What's the best kind of birth control?

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Answers

Depo-Provera -- few side effects, 99.7% effective, lasts for three months, no period. Hot damn!

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

how much does it cost?

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

For me, nothing. I make less than $16,000 a year, and I don't have my own insurance (ok, I have my parents', but I'm pretending I don't). Typically, I think it is about $30 per shot. Every three months, like I said. That's good stuff.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2000

Oh that's good. I pay like 20 a month for birth control pills, but I have to go to the gyno next month so I'm going to planned parenthood. I've heard bad things about Depo, but maybe they're false. I guess I've heard bad things about the pill too but I've been on it for years and haven't had any trouble yet. My women'sstudies teacher makes a big deal about the pill saying that it's dangerous and it's not tested for a women's body specifically.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

I don't know this from personal experience, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway: a friend of mine got the Depo Provera shot and bled for 3 months straight. So there's your potential side effect... Imagine 3 months without a break from your period.

I think it would just about kill me.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

Yeah, I've heard about that, too... when I was still at ISU, I called Health Services about getting birth control, and they made me go to this longass "informational session" where you learn about every freaking form of birth control. Anyway, the guy (yes, the guy... why we had a guy talking to us about BC, I've no idea) was telling us all the potential side effects, and that was one of them.

There's no way in hell I could deal with having my period for three straight months. No fucking way. That would mean three months with no sex, and like I said... no fucking way, dude.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

My roommate is also on D-P, and she bled for three weeks when she first got her shot, but the OBGYN just put her on the pill for about 10 days, and the bleeding stopped.

As for me, this is my first shot, but you have to get it when you have your period (within the first 5 days) to make sure you're not pregnant, and I got mine on day 4. I have a very heavy and long period typically (see: heavy bleeding daily for *7* days each month), and when I got the shot on day 4, my period ended that day. I was so shocked and happy. It ruled.

Thus far, I've not bled a bit.

Side effect I've noticed: I'm a bit less horny. But all that means is that my partner has to work a tad harder, which he doesn't mind. Other than that, nothing. No weight gain, no bleeding, no depression, crabbiness, fatigue, nausea, etc., etc., etc. I may just be one of the lucky ones, but the doctors at the clinic said that their patients had side effects maybe 1 out of 20 cases.

Right, I'm sure you all wanted to know all that stuff about my period, but oh well.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

I usually find that the best form of birth control is looking like me.

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

My friends was on Depo and she said it was great but she said you do spot A LOT which may be bad if you don't wear a panty liner all the time.

I say birth control pills, and use them straight. Then you get NO PERIOD. It is healthier if you don't take that 5 day rest. (I live in Canada and there was a study released saying that you can take the pill non-stop and it's good for your body).

I would just like to make comment. I have a diaphram (I use this too because I'm a freak and I'm horrible at taking the pill every single day at the extact same time). Plus my partner is huge on oral so it's hard to not be able to use vaginal sponges or spermicide because he'd die if he digested it. So I say go out and get a diaphram. They're great if you have your period too. You can just put on in and you won't bleed (just remember to take it out after and clean yourself *yuck*).

(It's funny. I got to a Catholic Private School who teaches nothing on Birth Control but I think my friends and I know more than anyone else I can think of.)

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

They said it was GOOD for your body? For real? I've heard lots of stuff and read lots of articles, and it seems to me everyone knows a whole lot of nothing. There's pros and cons to every type of birth control, it seems right now it's just best to go with what your doctor says, or test em all and see which one works best for you. *shrug*

-- Anonymous, November 21, 2000

I read that the pill actually reduces the chances of some types of cancer, breast and ovarian, I think. And of course, there's the whole no-acne thingie...

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2000

I missed the post where somebody said that Depo made them less horny. Ack! That's a side effect I'm so not willing to put up with.

Then again, it would be sort of interesting to see if it would actually make me less horny. As I told Eric today, there are two things I'm always up for: Trivial Pursuit and sex.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2000

I've been on Scherring's Gynera (I don't think it's available in the States, except in some places) for the past six months or so and now I don't even stop after 21 days to get my periods. I take it three months straight (63 days) then stay off it for a week, and that's when I bleed. I love it! No periods and clear skin too. It is said that the Pill reduces ovarian and breast cancer, as well as a few other diseases you can get in the future. It's not GREAT for your body, but it's proven to help in some areas. It is a hormonal pill though, so expect the normal mood swings, depression, etc. Some people thrive on it, some wilt. It really depends. But I love Gynera, love not having my periods, love the freedom of it.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2000

Personally I think the depo shot sounds like a dream come true. I have tried taking the pill, and forgot to take it after like a week. I just cant do it... so Im now asking around about the depo shot. My bestfriend takes it, and not only does she not have her periode AT ALL for the entire time she is on it, but she loses a big of weight when she first gets it. Does it get any better than that?

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2001

my cousin got on the pill and gained a whole bunch of weight. she maintains a healthy diet and regularly exercises, too--so i'm kinda iff-y about getting on it. also, i have no sex life nowadays, so ... yeah.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2001

um, birth control is hormones, hormones work differently for everyone. the only way to know what's best for you is going to your doctor and perhaps trial and error.

also, it amazes me that so many people are willing to blindly manipulate their hormones, and that they would view not getting their period as a GOOD thing.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2001