birth control woes

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.

Why not just use condoms?

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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?!

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.

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.

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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?

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...

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
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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.

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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

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.

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.

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!

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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..