[melinda84]

So, my bf and I are having an issue with deciding on birth control. It is having a negative impact on our sex life really. We haven't been having sex lately at all cuz of this. I am really against forms of hormonal birth control which is most of the birth control out there. I do not like dealing with all of those side effects. I also can not remember to take a pill everyday which is why i can't take daily vitamins.

Condoms would be fine with me, except i am allergic to the latex. I have used them before and after sex i would become all itchy and irritated. It really is too much for me to handle. We haven't tried other types of condoms yet so i am considering that option. Are other types of condoms any less effective at preventing pregnancy than the traditional latex condoms though?

What are some of the safest and most effective forms of birth control?

I am really worried about taking something and messing up my sex drive, becoming more depressed, and messing with my menstral cycle.

[jensasweetie]

M -

I also cannot take hormones. I turn into more of a basketcase We chose to use the cup (is that what its called?) You know the flexible rubber thing you put up against your cervix. You do put a spermicide creme on it but I never noticed anything. I am not certain what they are made of tho. Also, some people don't like getting that personal with themselves.

The IUD is another option but that is more dependant on age among other factors.

Huggs

Jen

[Visioneer]

I used an IUD for two years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intrauterine_device

There are two basic types of IUD.

I had the Copper T which is a soft plastic T shape with copper wrapped around it. It is effective immediately on insertion. It does two things to prevent pregnancy. First, it causes a foreign-body reaction, making your body release white blood cells that kill sperm and egg cells, and also changes the PH of your uterus so that sperm is killed. Second, it acts as an obstruction inside the uterus so that if an egg is fertilized it can not implant. This type of IUD has a failure rate of %.6 over one year of use.

The other type of IUD is hormone releasing, usually the Mirena. The failure rate is %0.7 over five years. Read about it here:

http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/ar...mirenaiud.html

The downfall of the Copper T for me was that it can cause more bleeding, so irregular periods and spotting at odd times. The great thing about an IUD is that once it is in, you almost never have to think about it again. It's good to check once a month that you can still feel the string at the tip of your cervix.

The Mirena I haven't tried. But because the release of hormones is not systemic, as it would be with the pill, it is unlikely that you would have any unwanted side effects. The one side effect that some women enjoy is lighter periods, fewer periods, or no periods at all.

Putting the IUD in hurt a lot for me, but it doesn't for everyone. It's really dependent on how relaxed you are, whether the doctor offers you a pain killer beforehand, and whether you have ever given birth. They have to stretch your cervix open to put it in and that is the part that hurt for me. But it was over quickly.

The failure rate of condoms over one year is %3 if used perfectly, (ie. properly placed and not slipping off, with room in the tip, withdrawn and removed directly after ejaculation, does not break), and %14 when use is "statistically typical". So please, don't let this be your only method of birth control if you are going to be having sex regularly.

Diaphragms are less effective than condoms, so I wouldn't bother.

The combination hormone pill is still the most effective form of birth control, statistically, if used perfectly (ie. never miss a pill, use caution with antibiotics), with a failure rate of %0.1 over one year of use. Personally I am happy with it, as long as I am properly medicated I remain with a balanced mood, and have light and regular periods. It is nice to know exactly when your period is coming. If you have issues with side effects or forgetting, an IUD would be your best option.

Another option is the Depo-Provera injection, which you would get every three months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depo-Provera

It can have the same side effects, or worse, than the pill, and once you've got it you can't change your mind - whatever happens will happen for three months.

Talk to your gynecologist about these options.

Good luck

[crystalrose]

u can get a implant in your arm called implanon i'm not sure what it is or how it works. U have to google it for more info. U don't have to remember to take pills and it lasts a long time. Not sure much else about it.

[Maven]

Don't use all-natural, or sheepskin condoms. They do not protect you from STDs. You can use polyurethane condoms as an alternate to latex condoms. I've used them (although I don't have a problem with latex), and they worked fine for me.

[Inny2009]

I love the Birth Control patch...its cheap...you have three sundays you put the patch on and then keep it off for three sundays...its not like taking the pill which you cant remember...or having an IUD which is inserted internally (personally i have issues with that for personal reasons) Its not like the shot which i heard causes extreme mood swings since its being directly injected into you (also causes infertilitly, i know 3 girls who have become sterile cuz of that drug..some gynos are refusing to give the shot out even), condoms break, and its like a bandaide but you cant even feel it. I put it on my hip, its flesh colored and i completely forget its even on during the week. The other good thing about the patch is you can show your partner it and they know for a fact that your a using birth control unlike the pill or shot ...it helps make the other person as well as you feel safe....but remember one thing...even though i use the patch my husband and i also use condoms because birth control is not 100% affective...therefore if you use two its easier to deminish your chances than using one. Even using a spermicide and a birth control method for you whatever you decide to use. Or a different type of condom other than laytex...Btw...for myself i have had no symptoms being on the birth control patch. Now we are all different...well the only symptom i have is the day i take the patch off and get ready for my period is when i get some mood swings. So i take it off at night right before bed and by morning i dont even have them at all because i was asleep when the horomone levels go down. So it is a symptom but you can easily make it to where you have no symptoms at all. Good luck!

[crystalrose]

Inny thats interesting. is there any website that has info on it? Do u know the name of it. Edit. The patch that is.

[Inny2009]

Its called the Ortho Evra Patch. Its great really, mind you i dont have symptoms from it but that doesnt mean you wont have any everyone is different. But everyone i talk to has liked it and like i said the you will feel moody if you take your patch off in the morning and keep it off..always take it off at night. If you are just replacing the patch with another one then you can take it off whenever. I have to admit it is nice there is no specific time of day you have to put it on or take it off...i have even put it on a day early or even a day late and my periods stayed completely regular even if that has happened. It is also pretty cheap...if you have insurance im not sure how much it is without insurance though...im sure a planned parenthood (Depending on where you are) give out really really cheap birth control.

[Katileena]

For anyone interested in an alternative option,

I read an article recently that women can monitor their natural ovulation cycles as a form of birth control. I havnt done my research on it yet, but the article said that this method, if done properly, is 98% effective.

I just thought it was interesting to see a natural method as compared to the usual "take a pill" method.

[Maven]

I admit I haven't read the latest information on birth control, but planning around your cycles is nothing new, but it sure wasn't 98% effective when I heard about it. I don't remember any statistics, but it's not the best form of birth control.

[anna342]

I'm on the patch too, I have been for about 4years now. You can also use it to stop your periods, and there are no known problems in doing that. I've not had one since about February I don't think!

[Phoenix1985]

Originally Posted by melinda84

I am really worried about taking something and messing up my sex drive, becoming more depressed, and messing with my menstral cycle.

Originally Posted by crystalrose

u can get a implant in your arm called implanon i'm not sure what it is or how it works. U have to google it for more info. U don't have to remember to take pills and it lasts a long time. Not sure much else about it.

Implanon isn't recommend for women who don't want their menstrual cycle messed with - my first period on implanon came two weeks early, was super light and lasted about 16 days. Also I was a real mess for the first week or two of having it put in, and thinking about it now, the Implanon may be why my bipolar is kicking my butt at the moment (have had it in for 6 weeks now).

Implanon is a hormone contraceptive, releases progesterone I think it is over a course of three years.

[BeautifullyMistaken]

Not sure how much help I will be but.... I've never taken any birth controls either. Don't like all the negative side effects that I hear about (especially long term effects), plus they aren't always effective as you can still get pregnant. Although, same goes for condoms as well. But--Condoms have no side effects.

Trojan makes non-latex condoms (Trojan Supra). Lifestyles SKYN are also non-latex.

[youOme]

Here, in WV, you have to have two kids to get the IUD, and there is small amounts of hormones in any implant, and in the patch too.

Pull out method always worked for me