It’s been a while since we’ve had a chat about vaginas here on Smaggle. I got such a fabulous response the last time I wrote about lady bits in my Regular VS Applicator Tampons article (which got linked to on Mamamia last week!!!) that I thought I’d bite the bullet and open up the old contraception topic for discussion.
In the time I have been boinking (I can’t say sexually active, I sound like Mama Smaggle) I have only been on the pill for one year. It was pretty awful and I ended up with irregular periods, absent periods, periods that would last for an entire cycle and on top of all this mayhem it made my hair go straight. Every doctor I’ve had says this is scientifically impossible but I swear it happened. My hair was curly, I went on the pill, it went straight, I went off the pill and it went curly again but truthfully it’s never really been the same. Coincidence? Unlikely.
As I am nothing without my hair I promptly switched to condoms to save my precious locks and to have a break from what seemed like a never ending period of periods and have been using them for about four years. They are cheap, efficient, readily available and unlike hormonal contraception I can see when it’s failed and can take proper precautions like the morning after pill. However I think condoms are a little impersonal if you’re in a long term committed relationship and my excruciating period pain has been getting worse recently so I’ve been looking for an alternative contraception that might help with that. I’m also one of the unlucky few women in the world who gets ovulation pain. If you don’t know what that is, then you’ve never had it. It’s like a second bout of period pain exactly 14 days after your period ends. You can literally ‘feel’ your egg travelling down the felopian tube. And by ‘feel’ I mean eight hours of sharp stabby pains in your lower right abdomen as your egg is beating the living crap out of the inside of your uterus. It’s delightful.
To cut a long story short I was seeing a specialist gynecologist the other day, or rather paying him $450 to tell me, very seriously, that I have a 5% chance of developing cervical cancer over the next ten years. I have a higher chance of getting hit by a bus so I found this information unnecessarily ominous. I decided to make the appointment worth the money so I told him about my ninja ovaries and their death plan for my sanity and he suggested that I try NuvaRing.
I had never heard of it but thought I would give it a try. It’s basically a rubber ring that doesn’t look unlike a silicone hair band and you kind of squish it in half and insert it like a tampon. It has low dose, slow release hormones that act just like the pill but it’s localised so it doesn’t travel through your whole system. You leave the ring in for three weeks, take it out, have a period and put another one in after your period. I’ve only been using it for a month but I really like it. I don’t have that medicated feeling like I have on the pill and I didn’t get any ovulation or period pain this month. My hair appears to be doing fine so far but I’ll be closely monitoring the situation in the months to come.
Everyone that I’ve spoken to in Australia about NuvaRing has either never heard of it or is completely mistrusting of it. At around $30 per month it’s kind of expensive but that’s really subjective depending on how much you’ve previously spent on contraception. Apparently it’s quite big in the UK but according to my doctor, Australian women collectively are quite conservative when it comes to innovative contraception and prefer to stick to tried and true methods.
My question to you is… what contraception do you use? And why? Have you had bad experiences with contraception? Great experiences? Oh and please let me know your age and location, it’s always so interesting to see what my international readers have to say.
Also if anyone has used or is using NuvaRing I’d love to hear about your experiences!
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77 Comments
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I’m on the pill and have in fact just changed pills. I was on Yasmin but that is not subsidised in NZ – when the price shot up to $98 per pack, I decided to use an subsidised alternative. Because I have PCOS, it’s recommended that I be on a BCP to regulate hormones otherwise I don’t know that I’d bother. We are in a long-term committed relationship and also use condoms for the reasons you highlighted above. We are not ready for a child at this point in our lives and I don’t think I’d ever be able to have an abortion (just me, not judging anyone else) so we “double up” on contraception methods so to speak.
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Wow! You double up? That’s commitment! Good on you. My friend does that too because her sister had an unwanted pregnancy in a religious family and it would kill her parents if it happened to her too.
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Hi, I am from Germany and I am using the NuvaRing since about a year or so… I´m totally satisfied! I had the same concerns about using the pill , the NuvaRing is quite polular here in Europe so I tried it out and as I said… perfect for me! I Never had a single problem:)
I hope it will work out for you, too!-
I’ve heard it’s popular in Europe! Thanks for the reply!
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I did investigate NuvaRing, but I ended up with Implanon (the little stick-like thingy they implant into your upper arm). It’s a little weird to think about having a piece of plastic semi-permanently in your body, but it does seem to be working. Apparently 60% of women who use it have normal periods, 10% have constant break-through bleeding (and need to have it removed) and 30% have no periods at all. I’m feeling very lucky to be in the 30%!
It lasts 3 years and costs about $125, so it’s darned cheap. Also good for ladies who forget to take the pill or don’t like condoms.
One thing I can say – make sure you get a good doc who has at least some interest in women’s health. In Australia there seems to be a huge lack of knowledge about different contraception methods among most GPs. They offer you the pill, and that’s about it. I finally started seeing a women’s health specialist, and it’s been peachy ever since (and I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, so it’s very rarely peachy). -
I use the nuvaring! I’ve been on it a little more than a year I think. I love it a lot actually. I was on the pill for a while, but I got sick of trying to remember to take it at the same time every day, or even just trying to take it every day. With the nuvaring it’s pretty hard to mess up. Also I did notice that hormones don’t affect me emotionally as the pill did – I was much more sensitive to everything while on the pill. It’s really expensive for me because my insurance doesn’t seem to want to cover all that much of it (I’m in the US) but I think it’s worth it. Also – and you’ll probably want to check this out before you take my word for it – I know that it gives you the dose of hormones for 4 weeks, not just 3, in case you forget on the exact day. It’s much nicer to have a week of cushion versus a couple hours with the pill!
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Great info! My doctor says it’s pretty crucial to take it out put it in at the same time though. I’m being super careful! But I might wait four weeks in the future!
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I use the Nuvaring and love it! I love not having to think about a pill! I’ve been on it for just over a year and it’s been wonderful. On another note, look into the Diva Cup. It’s a cup you insert like a tampon and is reusable, I’ve had mine for just about a year and it has, also, been a life changer!
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Omg, I love my Diva Cup! I got mine 2 years ago and it is absolutely fantastic.
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I’ve heard about Diva cups but I’ve recently for no good reason gone off tampons. They make me a bit sick, like make my period pain worse bit I’ve heard Diva cups help with that too. I might just try one!
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menstrual cups FTW! I use a Lunette cup and I LOVE, luv, <3 it! Plus it's a pretty green color… awwww
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You need to give it a try, I was using super duper tampons and I still had issues, I switched to the Diva Cup and now I take way less pain meds and my periods are lighter. I’ve recommended the Diva Cup to a few friends and they wish they had know about it sooner.
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I also use a Diva Cup, have been for a few years, prior to getting the Mirena IUD, it’s fabulous to be more natural instead… Something creepy about tampons! But pads can also be a nightmare… I love my Diva Cup!
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I use the pill, after going between several brands and having ungodly side effects from some (including but not limited to zero sex drive – which kind of removes the point – and recurring yeast infections, which are just a whole barrel of awesome, let me tell you), I found Jolessa, which I’m in my fourth month on and I’m liking. It’s ridiculously expensive if you don’t have insurance (and live in the states), it’s like $120something for a 3 month pack. But not having the side effects is worth it for me. Also, you only have your period once every three months, which is a MAJOR thing for me!
I still get pretty bad cramps, but they’re not as bad as they were before the pill – before I got on any kind of pill I’d have cramps for days that were bad enough to make me vomit. No bueno. Because of the monster cramps from hell, I’m afraid to use some kind of birth control that isn’t hormonal. Of course, the last period I got before I went on Jolessa, the cramps were bad enough I thought I had appendicitis (true story) & I was dry-heaving, so maybe it wouldn’t be that much worse after all.
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See, not getting my period kind of freaks me out because how do you know that you’re not pregnant if you’re not getting it? I like my monthly reminder!
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HAHA! Well, I’m really paranoid about symptoms, (like nausea/sore boobs/etc.) and to be honest I also regularly buy pregnancy tests just to soothe my paranoia. I don’t want any babies either!
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We used condoms for a long time until recently. I have endometriosis, PCOS and just a whole shitload of pain and for a long time I’ve resisted hormones. I’m oversensitive to oestrogen, it gives me migraines and fibrous cysts in my breasts (hey life can be a lot of fun!) so I’ve recently started taking the progesterone only pill which stops ovulation and should help all the other stuff. We’ll see I guess!
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That sounds awful! Good luck with it all…
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Vasectomy, yeeha! (I have kids. Hubby was totally happy to have the snip.) I have got accidentally pregnant (three times!) using condoms – the pill worked for me, condoms did not! (I am super-fertile, or at least I was in my youth). I didn’t like the pill all that much, but I was only on it from the ages of 18-25.
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I read that they are almost 100% reversable. I wish they’d do them on men without children and then reverse them. Problem solved!
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After trying the birth control pill, nuvaring, the patch and condoms – my doctor and I discussed the Mirena. Five year birth control for the win. It’s inserted into my uterus (a little invasive, a little painful, but worth it in a committed relationship that presently doesn’t want kids) and seriously lasts five. years. Crazy thing. I love it.
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Hi Stacy, I was thinking about getting a Murina put it but was a little unsure… the doctor I talked too was very anti iud and tried to scare me out of getting one… telling me it could fall out etc!! Do you have any side effects etc? I am still interested in getting one
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Hi Stacy, Like you, I have tried a few methods also. I had the Mirena inserted in Oct last year and I’ve never looked back! My partner loves that he doesn’t have to use icky condoms and I am happy that I don’t have all the pimples, mood swings and food cravings that I used to have whilst on the pill… Mind you I had tried about 15 varieties of pills over the years and they have all had at least one side affect that made that part of my life just that little more annoying/awkward/embarrassing etc! I love that I don’t have to stress about falling pregnant now and that when we are ready I can have a simple removal in the Dr’s office and all should go back to normal straight away! Plus my periods have even stopped which is a major bonus!
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So you can use Mirena of you haven’t had children??? I love the sound of the IUD but didn’t think you get it if you hadn’t had children.
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You can use Mirena before childbirth, but when I did I lost all interest in sex during that time. Perfect contraceptive. Yeay.
Then I heard about gynefix, which is a tiny iud, no hormones. I’ve got last thursday. -
I haven’t had any kidlets yet and it was painful to have the IUD inserted… but Doctor’s do allow you to have it, if other forms of contraception don’t work for you… I went to the Sexual Health & Family Planning Clinic in Canberra to have mine sorted out!
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Like Emma I use Implanon (and have done for almost 10 years on and off) It lasts three years and is subsidised in Australia so only costs $25. It was easy to remove when I wanted to fall pregnant and I was fertile almost immediately. No side effects at all for me but it can be different for others.
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I was 16 when Implanon first started and there was this crazy period in it’s induction where heaps of girls got pregnant on it. I’m sure they’ve ironed out those problems but I’m still scarred from the news coverage back then!
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I got my first one not long after it had started in Australia and according to numerous experts I have talked to, all of those cases happened because it was never actually inserted. If done right you can clearly feel it in place but I would always go to a family planning clinic or gyno to have it put in – not just your GP. From all the literature and studies Implanon is 99.9 percent effective which is better than almost everything else out there.
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I used to have lots of wonderful natural waves in my hair until I got pregnant, and now it’s just … not straight, just sorta casually making a pithy effort to be wavy but not really, so I totally support the idea that hormones will change the hair!
I tried a couple of different pills but they all made me feel like I was pregnant – nausea, aching boobs, lower back pain. Instead of feeling reassured that I was not pregnant, I was buying pregnancy tests every other month because the symptoms were so scarily similar to those when I was actually pregnant.
I did discuss the ring with my doctor, but ultimately opted for Implanon. It was kinda sucky for the first six months and I gave very serious consideration to getting it removed. Insane mood swings, bad skin, and I was getting my period every couple of weeks, which I think left me a bit anemic – my finger nails were snapping off and you couldn’t pat my arm without leaving me horrifically bruised. But after six months it settled down and it has been fine – although my periods are still totally out of whack. I’ll go two months period-free, then get it twice in two weeks, I may or may not get it the following month … there’s no regularity to my period whatsoever.
I paid $5 for it, and irregular periods aside, I think it was money well spent when I consider how much it’s costing me for the child I conceived when I was relying on condoms. :/
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I knew it! Hormones make your hair straight! Not having regular periods would drive me insane.
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I knew it! Hormones make your hair straight! Not having regular periods would drive me insane.
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After about 6 months of ‘bonking’ my boyfriend suggested going on the pill, I was 18 at the time and the only other contraception I knew about was the implant (and condoms, which we were using) and I didn’t like the idea of that. I’ve been on the pill for about three years now and never had any real problems with it. Every morning I put them on my pillow so I remember to take them at night before bed. I have forgotten to take them a few times but have only once ever needed the morning after pill.
The brand I use is considered to be more expernsive (three years ago was $32 for 3 months, but now $22) but it has really cleared up my acne so I think it’s worth it.
(Aust, 21 yrs)-
I never had any problems taking them its when I was sick or on antibiotics or something like that. It just felt like I was never fully protected and used condoms half the time anyway.
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I never had any problems taking them its when I was sick or on antibiotics or something like that. It just felt like I was never fully protected and used condoms half the time anyway.
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I learnt about the delicacy of contraception after falling pregnant at a very young age, we used a condom but I was slightly oblivious to the mechanics of this form of contraception. Since this experience I would have tried 5 or 6 methods of contraception. The GP I saw after giving birth to my child only believed in natural forms of contraception and would only discuss the rythm or billings methods with me. After having my child I chose to abstain from having sex for a good 18 months (much to the delight of my shocked family).
I have tried the pill which gave me extreme mood swings and terrible acne. I tried an IUD but it was uncomfortable and I found that I had a large amount of bleeding over the 6 months of having it. I had it removed and was given multiple pamphlets and went to information sessions about various forms of contraception. I have used condoms and also tried a diaphram. All of these forms of contraception did not work for me and it was through a, very long and painful, process of elimination that I found what did work.
I now use Implanon, like Emma and Vanessa, and it works for me incredibly well. It is relativley cheap and lasts for three years. I also do not get a period on this form of contraception but I do get menstrual cramps monthly.
Great topic Ms Smaggle!-
Cramps but no period? That’s bizarre. Not having a period does freak me out still.
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I started taking the pill when I was 17, so three years ago. At first I really didn’t want to mess around with hormones and I really did not like the idea of going on the pill after all of the awful side effects I’d read about. However I got sick of being lectured by highly unpleasant JUDGEMENTAL chemists everytime I had to buy the morning after pill (this happened a few times because condoms tend to break unfortunately), these awful women in their late 50s who looked like they hadn’t seen a penis in their life lecturing me made me so furious, so it just got to the point where I decided to just screw it and go on the pill. The first pill was Yasmin, recommended to me by a friend. It made me gain nearly 10kgs verrry quickly, but it made my skin beautiful. In the end I had to decide which was worth more; being fat and have clear skin or be thin with not so great but not terrible skin. I decided that I would rather spend a little more on skin care products and changed to Microgynon. I quickly lost the weight I gained after Yasmin but my skin is pretty average and not as nice as it used to be.
I’m content with being on the pill I take now, but I will not be experimenting with new forms of contraception as I’ve heard too many terrible things about a lot of them, and I don’t like invasive methods because I’m a private person. I also really don’t like the risk of pregnancy because I don’t like children, and would never want to deal with procuring an abortion because it sounds all too painful and scary. So to make myself feel safer about being on the pill I am always very careful about taking it and my boyfriend always pulls out.
Thank you for bringing up this topic, like I said, I’m a private person when it comes to this sort of thing and am so glad to be able to talk about this and read the experiences of others, it’s very helpful! -
I’ve been a Nuvaring user for about 6 years now and find it fantastic. I suffer from IBS and when I was looking into contraception I needed to know that what ever I used would be as reliable as possible. Since the nuvaring has absolutely nothing to do with my digestive system it suits me just great. I have also found that my horrible, faint inducing period pains have pretty much vanished and have been replaced with a little backache instead.
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Mine too! I’m really liking and just between you and me (and all the other commenters) I just had my first ‘normal’ period on hormonal contraception ever! Yay!
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my partner & i have been together for nearly 10 years and up until last year have only used condoms.
through the middle of last year i was diagnosed with PCOS & given the pill (Yaz) to keep the evil symptoms under control, i too have gone from fairly curly hair to kinda wavy, inbetween waves, i thought it was just me! this topic has triggered the need to revisit my doctor (i hate the doctor & avoid it as much as possible)
i think in australia the options we have are not really talked about too much, a couple of health ed classes in school doesn’t always convey the message effectively.
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Doctors lie! They have think it’s impossible but curly hair goes straight, I shit you not.
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I’ve been on the Pill on and off for almost 10 years. It’s worked fine for the most part except that I fell pregnant a couple of years ago while on it! Sadly I lost the baby.
It seems ultra-fertility runs in my family – my mother has become pregnant while on the Pill and with a IUD! I’m still on the Pill (Yasmin) and I’m lucky to not have any of the typical side-effects like weight gain or mood swings.
When I got together with my current partner I was super-vigilant about being on the Pill AND using condoms (given my past experience I wanted double protection!) but we have been together for a while now, and had all the STD tests, and if I was unlucky enough to AGAIN be one of the 0.01% of women who become pregnant on the Pill, it would change our plans a little bit, but would be welcome and wanted.
Also, he and I split the costs of my contraception, since it’s BOTH of our responsibility.
I have always wanted curly hair. I wonder if I stopped taking the Pill, would it make my hair curly?
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Also, I’m 26 and in Australia!
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Mr Smaggle and I split costs too! He offered!
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I’ve been on the pill for seven years, and I’ve found it to be pretty good. I haven’t had any nasty side affects, and I’ve never once forgotten to take it. I used to get excruciating period pain and wildly unpredictable periods, and the pill seems to have ironed this out for me. I think that even if I were single, I would continue to take the pill because of the reduction in period pain and the regularity of my periods.
I’ve been with the same partner for seven years and I’ve never had any previous sexual partners. He’s had a couple, but has been tested for STDs. We still use condoms about 90% of the time, just to be double-super-safety-sure, but sometimes, in the heat of the moment, we forget.
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I started taking the pill when I was 17, so three years ago. At first I really didn’t want to mess around with hormones and I really did not like the idea of going on the pill after all of the awful side effects I’d read about. However I got sick of being lectured by highly unpleasant JUDGEMENTAL chemists everytime I had to buy the morning after pill (this happened a few times because condoms tend to break unfortunately), these awful women in their late 50s who looked like they hadn’t seen a penis in their life lecturing me made me so furious, so it just got to the point where I decided to just screw it and go on the pill. The first pill was Yasmin, recommended to me by a friend. It made me gain nearly 10kgs verrry quickly, but it made my skin beautiful. In the end I had to decide which was worth more; being fat and have clear skin or be thin with not so great but not terrible skin. I decided that I would rather spend a little more on skin care products and changed to Microgynon. I quickly lost the weight I gained after Yasmin but my skin is pretty average and not as nice as it used to be.
I’m content with being on the pill I take now, but I will not be experimenting with new forms of contraception as I’ve heard too many terrible things about a lot of them, and I don’t like invasive methods because I’m a private person. I also really don’t like the risk of pregnancy because I don’t like children, and would never want to deal with procuring an abortion because it sounds all too painful and scary. So to make myself feel safer about being on the pill I am always very careful about taking it and my boyfriend always pulls out.
Thank you for bringing up this topic, like I said, I’m a private person when it comes to this sort of thing and am so glad to be able to talk about this and read the experiences of others, it’s very helpful!-
No problem! I think it’s important for women to be able to talk about their experiences and share them. It’s been great reading all the comments!
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I have been using Implanon for eighteen months. It is perfect for me as I am in a long term relationship and am quite forgetful so only having to remember every three years is right up my alley. I get my period about every three months which is fine with me.
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I just switched to the NuvaRing after trying about 4 different pills in as many years. Needless to say, it was horrible and I hated them and they wreaked havoc on my body: missing periods, month-long ones, scary almost breast lumps…so I decided on my doctor’s advice to switch. Best decision ever. I completely adore the NuvaRing; yes, it is expensive but I must say it works like a dream, and I’d rather pay more for something that is effective and hasn’t messed with my body nearly as much as the pills did. It’s also the birth control with the lowest amount of estrogen (of the kinds of birth control you keep in your body, naturally), which apparently the pills gave my body too much and therefore, chaos ensued. Honestly I was as skeptical as you are right now about it, but both my sister and my best friend had been on it for years and raved about it and convinced me to go for it. Love it! Also, as a sidenote, according to my boyfriend he can’t feel it when we have sex, which is a big plus. But if for some reason he does/it bothers him, you can take it out for up to three hours! Huzzah! Go for it Lady Smaggle!
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I’m loving it so far. Only my second one ever but it does feel so weird like it’s a joke or something.
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Regardless of contraceptive needs, I encourage any woman with problematic periods to try something. I coped with long painful periods for much too long before going on the Pill. Now, a couple days of spotting and no pain.
If the first Pill you try doesn’t help, try different ones until you find the right one for you. Many variations in hormones and dosage strength in the different brands.-
I agree. Periods are awful and period pain can be excrutiating.
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Hiya, I used the nuva ring for about 2 years and really liked it, mainly because it had no side effects, but also cause you could whack it in there and then promptly forget about it.
That being said, eventually I decided to give implanon (the 3 yr arm implant) a go, as I got sick of the cost of the nuva ring, and also the fact that when you’re having sex it can often feel like an unwelcome friend’s sandwiched themselves in between you for the ride! So implant it is for the moment, but I’ll admit, it’s got my cycle going at double time, and I look like a scary android with it sticking out my bicep. They sure don’t make contraception easy for something so crucial!-
To be honest, the cost of Nuvaring may well be it’s downfall for me. I’m considering Depo (injections) but not having my period freaks me out.
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Great post Carly! I am on the pill and have been for the last 10 years. I don’t like it very much, but for me there isn’t much option. I have severe endometriosis (or ‘endo’ as everyone calls it, like it’s some annoying great aunt who pops in unexpectedly from time to time), and the three gynaeocolgists that I have been to see have all encouraged me to stay on the pill, because it regulates the supply of oestrogen to your girly bits (well, certain pills do. There are many different ones with different levels of progesterone and oestrogen- I’m certainly not an expert!). Regulating oestrogen is really important to stop endo, because they think that’s what makes it more prevalent. Yuk. One doctor recommended the Mirena, but my partner and I both decided against it, because it’s relatively untested in terms of its effect on endo, and we’d like to have kids in the next few years, and didn’t want to risk it. Like so many other women who have commented here, I would recommend getting things checked out if you have severe period pain, extra light or heavy bleeding, or if you just feel wrong ‘down there’. I was diagnosed with endo 4 years ago, and was told then that there could be flow on effects (no pun intended!) for my fertility, which could become more serious the closer I got to the magic age of 35 (after which, apparently, all women turn into childless pumpkins). It wasn’t nice to hear all this, but it has meant that I understand what’s going on in my body, and I feel informed about all the choices I am making re contraception, pregnancy and sex. I don’t like the pill by any stretch, and for someone who constantly struggles with their weight, I would love to go off it and lose 5 kilos. But I guess I’ll have to wait until I decide I want a baby Bateman. Then put all the weight on again. Sigh!
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I’ve heard that the second you turn 35 your vag dries up. Hop to it Lize! I’m liking the sound of this Mirena thing though… might look into it!
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I’ve heard that the second you turn 35 your vag dries up. Hop to it Lize! I’m liking the sound of this Mirena thing though… might look into it!
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I work at Family Planning NSW and am doing some research into the cost of contraception, and how cost affects women’s choices. It has been so great reading all your comments about what does and doen’t work for different women. We are hoping to do some advocacy around lowering prices (or making contraception free like in the UK!) In Australia, only the older forms of the pill are on the subsidised scheme, and other – like the ones that are especially good for skin and period pain and so on – costs heaps more. So unfair!
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Wow fantastic! That’s exactly why I wrote the article, so women would share their stories and have a great resource at the end of it. I cannot believe contraception is free in the UK. Why is Australia so behind?
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I have the Mirena IUD, like some other ladies here. I’m nearly 37, with 2 kids, NSW. It hurt like a bitch when it was put in about 3 years ago. I’m not that impressed with it though, so I’ll be hurrying the husband up to get the snippo. It’s totally randomised my period and I’m just sick of not knowing when I’m gonna need supplies.
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Love this post! I have been a dormant smaggler but have decided to finally comment for this! As a fellow curly hair girl I can sympathise with how horrible it would be to have that taken away. But on the topic of hormones and hair I have to say that I was a straight haired girl before puberty, and now post puberty sport some lovely curly locks. I suggest that hormones and hair have closer links than your doctor thinks. 🙂
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Yay! Thanks for coming out of the closet and commenting!
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I agree, my hair was barely wavy when i was growing up, then BAM puberty & mega curls!
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I loved the NuvaRing too!! I actually switched to it because i felt like the pill was making me mood-swingy – having the NuvaRing in place 24/7 means you have a steady release of hormones instead of a day’s worth all at once when you take the pill.
Unfortunately it made me a bit bloaty around the waist, which I could have dealt with, but it also made me super tired – like falling asleep on the couch at 6pm every day tired. Apparently these are pretty rare side-effects.
I decided to go back onto a pill that is meant to be better for moodswings, and decided if anyone thinks i’m moody they can stick it!-
See now I have your placebo effects! Damn it! 🙂
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I legitimately went crazy on the pill. I didn’t even realize it until after I went off. This may be a TMI, but I never knew I was orgasming until I was off the pill. It dulled my senses. Now I use condoms and really don’t mind them. I have heard good things about the Nuva Ring, so that may be an option in the future.
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The pill. Yasmin. After 11 years of losing so much blood each month that I fainted again and again, I went on the pill. Three pills were all bad for me (made me put on weight and have bad skin) but Yasmin was the pill for me. I’ve been on it a long, long time now and am too scared to go off it.
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Hi,
Im a lurker too. I just thought I’d chime in with my experience. I have a hereditary kidney condition which goes hand in hand with high blood pressure so I couldnt take the pill. I had an implant which was great the first year but then I started getting irregular periods and had it taken out. As I cant take the pill or any other sort of hormonal contraception an older style of copper IUD was recommended to me. I tried to have it inserted at the family planning clinic but this was unsucessful. I think this is where the myth about having to have kids prior to having it inserted come from, because if your cervix has been stretched then its easier. I was then referred to a clinic to have it inserted under a general anaesthetic. This was quite traumatic as they did a dilation and curette at the same time, which I believe is unneccesary, to ensure I was not pregnant prior to insertion (I wasnt! for sure) but thats how this particular clinic goes about it. I then went home and literally writhed in agony for about 5 hours before the pain subsided. Approx 6 months later my boyfriend (now husband) “Felt something pointy” during sex and lo and behold the IUD was “working its way out”! I then had to go to The Womens and have it removed and a morning after pill as efficacy could not be guaranteed at that point.
At my last straw with this IUD thing, a beautiful kind lady doctor at The Womens managed to insert my IUD without anaesthetic and that was 5 years ago and I havent looked back. Soon it will be time to have it removed, which neatly coincides with hubby and I wanting a family.
In conclusion, I would state that my IUD has been fantastic, but I would definately make an appointment at The Womens sexual health clinic to have it inserted. All the shit I went through to get it “Up there” almost put me off completely and was very upsetting at the time. -
Great post and comments! I’m a pill girl from way back when I started going steady with my first boyfriend at 18 (needless to say when he and I broke up i used double protection- condoms- to keep me safe from nasties). I find the pill – plain old school triquilar – just so easy. I used to get really heavy periods and pain but on the pill I get none of that! I still get PMS but the intensity of that seems more closely related to mental health than my contraceptive choice!! The only problem with it is that the brand I use is really hard to skip on for me…
I’m the same as one of the other commenters… I recommend the pill to everyone (yes awkward conversations with younger sisters and cousins included) I just tell them if the first one you get isn’t right then try try again. So many options out there!!
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I’ve used the pill, Yasmin for about 4 – 5 yrs now. I’ve gone off it every now and then (including this month) and my boobs grew a whole size. My colleagues thought I was pregnant they were so huge for one week before I got my period. I also got my period 3 weeks apart (not ideal!).
I know Yasmin has had some bad PR (hair falling out etc) but it works for me and keeps my water retention down. It also helps with my acne and period pain.
In saying that, I asked my doctor recently about alternative treatments and he told me to stick to Yasmin if I was happy with it…I’m definitely going to look into this ring, I’m intrigued!
And I’m also one of those ‘lucky’ girls who gets ovulation pain, I find it worse than period pain most of the time. Killer! Great post, contraception needs to be discussed more often.
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I’ve been using NuvaRing for five years and I love it. Before I had horribly heavy periods and many PMS type symptoms, but my “Ring periods” give me none of those troubles. The only thing I’ve noticed is that if I get off schedule and leave my ring out for an entire month, it takes about 3 months to get my “Ring period” back. I’ll never do that again!
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I’m 18, From Melbourne.
I’ve been on the pill since just after my 17th birthday! I’ve been sexually active since I was 15..
I currently have a boyfriend and we both take contraception rather seriously! HE even makes sure I’ve taken the pill! While he lives in NSW. We both use condoms aswell as the pill! To be extra sure!
I was put on the pill because I used to faint, be in terrible pain, and sometimes vomit due to my period. My mother told me to go on them! I had to get blood tests before starting because my mother has clotting issues aswell as a number of other people in my family!
I’ve been on it for over an hour! I’ve tried different pills! And I’m considering switching to another because this one is causing minor side effects! When I started I had lack of appetite and lost alot of weight!I don’t ever wanna get off the pill as it has helped alot! 😀
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I did not like the nuvaring it made me very emotional anytime I was stressed it was like 10 times worse and I was always bloated. I got the ring to help with my cramps and i still got them. My menstruals are terrible I have periods for seven days and have cramps for like the first three days im looking for something that will help me have lighter periods and no or less painful cramps
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Yes, I too am on birth control and it totally straightened my super curly hair. I am latina, my hair is still thick and coarse, but I went from dime sized tight curls to wavy almost straight…. A couple of years ago I went off the pill and the tight kinky curls returned in the new growth!
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