Thoughts on hormonal birth control...
Hi all! I know birth control is a very personal, important decision for people, but I am wanting to get some perspectives from you guys--since I know you're like me in being interested in natural, organic, healthy (etc.) things.
Besides that fact that it's decidedly un-vegan (as I'm sure the medical industry tests the stuff on animals--or did at some point)... What do you think about hormonal birth control? I have been on it for 4 years, and it hasn't been until recently that it started to make me wonder just what is going into my body... I avoid all hormones, pesticides, and other yucky unnatural things in my food, body products, make-up, etc. But at the same time, I am putting hormones into my body via birth control. (I know it's not the same kind, but they're hormones that my body isn't naturally making, nonetheless.) I have never had any problems with my birth control, and have actually experienced positive effects from it (about a 10 lb. weight loss, clearer skin, lighter & shorter periods, MUCH less cramping, and more even moods at that "time of the month"--I think; it's been awhile since I started it). But now that I am more into natural foods than ever before, I am feeling a little nervous about the long-term effects of putting this stuff into my body...
What are your thoughts on this? Please share! :) Also, if you're not a fan of hormonal birth control, what do you use instead? Thanks in advance for delving into such a personal topic with me!
As someone mentioned before, condoms with added spermicide have a warning on the box that says they are not intended for anal sex or for more than one daily vaginal use. Why? Is it somehow dangerous to not follow those intructions??? Also - if (for SOME reason) some of the spermicide enters the mouth....is that a big deal? :-\
Spermicide is a fairly harsh chemical. Expecially, if you use nonoxyl - that actually causes microscopic tears in the vagina. And can do the same to the anal passage - hence the no anal rule. It is bad stuff all around, IMO. Your vagina is self-cleaning, and there is a delicate balance of (good) bacteria in there. Introducing a harsh chemical, like spermicide, into it can upset that balance and cause infections. Hence, the one a day use that companies put on the box.
Of course, it depends on how sensitive you are. I have extremely sensitive skin and the one time I used spermicide it was the biggest disaster of my life. I got the worst infection ever ... bad memories!
If you use spermicide it is so much better to put the actual spermcide INSIDE of the condom. So, that is doesn't come into contact with your vagina, but still kills the sperm. Also, in terms of spermicidal condoms, there is actually not enough spermicide on them to kill sperm. You're better off buying regular condoms, and then putting a few drops of spermicide inside of the condom.
As far as ingesting it - I have no idea. My rule is always this: if you can't eat it, don't put it on your body, lol.
OK - This is NOT really what this thread is about, but I figured I'd ask, since vegweb ladies are so knowledgable, and I because don't want to devote a whole thread to this. :o
As someone mentioned before, condoms with added spermicide have a warning on the box that says they are not intended for anal sex or for more than one daily vaginal use. Why? Is it somehow dangerous to not follow those intructions??? Also - if (for SOME reason) some of the spermicide enters the mouth....is that a big deal? :-\
(Hope this isn't too graphic or anything...I just figured even if I do a search online, I wouldn't get the insight and range of opinions...make sense?) ::)
Here I said that I would be off the board for a couple of weeks but Cali came downstairs and curled up on her doggy bed and is sound asleep. So before I start the laundry of her upstairs bedding and washing the blood off the walls, I thought I would peek at the board. Yes, I am addicted. ::)
It was me who made the post. I cut the box and brought that little blurb to my doctor. She was not sure why for sure but suspects it is not good for the healthy flora or fauna in the vaginal area (room for infections). I panicked because I had used them more than two times one day but less than four. ;) Needless to say, I hadn't read the small print before.
My personal opinion is it wouldn't be good in the mouth because it ends in cide...like insecticide, pesticide. Chemicals to kill something off. Depending on how well you know your partner, how much you trust your partner or if you have been tested for STD's (trust still huge though as you can be tested but doesn't mean something else couldn't be picked up any time elsewhere), I would not use a spermicidal condom for oral sex. As far as I know you can't get pregnant that way! hee hee hee. Depending on your relationship, I would use nothing (again knowing the person is disease free) and then use the condom for vaginal sex or use a non spermicidal one for oral sex and put a spermicidal one on for vaginal sex.
It does also say not to use it for rectal sex. Maybe they can tear easier in there. Don't know.
I found I was sensitive to spermicidal condoms. I am allergic to perfumes, and many scented items. I just felt something wasn't right, like maybe I was getting an infection but then it would pass.
I am at a very low risk for getting pregnant though. If I was high risk, I would want the spermicide.
I have Gynol II spermicide that I use with a FemCap. It doesn't say only use once a day. I'm curious about the once a day thing because I've never even heard that before.
Yeah, rather than use hormonal bc I decided to get a FemCap. I like it. They say most people prefer it over a diaphragm. Contraceptive jelly isn't so great for you I know but I'd rather use that than hormonal bc.
Here is a picture of mine if you haven't seen a FemCap before. I hope this isn't wildly inappropriate.
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd227/LauraNC_photos/Pictures045.jpg
Cool....I don't think it's a big deal I guess. I'll just get the regular condoms once we're done with the millions I bought with spermicide! :D
(I wasn't using the condoms during oral....but beforehand...I don't think it'll kill me.)
::)
Cool....I don't think it's a big deal I guess. I'll just get the regular condoms once we're done with the millions I bought with spermicide! :D
(I wasn't using the condoms during oral....but beforehand...I don't think it'll kill me.)
::)
So, what are you saying? You'll be buying more in the next three or four days??? ;D ;D ;D
LOL! (hmm...maybe)
JK!
:D
I just wanted to mention to all of you that are on BCP's because of painful heavy periods or cramping rather than for actual contraception that there are other options out there. There are several herbal formulas (both chinese and western) that can help with these symptoms. Remember that they are symptoms of your body being out of balance hormonally or even energetically. There are so many xeno-estrogens in our environment these days that it's difficult for a person to not be estrogen dominant. (Read about topical natural progesterone to offset this effect).
I don't believe in BCP's for myself for health and environmental reasons (I too, read the article about how trout and other fish are not reproducing well due to BCP estrogens in the estuaries- so what does that say about our water supply?). If someone really can't use condoms or other non-toxic means of BC then better to stay on the pill than to have an unwanted pregnancy. Just remember that any pharmaceuticals you take are messing with your body's balance of hormones and there are always associated risks with that (just read your drug information for the long list of potentials).
*bump bump bump!*
I have a question (again)... Now, I know you ladies aren't my doctor & if I want a definitive answer, I should talk to my healthcare practitioner. However, I just kind of want a quick answer from anyone who knows for a fact! :)
When I started this thread, I was thinking about changing my method of birth control. I went in for my yearly physical shortly after our discussion here & decided to stay on Yasmin. It's never given me PMS or made me gain weight, it lightens my period & makes it always predictable--plus, most important, it's always been effective against preventing pregnancy.
I've always heard (read, been told by doctors, etc.) that the Pill is 99.98% effective when taken "correctly" (at the same time everyday, providing you aren't sick & throwing it up or other extenuating circumstances like that). Truthfully, I've never really been nervous about getting pregnant while on the Pill because I am so good at taking it; I never miss a dose or take it at erratic times... It's 9 o'clock every morning (except during my period, of course)!
BUT, over the past two weeks, I have heard that 3 acquaintances of mine (who were all on the Pill) are pregnant! :o I've always kind of thought you had to pretty irresponsible to get pregnant while on the Pill (even though I know there is that .02%), but am I being naive? Does anyone know more about this...? I feel like now I'm being paranoid, but I wanted to see what you smart ladies knew about getting pregnant while on the Pill.
a friend of mine got pregnant on the pill, but she was also one of those that didn't react all too well to it from the beginning. i, like you, react really well to it and have been pregnancy-free for years with its help!
I've been on everything -- the pill, the shot, Norplant, an IUD, and the usual panoply of I-went-to-the-drugstore-and-all-I-got-was-this-lousy-condom. It's a tough and personal question, but I think that the benefits probably outweigh the ills for this case. For me, it does.
Great question, very provocative and unexpected.
I get the depo-provera shot. I needed something nearly foolproof. I couldn't remember to take my pills on time, forgot a lot of the time, tried the ortho-evra patch, didn't like how it would start peeling off after a few days, so I started on the shot about four years ago.
I don't get my period as a result of it, which worries some of my friends, but my doc says I'm completely ok as far as my reproductive health goes. I have been wanting to maybe try something different, but I love how all I have to remember is to go to the doctor and it's done for three months, and that I don't get my period.
I cannot decide. :-\
How much do you end up paying for every shot?
I don't know how I feel about no periods at all, but I'm considering a thriftier route now that my birth control pills are costing $30 a month
if you are a very meticulous and thrifty person, the best method might be http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/fam.htm. a friend of mine uses this method and it has seemed to work pretty well for her.
i on the other hand use the ring and i love it. only have to change it every 3 weeks.
i was always afraid of taking the pill for that reason. when taken "properly", it's very effective, but less so when not taken exactly the way you should. but, i mean, how far off in timing do you have to be to reduce its effectiveness? what if you do throw up that day? (it's not a usual event for me, but still).
so, I'm on depo. i haven't had any adverse effects, and for the price, i can't tell you, because i'm a part of a program where it's free (free! one of the very few benefits of being a poor student).
i've wanted to go on the IUD, but anyone i've seen about it is super-reluctant. even though the fda says it's ok to use for women/females 16 years or older, everyone's pretty insistent that i be married or have children. i guess this is for liability purposes for the company that sells it, since having multiple partners increases the risk of being exposed to an STD, and the IUD can worsen an STD or turn it into PID. No matter how much I plea that i'm a perfectly monogamous 19-year-old college student and won't want children for quite a while (if at all), they just don't seem to believe me. ::) ageism?
*bump bump bump!*
I have a question (again)... Now, I know you ladies aren't my doctor & if I want a definitive answer, I should talk to my healthcare practitioner. However, I just kind of want a quick answer from anyone who knows for a fact! :)
When I started this thread, I was thinking about changing my method of birth control. I went in for my yearly physical shortly after our discussion here & decided to stay on Yasmin. It's never given me PMS or made me gain weight, it lightens my period & makes it always predictable--plus, most important, it's always been effective against preventing pregnancy.
I've always heard (read, been told by doctors, etc.) that the Pill is 99.98% effective when taken "correctly" (at the same time everyday, providing you aren't sick & throwing it up or other extenuating circumstances like that). Truthfully, I've never really been nervous about getting pregnant while on the Pill because I am so good at taking it; I never miss a dose or take it at erratic times... It's 9 o'clock every morning (except during my period, of course)!
BUT, over the past two weeks, I have heard that 3 acquaintances of mine (who were all on the Pill) are pregnant! :o I've always kind of thought you had to pretty irresponsible to get pregnant while on the Pill (even though I know there is that .02%), but am I being naive? Does anyone know more about this...? I feel like now I'm being paranoid, but I wanted to see what you smart ladies knew about getting pregnant while on the Pill.
Are you sure they are not having sex during the week of sugar pills? Many people are under the assumption that during the week of your menstration that you are safe from getting pregnant. In fact, you are not. You must use a back up method. It happened to a friend of mine.
I've always had problems with oral BC. It is the only thing I've been on (and off) for the past 9 years. My main side effect is break-through bleeding....oh, and this past year; imbalances of bacteria 'down there'. :( It won't go away. No matter what pill I try.....and I've been trying to find one that works well for my body for the past (almost) 2 years. The only problem with switching from one to the other is that I have to take it for like 3-4 months to see if it works for me with no side effects. Still no kids though and I've forgotten a pill here and there. Other options just aren't feasible to me right now.
Sensitivity to condoms (all kinds!!) and not all that responsible to remember them everytime (same with spermacides). YUCK!
Thinking of kids sometime soon, so any other more permanent method just wouldn't be good.
Maybe I'll look into that charting thing. ::)
Are you sure they are not having sex during the week of sugar pills? Many people are under the assumption that during the week of your menstration that you are safe from getting pregnant. In fact, you are not. You must use a back up method. It happened to a friend of mine.
No, I'm not sure at all! That's kind of what I was thinking, too, but I know that unexpected pregnancies must also happen to some people who are always responsible... I guess I kind of picture the women who get pregnant while on the Pill to be the ones who are a little scatterbrained & will take it at erratic times each day. At 10 p.m.: "Oh! I haven't taken my pill yet today!" and then take it again the next morning; that type of thing. (I've had friends like this. ::))
As I said, I really like being on the Pill... I'm just kind of curious to see how people on the Pill actually wind up pregnant. Is it just the luck of the draw or does there have to be some sort of irresponsibility/forgetfulness/etc.? (And I'm not in any way trying to insult these women who do get pregnant, of course! I don't really mean "irresponsible" in as negative a way as it might sound... I just mean not as completely anal as I am about taking it at exactly the same time each day--as we really should.)
I take Yasmin, and I'm VERY erratic with it (bad, I know, but I have "ADD"). I always use condoms because I don't trust my pill-taking habits, so I can't say for sure about pregnancy, but I experience no hormonal changes, no spotting, no difference whatsoever when I take pills at different times each day, or even when I forget and skip days in the first two weeks. Only if I skip a day in the third week will anything happen, in which case I assume I could get pregnant. But it seems to me that consistent timing isn't that important so long as you don't go too long in between pills. (Not that I'm recommending it's ok to be erratic! I'm just guessing that getting pregnant on the pill takes slightly more irresponsibility... that's all.)
Are you sure they are not having sex during the week of sugar pills? Many people are under the assumption that during the week of your menstration that you are safe from getting pregnant. In fact, you are not. You must use a back up method. It happened to a friend of mine.
WHOA! don't know where you heard that, but that is TOTALLY NOT TRUE. You do not need any backup method during the sugar pill week. When i first started the pill i had that same concern and talked to my doctor and she explained that the chemicals that you take all month are still in your system and affecting your cycle during that week so you are not any more susceptible to getting pregnant than when you are taking the regular pills. believe me, i've been on it for 6 years or so and have never used a backup during that week and have never had problems. the pill is NOT 100% though so you just have to be aware and willing to take that .001% risk - or whatever it is.
also, the idea of taking it at around the same time every day is more so that you get into a habit and don't forget to take it as easily. that's why if you do forget one day, you can take it as soon as you remember and then take your next one later the same day and you don't need a backup.. it's because the chemicals and hormones are still in your system doing their thing.
Are you sure they are not having sex during the week of sugar pills? Many people are under the assumption that during the week of your menstration that you are safe from getting pregnant. In fact, you are not. You must use a back up method. It happened to a friend of mine.
WHOA! don't know where you heard that, but that is TOTALLY NOT TRUE. You do not need any backup method during the sugar pill week. When i first started the pill i had that same concern and talked to my doctor and she explained that the chemicals that you take all month are still in your system and affecting your cycle during that week so you are not any more susceptible to getting pregnant than when you are taking the regular pills. believe me, i've been on it for 6 years or so and have never used a backup during that week and have never had problems. the pill is NOT 100% though so you just have to be aware and willing to take that .001% risk - or whatever it is.
also, the idea of taking it at around the same time every day is more so that you get into a habit and don't forget to take it as easily. that's why if you do forget one day, you can take it as soon as you remember and then take your next one later the same day and you don't need a backup.. it's because the chemicals and hormones are still in your system doing their thing.
Yeah, that inspired many frantic texts and google searches after reading...all of which pretty much said the same thing - as long a you're taking your pills daily, you're safe (well...99% safe) on the placebo week. It's not a fertile time of your cycle
*bump bump bump!*
I have a question (again)... Now, I know you ladies aren't my doctor & if I want a definitive answer, I should talk to my healthcare practitioner. However, I just kind of want a quick answer from anyone who knows for a fact! :)
When I started this thread, I was thinking about changing my method of birth control. I went in for my yearly physical shortly after our discussion here & decided to stay on Yasmin. It's never given me PMS or made me gain weight, it lightens my period & makes it always predictable--plus, most important, it's always been effective against preventing pregnancy.
I've always heard (read, been told by doctors, etc.) that the Pill is 99.98% effective when taken "correctly" (at the same time everyday, providing you aren't sick & throwing it up or other extenuating circumstances like that). Truthfully, I've never really been nervous about getting pregnant while on the Pill because I am so good at taking it; I never miss a dose or take it at erratic times... It's 9 o'clock every morning (except during my period, of course)!
BUT, over the past two weeks, I have heard that 3 acquaintances of mine (who were all on the Pill) are pregnant! :o I've always kind of thought you had to pretty irresponsible to get pregnant while on the Pill (even though I know there is that .02%), but am I being naive? Does anyone know more about this...? I feel like now I'm being paranoid, but I wanted to see what you smart ladies knew about getting pregnant while on the Pill.
If you ever have to go on antibiotics, use a back up method because they can reduce the effectiveness of the pill. So can some herbal supplements, like St. John's wart. A friend of mine supposedly got pregnant while she was on the pill & antibiotics, and she claims she didn't know about their interaction, but I have a suspicion it is because she wanted to get married ::) Don't forget, some women do get pregnant on purpose just to keep a man, and they won't admit that to anyone.
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