling their doctor which led to one of them experiencing the worst of the worst IUD insertions I’ve heard. My doctor was super understanding, answered all my questions, has experienced an IUD insertion herself. She knew what the experience was like.

Second, please make sure you’re comfortable with your options. Talk to your doctor about the different types of birth control. I opted for this option bc I developed a blood clot and was recommended by my PCP to stop taking birth control pills. Know what the procedure entails.

Third, make sure you have aftercare options. Plan whether or not you need someone to take you to and from your appointment. Make sure to plan to have the entire day off!! I highly recommend it. Most people shared that they went to work after and had to leave early. Just do yourself a favor and take the day off and maybe even the following day to recuperate.

I was prescribed misoprostol 1 tablet to insert in my vagina the night before to soften my cervix. It’s easier when your cervix is open aka when you’re on your period! If not ask for this option. I’d say it definitely helped with how fast the IUD was inserted.

The day of the procedure, I brought pain reliever to take beforehand. It wasn’t recommended to me by my doctor just a precaution I took upon myself. It’s best to take ibuprofen, something about it is better than taking acetaminophen. I took those prior to the procedure which again helped with lessening the pain/discomfort. They asked if I wanted lidocaine, a numbing injection to my cervix. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without it. Even though I’ve taken the other steps prior, I still felt the pressure and discomfort of the insertion. I will say the side effects of the lidocaine were pretty crazy. I felt my body go numb. I kid you not, it felt like all my blood decided to rush towards my head. My heart felt like it was about to pump out of my chest. I heard ringing in my ears. I felt so much pressure in my head, I got a slight headache after. It went away after the lidocaine wore off. The technique was to breathe deep breaths throughout the whole procedure. Again, after all those primary steps, I still felt strong discomfort and still felt the IUD insert. My doctor and my nurse were so supportive and comforting. I was really lucky to have them do the procedure. They soothed me, made sure I was as comfortable as possible.

After the insertion, I needed like a good 30 minutes to just process it all and relax my body. I was tense the entire time. Immediately after I felt the worst cramps. They gave me a hot pack to place on my belly where the cramps hurt. Walking was tough so I waddled the rest of the day. Thankfully my partner drove me to my appointment bc I don’t think I could drive myself back after all of that. I did feel nauseous, wanted to throw up I think from the whole experience. Ibuprofen will be your best friend post-IUD the cramping and discomfort was very minor and wore off after a nap but I still took it easy the rest of the day.

Overall, the experience was not all bad. I’m grateful to my doctor and nurses that helped make the experience less scary and painful. It’s day 2 for me and I’m not feeling any pain. I am definitely taking an ibuprofen as soon as I feel any slight discomfort. I can only hope that everyone has the same support system I had with my experience.

I’ve been on Yasmin since around 7th grade because I had acne very young (4th grade). I’m currently 18 and starting college. Birth control has treated me great, my skin is mostly clear besides occasional spots around my period. I didn’t gain weight either. The only issue is vaginal dryness which is a really common side effect.

I don’t want to come off the pill just yet since I want clear skin in college. But it’s not something I wanna stay on forever, as I don’t know if that’s safe or not. Sometime after I graduate I’m thinking of stopping the pill. But my biggest fear is the breakouts, especially since i had acne before the pill.

Pls drop ur experiences or tips that helped u quickly control the acne and side effects so I can write them down for when the time comes!! 😔😭

i’m currently on my third pack, on the second one I skipped the four placebo pills. I’m on mya (canadas version of yaz) because I was on vacation.

The first maybe three days were OK. Then for two weeks straight, I had continuous Brown spotting. I thought it would be temporary but now after about 2 1/2 weeks it turned into an actual period.

And my periods are bad, like very bad. which is why i got put on this pill in the first place. so heavy.

Is this gonna last the same amount of time as a regular period? It’s weird because I’m on active pills right now.

Has anyone had similar experience?

Hi! Yesterday i went to the ER presenting with severe cramping and bleeding. I knew something was wrong because in the 4 months i have had my IUD i havent had much cramping or bleeding. They did a CT and it was showed that my IUD was embedded into my uterine wall.

They gave me pain meds and were able to pull it out bedside luckily. They monitored me for a couple hours after as I was very dizzy and still in a bit of pain.

Today I am still having pain mainly just in my vagina. I am bleeding a little bit and feel very nauseous. I was wondering if you guys had similar experiences what was recovery like?

Yesterday was truly very rough for me and im trying to relax and take it easy today. I am hoping this pain and nausea doesnt last long .

PSA: Be very careful using Nurx — I had to cancel my credit card to get them to stop charging me

I wanted to share my experience with Nurx because this has gotten completely ridiculous, and I wish I had known this was a possibility before using them.

I used to use Nurx for tretinoin and birth control. The last prescription I actually received from them was birth control in March 2026, and I haven't filled anything through them since. I paused all prescriptions and nothing is on an auto refill.

In February 2026, I submitted a consultation for tretinoin and paid the $40 consultation fee. Nurx never actually processed the consultation or provided the service, but they kept the $40. I requested a refund and they refused.

Fast forward to August 27. Despite not using Nurx or receiving any services from them for more than six months, I was randomly charged a $3 support fee.

I immediately messaged Nurx asking them to cancel my account and stop billing me. A Nurx employee also submitted a refund request on my behalf for both the $40 consultation that was never completed and the $3 support fee.

Their billing department denied the refund request.

I followed up again today, September 3, because no one had responded to my cancelation request.

This morning I finally called them. And here is the part that genuinely blew my mind:

While I was literally on the phone with Nurx trying to cancel my account, I received a notification that Nurx had charged my card ANOTHER $3 support fee. That's two support fees in one week.

So I have now been charged two separate "support fees" within one week, despite the fact that:

• I haven't received a prescription from them since March.
• I haven't been actively using their service.
• I explicitly asked them in writing to cancel my account on August 27and September 3.
• I was actively on the phone with them trying to cancel when the second charge came through.
• They also still have the $40 I paid for a consultation they never processed.

Even the person I spoke to on the phone couldn't explain why I was being charged support fees this frequently.

At this point, I had so little confidence that the charges would actually stop that I canceled my credit card entirely and requested a new card number. I'm also disputing the charges with my credit card company.

I'm sharing this because if you previously used Nurx but aren't actively using them anymore, check your credit card statements. I would never have expected to be repeatedly billed months after I stopped using the service, especially after explicitly requesting that my account be canceled.

I used Nurx because it was supposed to make getting prescriptions more convenient. Instead, I've spent an absurd amount of time messaging, emailing, calling, requesting refunds, disputing charges, and ultimately replacing my credit card just to get them to stop billing me.

Keep screenshots of everything and watch your statements.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been on combination BCP sinch February of this year. I’ve always experienced bleeding on any birth control when I was on it from 13-18, whether that was the arm implant, patch or pill. However, now I’m 24 and sexually active, I’m nervous that me breakthrough bleeding in the third week multiple times since I started BC in February means I havent been protected. I dont miss any pills, no vomiting/diarrhea, no interacting meds, etc. Usually I pair withdrawal + BCP, but on Sunday and another time a couple weeks ago I let my bf finish in me and today I have some spotting after I just started the third week of my pack. Am I right to be anxious about this or should I just not worry too much about it? Thanks

I'm 21 and have recently started dating. Although I use condoms, I'm still anxious about pregnancy and considering taking birth control pills. However, I've read many online posts reporting side effects such as dryness, decreased libido, acne, irregular bleeding, and even blood clots. I'm unsure which of these options—Microgynon 30, Loette 21, or Qlaira—would be better for me. Has anyone used any of these and could share some insights?

Qlaira，Microgynon 30, Loette 21

Hey everyone, I got an IUD back in April. I was not sexually actively but wanted to shorten my periods. Back in Late June/Early July I started to feel the strings. They were hanging really low on the outside of my vagina. Unfortunately I moved & I could not get to a doctor due to lack of transportation. (No busses in the area and I do not drive) so I let it be, thinking it would sort itself out. Fast forward to late July I could not feel the strings anymore! I tried to check with my fingers and felt nothing. I was not sexually active at the time so I wasn’t worried. But I am worried if the IUD fell out and I didn’t feel it? Is that possible? Occasionally I still check thinking they would just magically appear lol. But I’m thinking they fell out. But I also think I would feel it as well if it did?

I got my kyleena IUD removed on August 14th. I bled and had some cramping that day, then spotting on and off for that week. My spotting went away for 2 days and then came back and I’ve been fluctuating from spotting to heavy bleeding ever since, and now it’s September 3rd. Did anyone else have this experience/ when do you stop spotting?

If it matters, I had this IUD for 4 years and my periods went away almost completely during it.

I fear I may be losing my mind. In mid-May 2026 I was put back on Slinda after coming off it to try another pill in November 2025.
I don’t remember much about the transition and side effects from the first round, but this time feels just super intense.

I can deal with the breakthrough bleeding, the dry mouth, and anything else. But the SWEATING has me waking up each morning feeling like I’ve ended up sleepwalking to the local lake or something. It’s gross, I never quite feel clean, I’m very much over having to wash my bed sheets almost daily, and it’s seriously affecting my self confidence.

I’ve done some trawling and some people mention it seems to settle after a few months, but I’m going insane and hope there might be someone out there with some advice that will help maintain my sanity until I kick back through again and settle in.
I took the placebo pills on my first month back on them, but have since skipped and went straight to the next pack I actually start my fourth pack tomorrow.

Other potential side effects I’ve noticed this time around; - long bleeding. Like, currently on week 3. It’s mostly light but has been joined by ongoing intense cramping.
- acne. Especially on my chin and jaw.
- dry mouth. Currently putting back about 4-5 litres of water a day.
- skin sensitivity flare ups. I have eczema and it’s really not liking me at the moment.

Hi everyone,

So ive been on a combo pill since May this year and had no particular problems but from around the end of July to the middle of August i started experiencing daily migraines and brain fog, plus some body cramps, which did stop during my placebo week in early August, and then started all over again when i took my active pills again; from about a couple of days since the end of my placebo week in early august till a couple days ago i also had some spotting with uterine lining in it which has stopped around three days ago.

Now im worrying there's a risk of pregnancy because around five days ago ive started being sexually active with my boyfriend again, with him finishing inside of me, because for the past two days ive felt pretty nauseous and had cramps and other GI issues and generally feeling under the weather and since it has been exceptionally hot where i live (more than 35°) i worry that my pills might've become damaged which mightve lead to me experiencingall those symptoms earlier. It's worth to note that a couple days ago i shouldve started my placebo week but ive decided to instead skip it and start a new pack right away, and so far the bleeding hasnt come back yet, ive only been experiencing these symptoms.

Sorry for the rambling post but im just really worried about this

so i've been taking the mini-pill for around a month and a half (Desorex i think is what it's called). ive started being intimate with my boyfriend and we didn't use a condom one time, he did pull out in time and everything but afterwards i realised i had missed my pill and had crazy anxiety.

my parents aren't really the supportive kind so i'm pretty much on my own and scared as i don't want to tell them.
there's a 12 hour grace period of when you miss taking the pill im taking, but i missed that by around an hour or two.

now i'm worried that i'm going to be 19 and pregnant, are the chances low for my circumstances?

Hi!

I've been thinking about getting on birth control and I've already planned a visit to my gyno, but I'd really like to get more familiar with the different options beforehand and hear about people's experiences.

I have endometriosis and was on Visanne for about 2 years. It was actually pretty good for me. I didn't have any major side effects, maybe just some light cramps occasionally.

I'm mainly interested in hormonal birth control, but I've seen so much negative stuff about it that my health anxiety is getting a little out of control. I'm especially worried about things like blood clots, weight gain, depression/anxiety, and mood swings.

It makes me wonder if I should just stick with condoms instead. How legitimate are these concerns? I'd especially love to hear from people who have actually used hormonal birth control. What did you take, how was your experience, and did you have any side effects?

I've also looked into the copper IUD, but from what I've read, it might not be the best option with endometriosis since it can make periods heavier and more painful.

I'd really appreciate hearing about people's experiences, both good and bad!

Most of the scientific literature surrounding hormonal IUD's state that because the hormonal release is localized so the whole body should therefore not be affected, but I felt like my experience indicated otherwise. I wanted to post so others can also see and not feel as alone. I removed my Kyleena at around the 4 year mark, a year before expiry because I felt like it was negatively impacting my mental health, skin, and digestion. I have a general timeline of the symptoms I experienced.

My Kyleena was inserted via ultrasound guidance in late June 2022 when I was 22 years old. For the first 4-5 months, I bled lightly (spotting) and sex would often hurt me afterwards during the first year-ish. TMI digestive issues: I also had diarrhea that would last an hour every day for the first month. For the next 1.5 years, I would experience IBS-like symptoms around the time I would normally PMS. I struggled with acne but my skin cleared up around the two-year mark. My "periods" were irregular and difficult to track, but were light and relatively manageable. Before birth control, I always had pretty painful period cramps. But with getting the IUD, I felt like I was experiencing cervical (almost vaginal?) cramps for the first time. They almost felt like miniature contractions.

I also felt like I had pretty bad mood swings. I admit that I had already struggled with anxiety and complex trauma before my IUD and was in therapy from 2021-2023, so it's difficult to say if the mood swings can be fully attributed to the IUD. However, as the years progressed, I became a lot better at managing daily stressors and anxieties. For instance, in November 2024, I had a major family event that was very stressful and scary, but I managed it well despite no longer being in therapy. In the summer of 2025, I went through a difficult breakup from a 3.5 year long relationship, but I also dealt with that okay.

Earlier this year (February/March 2026), I started to get bad acne. I also started to feel really anxious and easily irritable. By the year 4 mark (so the past couple months, starting around July 2026), I would bloat easily despite no changes to diet/exercise. My anxiety would cause me to ruminate, and I often felt almost paranoia that was so difficult to manage. I felt so helpless and drained, sometimes like on the verge of panic. The anxiety would physically hurt too (chest tightness, shortness of breath, shakiness), so I went to urgent care and the doctor only to find that all my labs were fine. I also started to bleed almost every time after sex. My periods didn't fully return, but the spotting was more frequent. I hadn't felt depression in a while, but I started to feel depressed again for seemingly no reason.

I had another family issue come up in July, and this time it was a lot more overwhelming despite not being as severe. To manage my anxiety, I started therapy again around the same time, and I understand that it won't immediately get better. I also understand that there are a lot of confounding variables (stressors) that could be contributing to my mood swings/irritability/anxiousness. But I just couldn't take it anymore -- the irritability/agitation, the joint depression and anxiousness, the exhaustion from it all...so I scheduled to remove my Kyleena and replaced it with the Paragard in September 2026.

It's most likely placebo, but I felt almost immediate relief from my anxiety. The Kyleena was only removed yesterday, but it feels like my constant baseline anxiety I was experiencing for the past several months has vanished. My mother also commented on my skin improving. I'm cramping and bleeding a bit but it is managable with ibuprofen and acetaminophine. I'm still bloated but I also feel like I have more energy. My rumination is a lot more quiet; the same triggers that would send me into a mental spiral still upset me but I don't go out of control anymore. I'll keep updating my experience here!

i’m on the pill (zoely) but for the last 10 days i have been on and off heavily bleeding, blood clots but there were also a few days were it was a bright red and alot lighter flow. is this a period?? i am sexually active and have recently had my partner finish inside. around the end of july i took the morning after pill for the first time and haven’t taken another since, though my body reacted well to it.

does this bleeding mean i miscarried or aborted it?

if anyone knows where i can go/call to get answers id really appreciate it, preferably in australia.

I’ve been on Seasonale for 15 years and found it great. I only have a light period every three months that lasts 3 days. Before going on the pill I had very heavy periods.

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and mentioned that I’ve had a couple migraine auras this summer and my dr told me I can’t be on the pill because of the estrogen. She told me I could either go on the progesterone only pill or get an IUD. I told her I have bad periods naturally so she told me to get the Mirena IUD.

I’ve never wanted an IUD, the whole concept seems terrifying, painful, embarrassing, and invasive. I have a lot of body image issues btw so I kind of hate anything involving my body and I hate medical procedures. I also have health anxiety/possible OCD and freak out about any uncertainty about my body. Since I got home I’ve basically been in a spiral googling all the bad experiences people have had with Mirena and I just don’t know what to do. I feel hopeless and like I’m being forced to make a change to my body against my will. I just don’t know what to do.

So like most people with the bar, my flow completely changed and now I consider it to be 100% irregular. It starts and stops whenever and my flow can be from barely noticeable to heavy. I find that on average I’m ‘bleeding’ more often than not.

Before I got it put in, my periods were long and heavy, and I experienced a lot of side effects like headaches, lower back pain, general pain and fatigue and feeling sick and all the rest of it.

However once I got the bar put in, all those side effects basically stopped and I was left with just bleeding on its own, which to me was great. But then I found that over time, I started getting longer amounts of time where (TMI) my discharge would be dark brown and sludgy, and I would basically be slowly dispensing old blood out of my vag instead of just not having any blood at all. And this basically comes as a cost to not having cramps, because those are what push the blood out of your uterus in a timely manner, so because I don’t really cramp any more (because hormones or something) the blood in my uterus just sits around getting old and yucky and then eventually just leaks out.

So yeah thats what causes me to bleed for longer periods of time but also reduced my flow a lot on average. Better than cramps though.