No Surprises

[edit the sad parts]

I am reshaping my ideas about being on the pill, specifically the positive ones. I just can't seem to remember to take them every day. It is becoming a problem.

[letyourlifesing]

Homosexuality?

[A.K.A. Z]

*blows the dust off his condoms and checks the expiration date* Hm.
There's no "My Personality" option on your poll. It works wonders for me.

[The Other Lizard]

I'm on the pill and we always use condoms. I've always been good at taking pills and I don't get many side effects so it works well for us.

[Mathmo]

I'm on Cerazette (a progestogen-only pill). I have an alarm on my phone that goes off at 8am each morning, when I take it - I am good at getting back to sleep, so even if I'm out til 3am and don't get to bed til half 4 or something (as happened a few days ago) I'm happy to go to bed, wake up for 5 minutes at 8 and take a pill and go back to sleep for another 5 hours. It's stopped my periods completely, which is a bit odd (I was previously on the combined pill but it looked like I had high blood pressure so they took me off it - I say looked like as after later testing it seems I have extremely high blood pressure when it is taken by a nurse in a doctor's surgery, but perfectly normal or just-below-normal BP when I take it myself at home - but on that pill I still bled, which felt more 'normal'). If I miss a pill (even only by a few hours - and on Cerazette you're supposed to be okay if you're up to 12 hours late taking a pill), then we religiously use condoms for the next week.

[Sonic#]

Typically my partners and I have used some combination of methods. Always condoms, plus something else. In my last relationship, for a while it was the pill. Then she got tired of the effects on her and got an IUD. She's still very happy with it.

In my current relationship, she can't use hormonal birth control due to other medications. So we just use a condom.

[monk]

I have seen a lot of different things on TV lately that weren't on your poll. Rings and what not that the commercial says you just pop in and forget about it. Are those an option?

[The Other Lizard]

I have seen a lot of different things on TV lately that weren't on your poll. Rings and what not that the commercial says you just pop in and forget about it. Are those an option?

I suppose some people would argue that rings (I'm assuming you're referring to the Nuva Ring) fall into the same category as the pill, as they are the same hormones. However, they don't require that you remember to take it every day (like the pill), just every month. Some people also say the side effects are worse. So I agree with Monk, that option should be up there too. Also the shot, the rhythm method, pulling out and a diaphragm.

[cwbyrvr]

I should really get on the pill. I'd still use condoms, but I want to use both.

My answer to this poll is kind of blatantly hidden up there. ^

[Pyro Chick]

I have seen a lot of different things on TV lately that weren't on your poll. Rings and what not that the commercial says you just pop in and forget about it. Are those an option?

I suppose some people would argue that rings (I'm assuming you're referring to the Nuva Ring) fall into the same category as the pill, as they are the same hormones. However, they don't require that you remember to take it every day (like the pill), just every month. Some people also say the side effects are worse. So I agree with Monk, that option should be up there too. Also the shot, the rhythm method, pulling out and a diaphragm.

I have Nuva Ring. Besides the fact that it's $50 a month, I love it. I have zero side effects (except like the first month I used it I had slightly increased discharge) and usually just forget it's there. When I was on the pill, I would forget to take it for like three days at a time. It was horrible.
We also always use condoms, but I hate them.

Question:
Besides the STD-factor (referring ONLY to pregnancy prevention) do you think it's safe to not use condoms if I'm on Nuva Ring? We do both because it makes the chances of getting pregnant like soooo itty bitty but I'm wondering if it's just redundant.

[edit the sad parts]

I have seen a lot of different things on TV lately that weren't on your poll. Rings and what not that the commercial says you just pop in and forget about it. Are those an option?

I suppose some people would argue that rings (I'm assuming you're referring to the Nuva Ring) fall into the same category as the pill, as they are the same hormones. However, they don't require that you remember to take it every day (like the pill), just every month. Some people also say the side effects are worse. So I agree with Monk, that option should be up there too. Also the shot, the rhythm method, pulling out and a diaphragm.

The rhythm method and "pulling out" fall under chance. I added the shot and the ring, though. Also, condoms I was thinking both male and female varieties.


Has anyone had really negative experiences with hormonal birth control?

[cherryblossom]

I've been on the pill since I was 16, I'm 21 now, it's worked pretty well for me, sometimes I forget to take it but that's usually during brief periods of not having sex and it doesn't really matter. I'm so used to taking it that I very rarely miss a pill. I love birth control. The regularity to my periods gives me immense piece of mind.

[Tookie]

The pill and condoms.

[Meperidine]

The pill, and condoms except in sexually exclusive and std-less confirmed relationships.

[Rainbow Dolphins]

Question:
Besides the STD-factor (referring ONLY to pregnancy prevention) do you think it's safe to not use condoms if I'm on Nuva Ring? We do both because it makes the chances of getting pregnant like soooo itty bitty but I'm wondering if it's just redundant.

Well, ask your doctor, really. But when I was on that my gyno told me it wasn't necessary.

I have an implanon, which I guess doesn't really fit in any of those options. I haven't had any really bad experiences with birth control, but I haven't really had any good ones, either. NuvaRing was extremely uncomfortable, the patch gave me a rash and this new thing is giving me acne. Poo.

[Mordak]

I have an implant. It works, thank christ.

[Nachos]

I generally use condoms when I'm sexually active. Unfortunately right now, I am not sexually active. Boo.

[monk]

Question:
Besides the STD-factor (referring ONLY to pregnancy prevention) do you think it's safe to not use condoms if I'm on Nuva Ring? We do both because it makes the chances of getting pregnant like soooo itty bitty but I'm wondering if it's just redundant.

Yes, for pregnancy purposes, it's redundant.

Everytime a conversation like this comes up, you always here the story -> my friend/sister/cousin/coworker/whoever got pregnant while they were on the pill/shot/whatever. But when I was married and my wife was taking the pill and we were NOT ready for children I researched the pill and as long as you take it everyday at about the same time you're not going to get pregnant. There are things that can temporarily make the pill less effective such as antibiotics. But they are all prescription items, so if a doctor is prescribing something for you then ask him if it will mess with the birth control and he will tell you. Other than that the pill is 99.99% effective in baby prevention. This statistic is found on the literature in fine print that comes with your birth control. The studies are the " takes forever double blind peer reviewed" deals that meet the FDA standard and are the best we can do.

My understanding of the Nuva Ring is that it's the same type of hormonal stuff as the pill but it dispenses "on sight" instead of orally. So the same thing would apply, 99.99% effective unless you take the ring out or you start taking some sort of medication that can counteract it.

[Nachos]

I would like to add this video to the discussion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xEoqWuN1_8

[letyourlifesing]

I was on the pill (progesterone only) for a while. I asked my doctor if it would have any feminising effects, she said no. My breast went from DD to FF even as I was losing weight. Not impressed, particularly because I'm transgender.

Now I use condoms when having sex involving a penis/shared sex toy, nothing if not.

[Rainbow Dolphins]

My understanding of the Nuva Ring is that it's the same type of hormonal stuff as the pill but it dispenses "on sight" instead of orally. So the same thing would apply, 99.99% effective unless you take the ring out or you start taking some sort of medication that can counteract it.

Just to play devil's advocate, that 99.99% effective statistic is with 100% perfect use, with no margin for user error. There is ALWAYS room for user error with self-administered birth control, though it is less with something like nuvaring (which only needs fiddled with once a month) than a pill you take every day. Actually, one of the problems I had with it was that I had to change it so seldom, there was no sense of routine and I would often forget about it... so that can sometimes be a double-edged sword. That's one of the reasons I chose to switch to a three-year, doctor-administered implant; I know I can't fuck it up.

Not that I'm disagreeing with your point, I forgo condoms myself since I'm in a monogamous relationship. Just wanted to make sure everyone's thinking about user error when deciding what type of birth control to use.

[SakuraSong]

I use the same birth-control method as Z. It has worked out pretty well so far. No side effects besides for self-pity. Pro: there's nothing for the anti-depressant pills to counteract.

[Aum]

One of the perks of being a homo is not having to worry about accidental pregnancy.

[Eravial]

Previously, condoms and Plan B as necessary (only a couple times). Before that I was only in homosexual relationships and used nothing. I just started on the pill, so if I'm in a monogamous STI-free relationship, I'll rely on that alone. I don't see that situation arising anytime soon, though, so condoms are here to stay. That, or I'll just switch back to girls. Either way.

[monk]

that^ totally put the image in my mind of you sitting at a place (bar,dance club,library, coffee shop, student lounge, whatever) and looking around at the cute girls and guys then narrowing it down to just two, one girl and one guy, then as you're deciding which one to flirt with you say to yourself "I hate dealing with condoms" then you choose the girl.