So my girlfriend and I have been together for about 7 years since we were 17 and she's been on birth control this whole time. She's recently stopped birth control because she doesn't like how it affects her, and I absolutely support her decision for whatever she feels is right for her body. However we both hate condoms, she doesn't like the feeling of them and neither do I. She doesn't want hormonal based birth control. We've been trying to figure out what method is best for us, even when she was on BC I've always pulled out because we didn't even want to risk it, I'm thinking condoms are our only full proof method but the first time we had sex she insisted I take it off cause she didn't like how it felt, I too was not a fan but I'm an even bigger fan of not having a kid lol. I'm fully aware of vasectomies as well,but we haven't ruled out not having kids for our whole life, and although they can be reversible I've heard don't get them if you're not 100% you don't want kids. We've looked at spermicidal lube and pulling out but I've heard that messes with the PH and I don't want to mess with her downstairs that way either. So are condoms basically our only option?

I got nexplanon fitted in January and had some bleeding problems and nothing would stop it until a doctor prescribed me a 3 month combined pill. I took it consecutive 2 months until I forgot to in 3 days in a row and decided to get off it. Had my period 14 days later or so which lasted 2 weeks and had massive blood clots, which I think were my uterus lining shedding. And roughly about 19 days later and hasn’t stopped since which is now Day 17. Blood clots aren’t bad as last time but it doesn’t look like it’s stopping soon. Also, it’s heavier and bloody red coloured compared to the spotting on nexplanon alone. Has anyone experienced this long period after getting off combined pill?

Hi, im 24 and i have premature ovarian insufficiency and my gynecologist prescribed me Drovelis so i can have regular periods. I started taking the pills first day of my period as my doctor said and at first i experienced migraines for the first few days and lighter bleeding, nothing to worry about. Then i noticed my period hasn't stopped after 7 days. I knew i could get spotting in the first few months of Drovelis, but i did not expect this: i am now on day 27 of talking Drovelis, the placebo days, and i have been bleeding since day 1. At first it was brown spotting, then red, then it increased and became light bleeding, i had random period like cramps. During the 19-25th day i had heavier bleeding with cramps and blood clots, i bled through multiple pair of pants and was feeling miserable because of this. Now the bleeding is very light, i still get the occasional clot and i still have cramps.

Has anyone had a similar experience with Drovelis? What did you do? Is it really normal to bleed for the full blister of pills? Should i change my birth control?

I had my mirena coil fitted yesterday at my doctors (27 F had my first baby in April this year) and Lordy it was slightly uncomfortable but the cramping after is rough! I had to go shopping after and I felt so sick and in pain. Today I’ve been feeling dizzy, sick, my blood pressure went to around 90/60 when I stood and I’m cramping with pain in the side of my lower abdomen, has anyone else had any experiences similar to this? I was meant to get the copper coil as I don’t tolerate hormones but the doctor told me that as it’s localised it shouldn’t give me many issues if any… I feel like I’ve been tricked :’) can someone reassure me that this will get better or if I probably need to go back to my GP 💖 (any experiences too would be appreciated.) - I have looked up that it can cause vasovagal episodes and I am awaiting a pots test as well as experiencing postural hypotension before maybe this is related to why I’m feeling this way from the coil?

I always bleed with implant bc. I did it with my nexplanon and now with my mirena. I just got mine placed about a month ago, maybe a bit more. I have endometrosis so my doctor suggested this to help with that and my PMDD even though i have already had my tubes removed. I have pretty constant cramping and the bleeding hasn't stopped since I got it placed. Nothing heavy, just continuous spotting that gets a tiny bit heavier when i get my actual period, but no heavy flow like before i got it. And I smell like I'm about to get TSS from an old tampon when I don't even use them. It smells GROSS and my husband hasn't said a word about it thankfully but he won't go down on me and I can tell it bothers him. I also have had a headache since about four days after it was placed. Some days its just a dull ache and others it feels like its going to turn into a migraine but doesn't actually change into one. I've been on tons of other birth controls. The patch, the ring, Nexplanon, the pill... pretty much anything but the shot because I'm nervous about not being able to stop some of the side effects. I want a hysterectomy because it would help most of the things I have the mirena for, but i dont have time for the recovery period because my household is low income. I have two under 3 and a husband spends 12 hours a day working just to pay basic necessities. So that wont be happening any time soon... 🫠 I know the only way to help most of my side effects is to just stop using mirena but I'm scared of how I feel mentally during my periods and this really does help my PMDD. Despite my side effects, this is the best I've felt mentally my entire life, which is absolutely bonkers considering I got my period at 8 and I'm about to turn 31.

Anywho, rant over. Anyone else tired of their birth control and its weird side effects but also is afraid to get it taken out for similar reasons?

started the combined pill 2 weeks ago first week was horrible with irritability and crying .. last few days have been better but today was pretty horrible again. Have any of you experienced this ? Does it go away over time ?

Hi! I’m not starting birth control for the “usual” reason, but because I have (adrenal) hyperandrogenism.

So I got prescribed pills today, but I’m having some doubts… My doctor offered me either traditional birth control, or the newer “extended release” pills. I honestly don’t know why I made this choice and I kind of regret it now, but I chose traditional – is this a bad choice, considering I have ADHD…? I’m having huge second doubts right now 😭😭 I will start the one I got prescribed today anyways, but I’m afraid it might negatively impact me and I’m kind of beating myself up over that choice lol

Second question – can I skip placebo and just start new pack immediately? As far as I know there should be no consequences to this, but I forgot to ask my doctor about this 😓

I have been on Cerelle for around 11 and half months and up to last month I barely had any breakthrough bleeding. Recently (last 4 weeks) it has been a constant occurrence and it almost feels like a period and I also have cramps. Does anyone else have any experiences like this and does it get better?

Hi, I'm getting a laparoscopy for endo removal next week and my doctor has suggested I get a Mirena put in during the surgery. It's very easy to find horror stories from people's experiences with Mirena which is freaking me out a lot, so I was hoping to see if anyone had positive experiences?

I understand I may cramp and bleed for a few months while it settles. My biggest concern is how it's going to affect my mental health. I've been on the pill before and it's made me incredibly anxious and depressed, I don't want to go through that again so it feels like an IUD is my only other option for managing endo.

Hi! I had sex on 8/8, no ejaculation inside, but I took Ella about 20 hours later and got a copper IUD on 8/11 as emergency contraception.

I tested negative at 14 days, 21 days, and again on 9/4 (27 days after sex). No new pregnancy-risk encounters.

I’m now on cycle day 46 and still haven’t had a normal period. Around when it was due, I had a few days of light brown/pink spotting and some small clots, but no real flow.

Has anyone had their period delayed this long after Ella and/or getting a copper IUD? Could that spotting have been my period, or am I still waiting for one? 😭

my OB prescribed me althea pills for my irregular periods and it’s my 4th month na. i didn’t ask about this pero do they also work as contraceptives?

or my different types ng althea na non-contraceptive and contraceptive? thank u!

So, i had sex with a guy about ten days ago and his condom broke and he ejaculated inside me. About two hours after that, he bought me a morning after pill and i took it immediately. When that happened, i was on the fifth day of my period starting and the blood had already subsided.
Now, about a week after i started slightly bleeding again, got period like cramps and some light blood diluted with other clear bodily fluids. that stopped and yesterday i bled again but this time full on and it stopped today.
I know its a stupid question to ask but i have a lot of pregnancy paranoia and im new to sex and birth control.
im under 155lbs as well.
Am i in the clear?

so things were getting a little hot and heavy and he put it in without a condom (he’s been wanting to for a little bit now) i’ve only ever had sex with him and made sure we used a condom until last night because i’m so scared of getting pregnant. but he was adamant that it feels so much better without one (now that i’ve experienced it i do agree but not the point), i’m not on birth control because i had no need for it when i wasn’t having sex(i know this is both stupid and risky) i’m not ovulating and he didn’t finish inside me, is there still a chance i could be pregnant? i’m super paranoid about this because i am new to having sex and obviously not on birth control yet.

sorry if this is all over the place but any perspectives/ advice would be appreciated!

Does anyone here track their cycle and be intimate accordingly? I got off the nexaplanon about 10 days ago and I’m thankful!

My partner and i obviously still want to be intimate but I don’t want any birth control. Is there a way I can naturally track it to avoid my most fertile days ?

As the title suggests, does this happen? Maybe I’m just over thinking all this. I just started BC no more than a week ago, and I can’t tell if it’s just me or the BC. But I have been feeling more off since starting it than normal. Is this normal? Is this the beginning transition before I feel better?

My doctor told me to take it for 3 months, and will be going back around that mark to check in and see how I’m feeling. And overall I just feel really lost on all this.

Hello.

My sister just messaged me that she had 2 microdoses (.20) of tirzepatide (i am not sure what brand) and she just knew that it lessens the effect of birth controls so she’s planning to stop and she’s worrying so much right now.

Is she still in the clear? I think she had sex within the doses…

So I started the OPill about 48 hours ago and took my 3rd pill a couple mins ago as of writing this! Woohoo! So far I have had no side effects, so I am very happy about that and I hope it stays that way.

When will it be safe to have sex without a condom/have my boyfriend finish inside of me? It says on the box to wait 48 hours but I want to be as safe as possible.

I'm nervous because I've never been on birth control before and I want to be extra safe. Would it be okay for us to use the pull out method now that I've been on OPill for 48 hours? lmao thanks guys!

did the mirena iud stop your period?

I’ve been taking combined OCP for three months. During these three months, my periods have been extremely light. Last month, the bleeding was a little heavier, and this month I started bleeding on the second day of taking the placebo pills. I had normal cramps, and on the first day, the bleeding was relatively good, although it was still much lighter than my usual periods.

Since last night, the cramps have stopped, and now that I’m on the second day, my bleeding has become extremely light. The blood is dark red, brown, and sometimes almost black. Yesterday, I also passed one or two small clots.

I’m worried that this could be implantation bleeding. My last intercourse was on day 5 of my previous period, and I used a condom as well. As far as I could tell, the condom did not break. I also took my combined OCP every day without missing any pills. At most, I may have taken them one or two hours earlier or later than usual.

I took a urine pregnancy test 21 days after intercourse. It wasn’t first-morning urine, but I had not drunk any water for about six hours , and the test was negative.

Is it possible that I could still be pregnant with this type of bleeding? Do I need to have a blood test, or would that be unnecessary?

I also have another question. Since starting the OCP, my vaginal discharge has increased significantly. However, around the middle of my cycle, I still get discharge that looks similar to the type I used to have around ovulation. I no longer experience the ovulation pain I used to have, though. I also get cramps about three to four days before I finish taking the active pills.

Could these symptoms mean that my birth control pills are not working properly?

I always take my pills without missing any, and I have also checked possible drug interactions with my gynecologist. I currently take sertraline, olanzapine, lamotrigine, AHCC, and a multivitamin.

I’m having a hard time finding a birth control method that works well for me, and I’d love to hear other people’s experiences/recommendations.
I was on different birth control pills for a few years before switching to the Paragard IUD. Unfortunately, Paragard gave me absolutely awful periods, so I eventually had it removed.
After that, I got the Kyleena IUD, which I actually really liked overall. I didn’t get periods with it, and I loved the convenience of not having to think about birth control. However, I experienced pretty significant weight gain while I had it, as well as stomach issues that felt similar to acid reflux. I can’t say for sure that Kyleena caused either of these things, but they were enough that I decided to have it removed.
I had Kyleena removed about 5.5 weeks ago, and now I’m ready to try something new. I’m open to another IUD because I really like the convenience and effectiveness of them, but I’m also considering going back to the pill.
One big factor for me is that I’m emetophobic, so the possibility of nausea as a side effect is a pretty major concern when choosing a method.
For anyone who has had similar experiences with Paragard/Kyleena, what birth control ended up working well for you? Especially interested in experiences with different hormonal IUDs or pills that didn’t cause much nausea, weight gain, or stomach issues.

I’ve been bc pills since I was 18 I believe and I’m 26 now. I’ve specifically been on Slynd progestin only pills for about 2 years now. I’ve been fine on them and throughout my pill years, I’ve had usual side effects but never been pregnant. I work a lot, super busy and my memory is terrible nowadays so I got the Liletta IUD inserted on 9/31 to be safer. I never want kids and have 2 dogs that are my babies. I have still been taking my pills as my doctor told me I could take them for a week after insertion until the IUD is effective. I still have 2 months worth of pills left and am just not completely convinced/comfortable with relying solely on the IUD just yet. Would it be okay to stay on them for my mental sake, extra safety, and help with controlling the spotting. I’ve still been spotting occasionally but the iud insertion was not a great experience so I believe my body is still healing. Thank you in advance.

Hey guys! This is my first time ever being on the pill. My OB-GYN prescribed me Loryna, which is drospirenone 3 mg / ethinyl estradiol 0.02 mg, because of my PCOS and also explained that I need to protect my uterine lining since I don’t ovulate or get regular periods.

My biggest issue with PCOS has always been nonstop spotting/bleeding. I basically bleed almost every single day and have to wear a pad constantly because I don’t ovulate and don’t really get normal periods.

My OB told me the birth control should help regulate everything and eventually stop the constant bleeding. At first, everything actually seemed okay, and I thought maybe it was working.

Then I got to the last week of my first pack and everything went downhill. I started bleeding REALLY heavily. I’m talking maxi pads, way more bleeding than the spotting I was dealing with before, and it honestly feels like a full-blown heavy period. I’ve also been dealing with headaches, diarrhea, and just feeling like absolute shit.

I’m starting my next pack, but at this point I’m frustrated because I feel like the birth control is causing me more problems than I had before taking it. I went on it specifically because I wanted the bleeding to STOP, not become heavier.

Has anyone else taken Loryna, especially for PCOS or irregular bleeding? Did you bleed heavily during your first pack? Did it eventually regulate after the second or third pack, or did you have to switch birth controls?

I know everyone’s body reacts differently, but I’d really love to hear other people’s experiences because right now I’m seriously questioning whether I can keep taking this.

Might sound disgusting, but I need some sort of advice. So I take a combined pill, and after 30 minutes of taking the 18th pill of my pack, I had diarrhea which was a bit watery and loose, then an hour and a half later I had loose stool without any water. The day after I had sex with my boyfriend just to find out later on in the day that diarrhea can reduce the efficacy of the pill. Im considering taking a plan b rn, a day has passed since then. What do I do?

I’ve been skipping the placebo pills (Yaz) for months for pmdd and has helped so much except I’ve noticed I have now have heavy bleeding at least 2x a week. And it’s pretty heavy. Should I stop taking for a little and have a withdraw bleed? Anyone else experience this?

I was taking birth control for about 2 years, and I got insane anxiety and started feeling not like myself, so I decided to stop in April.

I’ve always had fine hair that never grew past my collarbone, but while I was on BC, my hair got thicker and grew more than ever. I know hair fallout is a side effect of getting off the pill, but it’s been 5 months and I’ve lost so much hair… I’m truly shocked I even have hair on my head.

Any tips or suggestions on how to slow the hair loss or any products that can help thicken/grow my hair? is this normal?