I'm back with more information to help all you ladies find the right birth control method for you. Thanks for all your helpful comments in my first installment, and please feel free to offer up your own advice and experiences in the second installment as well! Let's just jump right in.
Click here to read more
The Ring
- The ring, otherwise called the NuvaRing, is another prescription form of birth control. It is a flexible rubbery ring that is inserted in the vagina and left alone for three weeks out of every month
- The ring releases hormones similar to the pill and the patch, preventing the ovaries from releasing eggs, in addition to thickening the lining of the uterus making it more difficult for sperm to penetrate
- While this method is convenience free for three weeks at a time, if the ring is inserted improperly or if it falls out of place for more than three hours at a time, you run a risk of getting pregnant
- Like the patch, it is important to not keep the ring in for longer than the prescribed amount of time, but it must be kept in for the entire three weeks. When it is time to remove it, make sure you take it out on the same day of the week in which you inserted it
- The ring must stay inserted during intercourse
- The week in which you are ring free is when you will menstruate. If that week is up and you are still bleeding, insert the new ring regardless
- Side effects for the ring are the same as the pill and the patch, including but not limited to: possible change in your sex drive, possible change in your weight, breast tenderness, depression, nausea, spotting and the possibility of blood clotting especially if you are a smoker over the age of 35
The Shot
- The shot, otherwise known as Depo-Provera, is a monthly progestin-only prescription form of birth control that keeps you safe from pregnancy for 12 weeks at a time
- The shot is considered to be the most effective prescribed birth control method and is effective immediately if given within the first seven days of your period
- One disadvantage of the shot is if you have an adverse hormonal reaction, the hormones will stay in your system for the full life span of the shot
- Another downfall to the shot is it can take longer to get pregnant after discontinued use, sometimes 9-12 months
- On the flip side, if the shot is a good fit for you, it is a big plus to be birth control care free for 12 weeks at a time
The Insert
- The insert, otherwise known as Implanon, is a new form of birth control, approved in July 2006, that prevents pregnancy for up to three years and is immediately effective if inserted within the first 5 days of your period
- Implanon is inserted through a needle under your skin in your upper arm by the elbow
- The insert slowly releases hormones throughout a three year period and when removed, pregnancy can happen anytime
- The insert has been known to cause irregular periods and often missed periods all together as well as irregular bleeding. The first 6-12 months is when you would experience most side effects from the insert
I will be back tomorrow with more information to help keep you safe and protected. Stay tuned!
Laura Scott
Apepazza
Havaianas
That needle pic made me cringe!!
1Me too grl!! yuck!
2I personally have tried several things and now i use the ring, and I loooove it!
The other downfall that is not listed here is that sometimes in intercourse your partner can feel it.
I'm about to start on the insert(implanon) in about 3 weeks. Anyone used/uses it in here?
3I am using the Depo-Provera, I on my second shot, and it works great on me. The only thing I don't like is the irregular periods, and some timer longer than a week! I hope is normal reaction... I didn't know either how long it can take to become pregnant!
4I was on depo for about 3 years but it kind of freaked me out that I never had my period, plus I have heard that it causes bone loss when used long term. My doctor told me it was being taken off the market in a few years, but who knows. I've been on the ring for several years now and LOVE it!!! And though guys can feel it, they don't seem to complain!
5I hated Depo. It just freaked me out
6I'm on Depo right now. I really hate not having my period. Also, I feel EXTREMELY PMSy for the first few days after I get the shot. I've also gained a lot of weight on it (I've heard it makes you hungrier, and I'd say that's accurate.) I'm due for another shot soon but I think I'll be switching to the pill.
7I was on the shot for 2 years. I gained 80lbs in a year, I had mood swings all the time, and I had no period .. even when I stopped using it, I didn't have another period for 8 months (it was one of the worst ones I have ever had, lasted 2 weeks). I started it when I was 14 due to having a lot of problems with my periods and having to go through surgery because of it, my doctor put me on it ... I now wish I didn't do that to myself.
8Okay, I'm on the NuvaRing right now, and I have to say that I disagree with some of your assessments. Specifcally I'd like to add two things:
1.) You do not menstruate while on the Ring.
There IS still bleeding, but it is sympathetic bleeding from the absence of hormones in the body, it is not the body sloughing off built up tissue lining. If you are late inserting the NuvaRing (over 48 hours late), there is a chance that you will ovulate for real, which is where the danger of pregnancy comes in. The documentation that comes with the Ring says the chance is 25%, or 1 in 4.
2. The Ring has enough medicine in it to use for an entire month, after which you can remove and replace it on the same day. This will skip your period entirely, and is completely safe.
This is what the doctor at the family planning center told me. Apparently the Ring has enough hormones in it for you to wear for over four weeks without any detrimental side effects. I wear it for four weeks, take it out and replace it on the same day, and have had no problems.
9Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.