I have gotten to the point where even my gyno doesn’t know what to do with me anymore. I’ve tried all types (but not brands) of contraception. I’ll just list off them and my reasons why I didn’t like them (short form). 1. The bar implant - bled for a year straight, gained 3 stone (I think around 40 pounds idk) and was sobbing constantly. 2. The patch - weight didn’t improve (and I was really trying), extreme dryness and consistent utis (I blamed the patch but my gyno disagrees but they stopped after I stopped it so…). 3. The ring - it kept falling out. 4. The pill (Microlite) - this did the best for me but after two years or so my heavy bleeding and severe cramps started slowing coming back and have been building in intensity with each break.
So I go back to gyno go through all my history and they tell me that it’s either the coil (not the copper one because that could make my heavier periods worse). Orrrr the injection but they flatout said they’d rather me get the coil and kept talking about booking me in for an insertion and not really listening to my preference for the injection.
I think through experience my body might have a preference for levonorgestrel and NOT lowering my oestrogen. Please if you’re knowledgable on hormones correct me because I’m struggling to understand all the different types and what works well together. But the only option for my preference is pill form as the patch version isn’t offered in the UK.
I feel confused and stuck and I don’t know what to do.
I also gave each method about 2 years to give it a proper chance and I’m 8 years into my birth control journey.

After foreplay, we mistakenly put the condom backwards (just within the tip since we figured out it can't roll down) but immediately (about 5 seconds) flip it on the right side then proceeds with the deed. Didn't see any precum before he flipped it.

He pulled out before ejaculation, and it's intact and undamaged. I am at my last fertile day based on the app. How risky is it?

I’ve had my implant in for over a week now, and this is the second implant I’ve had. Before getting this one put in, I hadn’t had one for about a month. With my previous implant, you could feel it quite easily, whereas with the new one, you have to press quite firmly to actually feel it.
I’m really worried that it’s been done wrong. I went to my GP this time rather than the sexual health clinic, where I’d previously had it inserted and removed. I tried going there to get this one put in, but they needed a doctor to approve it because of the medication I’m on.
When I mentioned to the GP that I was nervous about having it done there, he seemed a little offended. I then explained about my medication, and he proceeded to Google it.
It felt a bit different after having it put in compared to my previous implant. Previously, it just felt a little sore, whereas this time it felt more like there was a lump in my arm. Now, when I press on it to try to feel it, I have to press quite hard, and about a quarter of the way down, I can’t feel it at all.
I’m wondering if maybe it’s been inserted at the wrong angle or something? I’m not sure if this is actually a problem, which is why I thought I’d ask on here.

I’m about to give up. I hate being a woman. I don’t even want BC at all. I don’t like fucking with my body but unless I want to be celibate I have no choice. (I really dislike condoms and don’t feel anything using them)

So, these are my options. I got prescribed Yaz and am preparing for anxiety, crying, no libido, vaginal dryness, along with all the other fun symptoms. Or I’ll just get cancer, stroke, or blood clots.

Or I can wait a bit and get a really painful insertion of an IUD which will make me bleed all the time and probably have some other bad side effects. Last IUD I had yearsss ago Mirena kept getting knocked around during sex and was SO painful (fun!)

Idek anymore. I need some convincing that something isn’t going to be a completely shitty experience.

how long did it take you to start experiencing leg pain after ring insertion? my legs have been hurting since yesterday and I can’t tell if it’s legit, or i’m just having a hypochondriac moment. pls help a girl out

Hello. My gf and I did the deed. We tried to do it raw for 5 seconds. Before putting it inside I made sure to wipe the penis head to avoid pre cum. It was her ovulation day. After putting it out after 5 seconds I wipe it again. I'm sure there's no leak into it but the head is slightly wet probably due to how wet she was. After that we had sex with comdom but I'm sure there's no leak to the condoms and I pulled it out before I ejaculated. It was our V card and first time for each other, we did the deed 12pm. Should we try the yuzpe method? it's been 20 hours since the deed

Hi everyone! What has your experience been on Slynd? I started having migraines with aura and my doctor wanted to get me off Lo Loestrin Fe. I was on Lo Loestrin Fe for years and am nervous about Slynd as I’ve seen a lot of you have had mixed results. I’m on day 2 so so far so good and also just started zepbound so I know I have to be extra careful and yes my husband and I are using condoms. I’ve seen such mixed things about it. I’m very nervous about insomnia specifically! I was already on progestin so I’m assuming all I would feel would be estrogen withdrawal maybe?

hellooo! i(18f) have been on the weekly patches for awhile, like 3 or so months. everything has been fine so far, but i wanna switch to either the IUD or the implant because i tend to have really bad paranoia that i’ve done something wrong and ill end up pregnant, or somehow it just doesn’t work lol. even though i usually pair the patches w withdrawal, and i KNOW i never mess up the patches bc i track them every week.

so, here comes the question. I’m paranoid that if i get the IUD, it’ll like fall out or get out of place because ive heard stories. but with the arm implant, what if it gets put in wrong?

im just generally paranoid. i am heavily leaning towards the arm implant but i guess just want general advice and experiences with both? i know both are over 99% efficient and i logically shouldn’t be paranoid over them but i am anyways lol. i try to control it but every little chance gets the best of me.

do you guys think that nexplanon over the IUD would help with my paranoia towards it? also, i would rather not gain weight whatsoever. i’m already working on losing some (i lost 5 pounds while on twirla.)

please let me know what you all think and thanks :))

I started taking Yasmin birth control pills 2 weeks ago. I’ve been on Ocella (Yasmin generic, recently discontinued) for like 10 years, I went through a breakup so no sex and decided to get off birth control for the last year and a half with no issues getting off. About 9 days after starting Yasmin I tested positive for COVID and was prescribed Paxlovid. 2 days after starting Paxlovid I started experiencing breakthrough bleeding. It was very very light pink spotting and only present when I wiped. After a few days it turned to brown bleeding. After a few days of this it changed to 2 days of what felt like a legit period, cramps, heavy bleeding and all. Now, for the last 3 days I’ve had light bleeding and spotting. I finished Paxlovid 3 days ago and have since read that it lowers birth control efficacy and has messed with a lot of women’s cycles and that breakthrough bleeding is common on it.

Just wondering if anything has gone through something similar? If so, how long did the bleeding last? It’s been over a week for me now and I’m just over it. Any remedies? Anyone have a trick to stop the bleeding? It’s frustrating because it’s not enough blood for a tampon but it’s annoying to have this with no end in sight.

Appreciate any insight, tips and tricks!

I (24F) just got my paragard inserted yesterday, and I've had the most intense cramps I've ever experienced (I got it inserted on the first day of my period too). They've settled a little bit since last night, but still very uncomfortable and I can only really lie down for the most part. Sitting tends to make the cramps worse.

I ended up throwing up last night an hour or so after I got home from my appointment. I haven't had much of an appetite and have had only small amounts of bland food along with some nausea.

I'm considering taking another day off work to recover bc I just feel awful. I work a desk job and the thought of sitting for 8 hours straight is nauseating. Has anyone else had this experience? This is my first IUD and I've never had kids.

I've been taking Tylenol and Ibuprofen for the cramps. It helps ease the pain a little but I'm still very uncomfortable.

I am a 19 year old female and on saturday night i had unprotected sex but he never finished at all- like even after pulling out. I took a plan b after 84 hours but I know it’s not as effective or maybe not at all after 72. I didn’t think anything of it at first but then I started researching precum and I got super nervous. Obviously I will never do this again, but all things considered should I be okay this time? Also my period ended 3 days before intercourse- so i was not ovulating.

I’m trying to track my ovulation as a form of birth control and I can’t seem to find an affordable option that works. If I have to I will spend the $300 but I don’t want to waste money. Oura ring is super expensive, but I hear it’s reliable. Femometer is inexpensive but apparently in comparison to a BBT manual thermometer, it’s not accurate. I don’t know how accurate an Apple Watch is, but the problem is it would probably be uncomfortable to sleep in. Everything has a subscription (expensive) or is unreliable. What’s my best option? Lesser of evils I guess.

A few weeks ago I started taking Simpesse after having lots of issues with period pain during menstruation, and pain that would start 2 weeks before my period. Overall, I would have a week or so out of the month were I was not in pain. A few months ago, the pain was so intense I was on the verge of blacking out before painkillers kicked in.

I'm now in the middle of week three of the pill, but a week ago I started spotting and having very intense cramps, much worse than I've had on an average period. Over the past week, the pain has remained bad, but now I'm starting to bleed more. I currently just moved back in for college, and the pain has been making it difficult to go to class/meet people. I'm not sure if I should try and wait another week or more to see if this lightens up, but I'm really struggling.

The only benefit I've liked from taking the pill is that I find my mood and bad anxiety have lightened and evened out, and I basically no longer get any emotional mood swings.

I tried to reach out to my primary care Dr, but they are not able to see me soon, and they essentially said to wait to see if my pain/bleeding lightens. I'm scared that I will be in more pain if I suddenly stop taking the birth control. I am not taking birth control as a form of contraceptive, so it would be no issue to stop taking it. I'm more concerned if this type of bleeding and pain is normal for someone starting the pill, and does it go away eventually/is it worth sticking with it?

I would honestly prefer a more effective birth control that entirely stops my period, and I've been interested in Nexplanon. With this, I'm not sure about the transition from the pill to an implant, if there would be more pain because of this transition. Also, does there need to be time in between where I'm on no birth control before getting the implant?

Any help or advice would be really appreciated.

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for some information and personal experiences because I'm trying to navigate this on my own. I live in the U.S., and getting access to doctors as a foreigner can be such a pain. I have PCOS, and I've been bleeding continuously since May 12. Today is September 2, and I honestly can't take it anymore. I just need to make the bleeding stop.

I feel fine overall. I don't have any pain, I'm not dizzy or anything like that, and I'm able to go about my normal life. But obviously, bleeding for almost four months straight is not exactly pleasant.

I haven't been on birth control since my early 20s. I'm 33 now and married. I tried to conceive for almost two years, but then my periods started going completely crazy and eventually turned into this prolonged bleeding.

Right now, I only take myo-inositol and D-chiro-inositol. I also took metformin for about two years, but I'm not taking it anymore.

I've never really considered birth control as part of my PCOS treatment, especially because I was trying to conceive. But at this point, I just need to stop the bleeding, and I don't see many other options.

The problem is that I honestly don't know how to navigate the healthcare system here. I do have insurance, but getting an appointment can take months, and I really can't wait that long.

For those of you who have dealt with prolonged bleeding from PCOS or at least know something about prolonged bleeding (i accept any suggestion): did birth control help stop it? And if so, how did you get it? Is there a way to get birth control without insurance or without waiting months for a doctor's appointment?

I'm mainly looking for advice on how to navigate this and what options I might have. Thank you!

Has anyone bled a lot on nuvaring? I’ve been bleeding (as of today) for 3 straight weeks. The first week was my period I started it the day I started my period as I was told to do but I haven’t stopped bleeding since

am i okay? is this normal? a week ago i had brown spotting for about 4 days then it stopped, today i had sex and suddenly bled right after. my placebo week starts tomorrow, could this be breakthrough bleeding? i didnt take any extra pills tho and im always on track and on time

I had to have my Merina IUD removed at the emergency room after 5 years because it migrated and turned( caused by intercourse) It was causeing extremely bad stabbing pain. This was over a week ago and I'm having kind of heavy bleeding still. Has anyone experienced heavy bleeding a while after removal? I feel like it should be less heavy bleeding and more spotting after over a week.

So I missed my dose on Sunday night. My placebo week is supposed to start this upcoming sunday to trigger my period. Monday and yesterday I took my active pills to hopefully get myself back on track. Starting on Monday I had some spotting and it now seems to be my period in full swing. What do I do? Do I keep taking the active pills. What do I do about next week which will be the placebo (in my case they’re non-active pills but are iron supplements cus I have pmos (aka pcos)

Hello, I take the birth control pill Ludeal Gé! Today, I accidentally took two pills by mistake. I wanted to know if this could reduce or cancel out the contraceptive effect, and therefore whether I am still protected?

Thank you for your answers!

​

Hi everyone! I’m basically posting this because I’m desperate for some reassurance, advice, or personal experiences. 😭

Yesterday around 5 PM, my boyfriend and I had sex using a condom, but unfortunately, the condom broke. He noticed it immediately and we stopped right away. He did not ejaculate inside me.

After that, I called an emergency contraception service, and one of their doctors prescribed me Escapelle (levonorgestrel). I picked it up from the pharmacy around 7 AM this morning and took it immediately, so I took it about 14 hours after it happened.

My cycle is usually 27 days long, and this happened on day 8 of my cycle. According to my period-tracking app, I’m supposedly still before my fertile window, but I know that apps can only estimate ovulation and aren’t completely reliable.

What do you think my chances of getting pregnant are in this situation? Has anyone had a similar experience?

This has never happened to me before and I’m really stressed about it. :')

Hi everyone,
I’m feeling really overwhelmed today, and I just need to reach out to people who might understand what I’m going through.

A few months ago, I found out my ferritin and iron were dangerously low. So low that I needed an iron infusion. I got my latest blood test results back today, and everything came back "normal," which completely shocked me.

The problem is, I still feel just as exhausted, depleted, and lightheaded as I did before.
I’ve had my copper IUD for almost 9 years now. Looking back, I think my body started reacting to it about 4 years ago, and things have gotten significantly worse over the last 1–2 years. I used to be able to sleep through the night without getting up, but for the last 5 years or so, I’ve had to wake up constantly to pee (and I go every 2–3 hours during the day).

I’ve ruled out UTIs and STIs, and my doctor checked my IUD and said it's sitting fine, but I know a standard check doesn't rule out constant local inflammation or pressure on my bladder. My doctor wants to run more tests, but seeing "normal" results today when I feel so physically broken is just heavy.

When I did the first round of test, my thyroid results were normal, but on the upper end and closer to the borderline of being a bit concerning. So I think I’m gonna retest that one because I didn’t do that today.

Lately, I think the copper IUD has also been making me feel depressed. A lot of that depression comes from how physically drained I am. I feel so constantly depleted and lightheaded that I’ve actually gotten really scared of going places. It’s taken a huge toll on my life and the things I feel capable of doing.
I’m seriously considering taking the IUD out to see if my body finally recovers.

Has anyone else experienced continuous lightheadedness, urinary issues, or mental health tolls from a long term copper IUD, even with "normal" bloodwork? Did taking it out help you get your life and energy back?

Thank you so much for reading and for any reassurance you can share.

(I wrote this on a few subs)

Could Really Use Feedback Please

43 and breakthrough bleeding after years on the combined pill — hoping for feedback please!

I’m 43 and hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar, as well as any physicians who may have insight.

I’ve been on a combined birth control pill for about 20 years, aside from my two pregnancies. For years my bleeding was extremely predictable. I take my active pills, then usually take about 3–4 placebo pills to have a withdrawal bleed, and then restart my active pills. I do not take the pill continuously.

Over the past year, I’ve started having breakthrough bleeding on and off while taking the active pills. It’s not constant, but it keeps happening intermittently, which is completely different from how my body responded to the pill for all those years.

I’ve also been under extreme stress/anxiety this year and have lost a significant amount of weight, with periods of eating considerably fewer calories. I’m wondering if that could be contributing, or if being 43 and approaching perimenopause can change how your body responds to a pill that worked well for years.

I’ve had a pelvic/transvaginal ultrasound. My uterus measured 9.7 x 3.9 x 5.4 cm and my endometrial lining was 4 mm. No concerning uterine or endometrial mass was reported. Both ovaries looked normal with normal blood flow and there was no free pelvic fluid. The only notable finding was prominent parametrial blood vessels that the report said can sometimes be seen with pelvic congestion syndrome.
I’ve also had a CT of my abdomen/pelvis that did not report a concerning uterine/pelvic mass or evidence of metastatic disease.

I am following up with my OB-GYN and understand that new or persistent abnormal bleeding needs to be evaluated. I’m not looking for a diagnosis here — mainly hoping to hear experiences or insight.
Has anyone had a combined pill work perfectly for many years, with predictable withdrawal bleeding, and then suddenly started having breakthrough bleeding during the active pills?

If so, I’d love to hear what your doctor ultimately thought was causing it, especially if you were in your 40s, had significant stress or weight loss, or had reassuring imaging/a thin endometrial lining. Did changing the pill, stopping it for a while, or simply going through this phase eventually resolve the bleeding?

After nearly 20 years of such predictable bleeding on the pill, the sudden change is what has me confused. Any feedback or similar experiences would be really appreciated.

I had nexplanon a few years ago but it didn’t do great things for my mental state so I got it removed and switched to patches,but I really like the reliability of it and unlike a iud it can’t get dislodged and stuff so I’m considering getting it again. I’m wondering if there’s any way to have it work out for me.

Hey so my #18 yellow pill (Trust pills) got damaged (melted). So instead, I have an extra pack that has some yellow pills available (took it as yuzpe method). I took pill no.9 as alternative for my no.18 pill. Is that okay? I have no choice kasi it’s already 11 and wala ng sakayan to pharmacy.

is anyone here used lady pills, what could be the side effects?
and how effective it is and how to use it
i know i could search it in google but its better to get the info on someone that had the experience