If you, like me, are interested in sexual health and sharing experiences, then this is the place for you! It can be really confusing and possibly scary when trying to pick a birth control method, and I believe that hearing the experiences of our friends can help us narrow our options. Here I have compiled a short list of my own experiences for all of you, though you should keep in mind that everyone’s body will react differently.
- Condoms
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Rubber, sock, sling, balloon. There are too many names for the same thing. Condoms are pretty self-explanatory, what you see is what you get. They don’t protect against sexually transmitted infections, however, they do have an 85% effectiveness rating in regards to preventing pregnancy. Personally, I’ve always felt safer using a condom, even when another contraceptive is involved. It never hurts to double up with protection! They are easy to access and you can walk into almost any gas station or grocery store and get some. I don’t have any extremely strong feelings towards condoms since they have always served their purpose. My biggest piece of advice is to always make your voice is heard. If your partner is unwilling to use a condom and that makes you uncomfortable, do not sacrifice your comfort for them. Nobody deserves sex more than you deserve to be comfortable, bottom line.
- The Pill
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I was on birth control pills from 2015 until this past February. I don’t have any bad feelings towards either pill I tried, however, I did like Tri-Sprintec more than LoLoestrine (the first pill I ever tried). I stopped taking a pill simply because I no longer want to have hormones messing with my body. As far as side effects go, my period was like clockwork for the first couple of years, however, it slowly became shorter and shorter. My acne cleared up some, but my skin became more oily. I did become a little depressed with my first pill, but after talking to my doctor, she switched me over to Tri-Sprintec and that eventually got better! I really believe that communication with your doctor is everything when it comes to the pill since it really does affect everyone so differently. A little hack I used was a journal every day that kept track of how the pill was affecting my body and moods. This form of contraception is 91% effective, and as long as you remember to take the pill around the same time every day, you’re golden!
- The IUD
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IUD stands for Intrauterine Device. Now, this is a relatively new one for me. I just got one after ending my long stretch with contraceptive pills this past February. However, I can still tell you how this first month has been! To start off, the IUD is 99% effective and the lowest maintenance contraceptive out there. Outside of doing a monthly string check, or daily if you’re as paranoid as I am, you don’t have to think about it at all. I have Paraguard, which is a non-hormonal copper IUD. So far, I like it. My period is still regular, minus some very light spotting. I won’t lie, the insertion was fairly unpleasant, but as of right now, I do believe it’s worth it. I had some pretty intense cramps for the first three days after, and then I felt completely normal again. I truly like the IUD more than the other methods mentioned simply because you can’t mess it up. It’s just there all the time doing its job.
I hope sharing this helps you to decide or narrow down your birth control options, and know that it never has to be scary! It is so important to know your options and to be comfortable. To find out about more contraceptives, you can always go to Planned Parenthood’s website, where I located all the quantitative information.