[salukigirl]

i am 20 now and have been on the pill for about 4 years. first it was yasmin. then my doctor said i had ruptured ovarian cysts so she put me on ortho. that made me gain weight and go psycho so then she put me on yaz. since ive been on that i have gained about 30 lbs (lots 10 of it), started to get acne which i have never had before, i feel like i always want to cry for no reason, i have mood swings and started developing even more cysts in my ovaries and polyps in my uterus now. i need something without estrogen i think. my insurance doesnt cover IUD and I dont have $515 to get one. i only smoke at work so i dont kill people lol and i dont have high blood pressure but these pills are killing me. i feel like so much crap on them.

do you think i would work on progestin-only pills? i wont do the patch or depo-provera, too many risks. and the nuva ring concept scares me a little. has anyone else had problems like this? it also makes me hurt for several days after sex. just regular sex not like 3 hours of rough nasty sex.

[champion]

Why not just use condoms?

[salukigirl]

cause theyre only 86% effective. birth control is 99.99% effective. plus if they break, slip off...just not reliable enough

[sunrise]

I have used a diaphragm for over 2 decades. Never had it break. Very easy to put in and very effective if used properly (e.g. don't skip putting it in "just this once"). The great thing is no artificial hormones in your system! I tried BCPs several times, but they kind of make me crazy--depressed, manic, crying jags, etc. They are also quite inexpensive. You can expect one to last a decade and cost under $100.

[salukigirl]

do you get fitted for one? They have also kinda scared me because its just a blockage. if sperm gets around it well then its home free.

i should also probably explain that i know of at least 2 children in my family that were results of methods like condoms lol so im not very trusting of them.

i would just hope that after more than 40 years they would have something better than the options we have now.

[Cyran0]

In most cases I believe you also treat it with a spermicide so the little swimmers need to do more than just get around it. They need to engage in chemical warfare.

Cyran0

[salukigirl]

he drinks a lot of mt. dew and used to smoke a lot of pot. i joke with him that his sperm are probably swimming in circles butting heads and then giggling lol.

My doctor told me that the polyp in my uterus was actually acting as an IUD. she told me that while there was something attached to the wall it wouldnt allow an egg to implant in the endometrium. which would be like a natural form of birth control.....if it didnt hurt so bad that I wanted to jump off a balcony.

Ill probably call today to make an appt. during intersession so i dont have to work around my class schedule.

thanks for the input.

[youOme]

There's programs out there, such as Plan Parenthood, that assist with paying for birth control that would fit you. The IUD is a great option, but it's for monogamous relationships only. The hormone on the IUD stays within your uterus instead of your entire body like the pill and shot does. I have no symptoms other then short and light periods. It lasts for five years too...I love this thing.

[salukigirl]

i really wanted one. my boyfriend and i have been together for about 2 years, my doctor already asked me how many people i sleep with on average, if i have had PID etc...

she said that one of the biggest things would be that since ive never been pregnant, my uterus might just push it out from it being a foreign body.

the crazy thing with my insurance is that i went online and checked my coverage and it said "your cost: $30" but then when my doctor tried to order it they said it would be the full 515. i dont think there are any planned parenthoods in my area at all. its pretty conservative down here and there are lots of protests against clinics like that..... its the kinda place where people scream "*****" at women going into a clinic even though she might just be having an annual pap.

i might ask her about a diaphragm. i basically just have to have no extra hormones in me. and what drives me crazy is that they asked about my family's medical history and even with 2 aunts and both grandmas having breast cancer they still put me on estrogen pills! My one aunt was diagnosed before the age of 40. and they didnt even think twice about it. plus i used to smoke about 2 packs a day. so i had family history of ovarian cysts, breast cancer and i smoked a lot and they never thought to do anything else. you go to school for 12 years and you dont even notice that?!

[champion]

Well yeah but if it stays on and doesnt break, liquid cant get through. the other 14 percent has to be when it breaks or stay on.

[salukigirl]

liquid can still get through. condoms have holes so microscopic that you cant see them with the naked eye. an HIV virus is about 100 times smaller than the average hole in a condom. Neither of us have HIV or any kind of std at all but just in general knowledge.

[sunrise]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
salukigirl said:
do you get fitted for one? They have also kinda scared me because its just a blockage. if sperm gets around it well then its home free.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">Yes, you need to get fitted for the diaphragm by your gynecologist. Diaphragms must be used with a contraceptive gel or cream that is placed inside the cup. So if a sperm gets around, it is killed by the spermicide layer of gel protecting your cervix. The worst part of the diaphragm for me, is that you have to plan to use it. It takes away from spontaneity. But no method is perfect.

Could you start saving up for the IUD and have your boyfriend contribute some to the cost also?

[salukigirl]

were both college students with 3 cats and a dog.... he works 65 hours and i work about 40 ish just to get by.... we cant save up 515 plus everything were paying for right now. i might be able to squeeze part into a christmas present from my mom or something but thats basically out of reach. diaphragms are about 100 bucks you said? yeah i was worried about being in the mood and having to stop and say "let me put my diaphragm in" lol. after 2 years though i guess weve heard it all from each other so well try...

[sunrise]

I think the diaphragm cost may be closer to $50 but you also have to add in the cost of the spermicide jelly, which you can buy at the drugstore. How many tubes you need per year depends on your use!

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pre...diaphragm.html
</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
How effective is a diaphragm?
The diaphragm has a failure rate of approximately 5% for correct and consistent use. Typical use, which is the average way diaphragms are used, has a failure rate of approximately 18 - 20%. This means that 18 to 20 people out of every 100 will become pregnant during the first year of use.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
Correct use means put it in every time and use the spermicide every time. Best of luck!

> condoms have holes so microscopic that you cant see them with the naked eye. an HIV virus is about 100 times smaller than the average hole in a condom.

That isn't true.

> While the virus is much smaller than sperm, it is bigger than an electron, air or water molecule. All condoms are tested electronically for holes and batches are tested using a water leak test or the air burst test.

> Not all condoms are created equal. Latex condoms manufactured by Japanese companies for the US market have to meet quality standards for both countries. Before it is packaged, each and every condom is fitted on an underwater, metal rod and zapped with a weak electrical charge. If the electrical charge passes through a hole or weak spot in the condom, it is thrown away. Batches of condoms are randomly selected and filled with a sort of viral soup to test for leaks. If one condom fails the leakage test, the whole lot is discarded. Better quality condoms are generally packaged in foil, giving them a longer shelf life.

> While Japanese condoms are the highest quality, any condom sold in the US will work fine and will not have holes. Condom failure is almost exclusively due to human error, such as using oil-based lubricants, using old, expired condoms, leaving them in the sun or a hot place (such as your pocket), or tearing them with your fingernails and teeth as you struggle to get them out of the package.

http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/insite?page=ask-01-08-03

> The WHO has condemned the Vatican's views, saying: "These incorrect statements about condoms and HIV are dangerous when we are facing a global pandemic which has already killed more than 20 million people, and currently affects at least 42 million."

> The organisation says "consistent and correct" condom use reduces the risk of HIV infection by 90%. There may be breakage or slippage of condoms - but not, the WHO says, holes through which the virus can pass .

> Scientific research by a group including the US National Institutes of Health and the WHO found "intact condoms... are essentially impermeable to particles the size of STD pathogens including the smallest sexually transmitted virus... condoms provide a highly effective barrier to transmission of particles of similar size to those of the smallest STD viruses".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/aids/story/0,7369,1059068,00.html#article_continue

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a940506.html

[youOme]

What?!?.... Plan Parenthood is a program to help pay for expensive birth control, not a place. You're thinking of abortion clinics or something. I think most women type places have the program....around here at least. I'd definitely ask.

I didn't know that about the IUD...but I did here it's mostly used for mothers. I guess that was the reason why.

Yes, it's difficult finding what's best for you and relying on even a professional group can be risky because of all the other patients they deal with. That's why it's good to watch your own back and research what's offered out there. Especially with your medical history and background.

[salukigirl]

planned parenthood is place. there was one in my hometown. with a huge planned parenthood sign over top. its not like insurance. you have to go to planned parenthood to get the program. its not just for birth control. the do std testing, pap smears etc...

alexandra - then my high school health teacher was lying to me. what does it matter? im not going to use condoms. this isnt about convincing me to use them because we just dont like them. period. you didnt have to go google condoms lol.

[Raynaadi]

You might be thinking of lambskin condoms or non-latex condoms with the microscopic holes. I know I've heard that those are even less effective. But yeah, even the latex ones can let things through. I've heard that sometimes one can be defective. And they're not nearly as reliable as we all like to think. I use the pill and a condom with my boyfriend. And some women even get pregnant doing all THAT!

[sunrise]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
salukigirl said:
i dont think there are any planned parenthoods in my area at all.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">One option might be to drive to a Planned Parenthood that is somewhat far away. It might be worth it financially if you can get the IUD you want for an affordable price. The only extra cost would be the cost of gas to get there (if you have a car, that is). It would be good to call ahead and explain your situation to a person who works there, to see if they offer IUDs, and the cost. Then you can decide whether it is worth it to you to make the long drive.

Here is the site for PP. At the top there is a place to type in your zip code and find the PP nearest you:
http://plannedparenthood.org/

Good luck!

You tend to hear a lot of things about how condoms are porus and let through sperm, STD's, and HIV in the USA.

Condoms DO help prevent pregnancies, STD's, and HIV. How do we know they prevent HIV? Why, because sometimes a person gets HIV and their partner doesn't. If they use condoms EVERY TIME they have sexual contact then their partner doesn't get HIV the way that unprotected partners do. Same for pregnancy and same for STD's.

The stuff on the 'HIV is smaller than holes in latex' nonsense was based on the average size hole in a LATEX GLOVE. Latex gloves are NOT manufacturered to the standard that condoms are. In particular they are coated ONCE in latex whereas condoms are coated TWICE.

WATER AND AIR are bigger molecules than HIV. Some condoms from EVERY BATCH are tested to check they pop from being filled with air, and that they don't leak when filled with water. They are tested with a laser too, to see if a beam of light can pass through porous holes. I assure you that this kind of testing doesn't happen to quality control latex gloves.

HIV is mostly not a free riding virus anyway. That means that mostly people get HIV when they have contact with sperm or blood or whatever. Those molecules are EVEN BIGGER than HIV molecules so it is EVEN LESS LIKELY that HIV is going to be better through holes that don't let either water, air, or light through them.

> alexandra - then my high school health teacher was lying to me.

Not necessarily. She might have very genuinely believed it. Places where teachers say this to their students... Well... Rates of STD's soar.

How come? Because if people have unprotected sex and get HIV then that is pretty sucky, huh. All because of a confusion with latex gloves and latex in condoms.

NOTE: NOt all condoms are created equally. But since we are in developed countries the quality of ours are fine.

> im not going to use condoms. this isnt about convincing me to use them because we just dont like them. period.

Okay. So long as you know that they ARE effective in preventing STD's, pregnancy, HIV. A lot of people 'just don't like them'. But then... How would one feel about having an STD, getting pregnant, or getting HIV.. I don't expect I'd like that much either..

[salukigirl]

we talked about condoms last night and he brought up the fact that for him (and me) it just doesnt feel as good when you use a condom. the std thing is out of the question cause neither of us have any. the only thing we would worry about it the pregnancy which is probably the most expensive side effect next to aids.

i guess thats what we get for having 2 Bush presidents. abstinence only commercials and scare tactics about sex. lol.

even though he doesnt like using condoms either i know that if it came down to it and i decided not to use birth control at all because of what it does to my body he would be totally supportive. but then im also kinda scared to just quit birth control and think it might throw my body even more out of whack than it is right now. i am making an appt with my doctor to go over all options that dont involve estrogen.

I do hear what you are saying about preferring not to use condoms. It can be a bit of a pain to deal with those and you are meant to use spermacide with them as well and then you have to take them out of the pack and put them on and hold them in place etc etc (to use it properly to prevent slippage and breakage). Much nicer to not have to worry about all that.

I haven't engaged in the safest sex practices in my life... Remember waiting in terror for tests to come back, though. In hindsight I wish I had a little more self control and took better care of my body. That being said, I'm in a committed relationship now. Went on the pill recently partly to help with hormones (reduce testosterone) but also was happy to go on the pill so I don't have to worry about getting pregnant.

I'm a little phobic of getting pregnant. Worry that sometimes people do get pregnant even though they are using the pill properly. I think that a combination of methods would make things much safer. Condoms are probably the safest thing to use as one of the methods. But I do hear you that it isn't the same.

I do wonder if future generations will have a change in attitudes about condoms. Not sure about this... In NZ (fairly liberal with respect to sexuality - legal age is 16) there are massive ad campaigns 'there'll be no hubba hubba if you don't got the rubber' which are marketed to teens (late in the evening). The idea... Is to market condoms in such a way that they become associated with sexual activity in a positive way. To make them sexy, I guess. So you can get flavoured ones and ones with textures and so on and so forth. And to have ads that promote condom usage as a loving thing to do (where they are marketed as an 'invisible barrier' that is unobtrusive). To try and make it a positive part of the experience rather than an annoyance... That marketing campaign was a little late for me, however.

check this out (don't know if it or its variants are available in the US).

http://www.anagen.net/diane.htm

DIANE, ESTELLE (GENERIC)

Do you have any of the following:

1) acne/dermatitus/cysts/skin inflammation especially around jaw/mouth/nose?
2) oily skin and / or hair?
3) hair loss (on head)?
4) excess hair growth (abdomen, face, around breasts)?
5) ovarian cysts (you said you did already)
6) overweight and having SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTY losing weight?

This particular pill is something that is prescribed for precisely those symptoms (and as a bonus side-effect it acts as a very effective contraceptive pill).

Have you had your androgen (hormone) levels checked? Those symptoms arise because either:
1) Your ovaries are producing too much androgen (e.g., testosterone)
2) Your body is particularly sensitive to androgen (so that even if your androgens are within normal range your body is responding as thought they are through the roof)

The pill works by lowering testosterone levels. Lowered testosterone means that the sebaceous glands (pores) aren't as oily anymore and don't have hair when they shouldn't and do have hair when they should. The contraception prevents an egg being released (the ovarian cysts are when the egg doesn't make it out of the ovaries into the fallopian tubes - it gets stuck in the ovaries and it starts to retain fluid which turns it into a cyst). The more cysts and scaring from cysts that you have in your ovaries the harder it is for eggs to get past them into the fallopian tubes. So... It really is important that you take a pill to prevent the egg being released in order to prevent more scarring. That way when (if) you decide to have kids the egg will have more change of making it into the fallopian tube such that you can fall pregnant.

Have you heard of PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)? Sounds like that is what you have... Except I can't figure why you would develop more of them while you were on the pill... I have a mild version of it... Don't have irregular menstrual cycles (so probably not much in the way of ovarian cysts) and my androgen production is normal, but I have the acne and access hair.

Might be worth asking about Estelle...

[salukigirl]

last time they did a blood test my testosterone was high, ive gained weight, gotten acne, my hair has grown waaaaay faster than normal and they have found cysts on ultra sounds. luckily the polyp in my uterus sloughed off with one of my periods but still caused massive pain. sometimes it feels like i know more than my doctors. i tell them for over 2 years "i have pcos" and they ignore me. when i first went to them with all these symptoms they blamed me. they told me to go on a diet and wash my face. and i tried to tell them "no its not me. this is not my body. i know my own damn body and this isnt it!" and they just brushed it off like i was hitting the end of my metabolism at 18. then i sit in a waiting room for 45 minutes for my doctor to talk to me for 3 and then i pay 20 bucks and get nothing out of it.

im seriously getting fed up with nobody ever listening to me. yes i know im only 20 but i know myself better than any doctor does so when i say something is wrong i want them to listen. and im also sick of doctors telling me its all in my head. i tried to tell my dad that if i were a man this would have been taken care of long ago and he goes "fine if you want to play the sexist card whatever" and i just sat there amazed. the sexist card?! its been shown in numerous studies that when men and women have the same symptoms women are more so told that its psychological while men are given treatment.

sorry, that was a rant lol. anyways. this time when i go in im not leaving until i have some answers. if they can make me wait for an hour and miss a day of work than they can sit down and listen to me talk.

on my last ultra sounds they said i had "several" ovarian cysts. i know exactly what it feels like when they rupture. i used to go to the e.r. before i knew what was happening but now im used to it. im worried that if they dont take care of this soon that my body will be so messed up that when i do want to get pregnant it wont happen.

Sounds like you need to find yourself a good GP and / or gynacologist.

You know... My symptoms aren't as bad as yours admittedly, but I was getting pretty upset with doctors fairly much laughing at me too. I was really embarrassed about the facial hair in particular. They would be like 'well I don't see any facial hair' and I was like 'yeah, thats because I spend about twenty every morning checking over my body and removing it all by plucking it out'. They said it was cosmetic and I should save some money for electrolysis if it bugged me and that I looked slightly Italian and Italian women were hairy (this coming from a male chinese doctor who clearly had no sympathy since he looked like he didn't even need to shave). They said my acne was 'mild' and 'cosmetic' too.

Grr
Grr
GRR.

Female doctors tend to be much more sympathetic. Especially ones who might be a little 'cuddly' themselves (PCOS and milder varients are VERY common in females and a leading cause of infertility. As such, you would expect that some female docs would have this condition and really read up on it and thus have more knowledge and sympathy for fellow sufferers).

> last time they did a blood test my testosterone was high

Then it sounds like Estelle (or similar) - basically a pill that REDUCES testosterone is what you need. Not all contraceptive pills do this - it is only some that do. And... The pills (like Estelle and varients) actually aren't supposed to be marketed as contraceptives. Contraception is a SIDE EFFECT of their reducing testosterone.

> they told me to go on a diet and wash my face.

Acne isn't caused by poor hygene. In fact... One should be careful not to over-scrub acne with harsh abrasive heavily fragrenced soaps etc. Acne is always hormonal.

There is controversy over whether the weight causes the PCOS or whether the PCOS causes the weight gain. They think that there is a reciprocal relationship, basically. Losing weight is a way of managing the symptoms. E.g., I got told that I'm really lucky that I'm within normal weight but if I get any heavier I could expect to develop full blown PCOS symptoms and I'd probably lose my fertility. I have a friend with PCOS who lost some weight (because she was severely stressed for a time and basically stopped eating). She forgot to take her pill properly... She didn't think it would matter for contraception since they told her she would never be able to conceive. She conceived during that time. She ended up miscarrying... But the point is that the reduction in weight increased her fertility.

But the main problem is that the PCOS does go some way towards CAUSING the increased weight. My friend is a health freak. Lives off steamed vegetables and stuff like that. Doesn't drink. Exercises a lot. Her body is toned to be sure, but she is still clinically obese (though she is a little person too so BMI isn't an accurate indicator for her). She does look like she is 'fatter' than me, though, which is TOTALLY UNFAIR because I don't eat well and I don't exercise and I drink a lot of beer.

Apparently... It goes like this:

- Insulun intolerance (so carbohydrate craving and much increased risk of diabetes) Basically... Your body is sending out this strong signal: THERE IS A FAMINE ON SO WE BETTER STOCKPILE FOOD NOW OR WE WILL LOSE OUR FERTILITY AND DIE!!! SO EAT CARBS!!! EAT CARBS!!! And your body tries to turn calories into fat as much as possible (instead of your metabolism just burning the frigging energy already)
- That causes an increase in the production of androgen in the ovaries
- That causes the symptoms of PCOS

Now, of course, if there REALLY WAS A FAMINE ON then around the time that the other people would be losing their fertility you would be maximally fertile. So... We are the 'famine queens' (so to speak) :-)

There are treatments that intervene on the INSULUN which (might) help with the weight AND with the down stream effects. It really would be worth talking to a sympathetic doc about this.

> im worried that if they dont take care of this soon that my body will be so messed up that when i do want to get pregnant it wont happen.

Yes. Please can you try and find a sympathetic doctor? Do you have any female friends who can reccomend someone? Could you try and find someone local via internet or something? Or could you find information about local doctors at their practices (e.g., sometimes there are little blurbs available on their main interests. You want to find someone who is sympathetic to 'womens problems')

PS - Starving yourself is NOT RECCOMENDED as a way of trying to increase your fertility. That is because of the significant risk of BIRTH DEFECTS as the mother and infant are nutritionally deprived

[salukigirl]

i have always gone to a female obgyn because when i first started going at 16 i was too uncomfortable with a male doctor. my family and friends are back in ohio and we live in illinois now. my mom and my sister go to the same obgyn (creepy i know).

we actually were talking about condoms a little bit ago because i just bawled my eyes for about 3 hours because i feel like a cyst just ruptured again. and he said if it comes down to us not having sex but you feeling better i can live. its not a big deal. i hate seeing you in pain so if you want to stop then stop. (i love him ) so then we remembered that when we first met and we used condoms the ones he had were too small. so were going to go to walgreens or something and get some bigger ones and see if that makes a difference. i didnt know they had like 30 kinds of condoms lol.

i had also been told that what happens is that if youre pumped full of estrogen your body makes up for it by producing more testosterone and thats why mine was high (or something like that). i did use to be hypoglycemic and have a family history of diabetes. i started when i was 11 and didnt go on the pill til 16 so there was a good 5 years with no cramps no nothing. then i get put on birth control and all these symptoms start showing up.

luckily i have just about the most understanding boyfriend in the world and he isnt complaining about "well what am i supposed to do?" my ex was helping me out with birth control when i first started because i couldnt afford it by myself. then all of a sudden he said that he shouldnt have to help me out because i wasnt giving it up enough for him. wonderful men lol

so anyways..... im going to finish this pack out cause i just started a new pack yesterday so i dont want to screw my body up and then were going to try condoms i guess. we were talking about all the forms and they all have horrible side effects an drawbacks.

let you guys know how it goes. wish me condom luck lol