<p>Nrdsb4, that’s right. There’s nothing inherently normal about having a period for 40 years, minus perhaps one or two pregnancies. The historical norm for human women has been to be pregnant or nursing most of the time between menarche and menopause. That doesn’t work for most of us now. Hormonal birth control may get us closer to what is “natural” for our bodies than just using barrier methods.</p>
<p>Also, the “period” that occurs during the sugar-pill week of a birth control cycle is not, in fact, a menstrual period. It is a blood flow in reaction to the abrupt drop in hormones, but there was never a uterine buildup and thus there is nothing to discard. This is why it’s usually shorter, lighter, and carries fewer cramps than a real period.</p>
<p>I agree about the dangers of an IUD. Unfortunately, I guess you don’t know whether you will have trouble with one until you try. It just seems that it can be more problematic. My PA tried to talk me into one because she had tried it and like it, but I was not interested.</p>
<p>I have taken a progesterone only pill for 30 years (with time off when I had my two kids and was breastfeeding). I have had only a dozen or so periods in all the years I have taken it, usually when I missed a pill. It is wonderful. A previous poster mentioned PMS, but I have also seen an article (sorry I don’t have the reference) which described the fact that in “olden times”, women used to have many pregnancies and breastfed their children so that the number of periods they had in their lifetime was significantly lower than now when birth control is prevalent and women on average have far fewer children. The thesis of this article was that every time you have a period, the uterus accumulates blood cells and sheds them, and that this can be a fertile (no pun intended) territory for cell mutations that might lead to cancer. Wish I could remember more details and if there was scientific evidence to back this up, but it made sense to me when I read it.</p>
<p>I’ll be the lone wolf. I have had an IUD for 13 years and love it. I also had it for 5 years between children #2 and #3. I have had no problems whatsoever. I was told that to be eligible, one needed to have had children (and if remembering correctly, that had something to do with the cervix).</p>
<p>They are very safe and almost 100% effective. I believe research will show that most all of the “horror” stories occurred many decades ago with a different type of IUD. There are several kinds available now, including one that eliminates periods (I’m not keen on that idea either, although it’s appealing).</p>
<p>My ob/gyn really recommends IUD’s. His wife has used them for two decades. Over the long run, they are probably the most cost effective method. Never forgotten, never not with you, easy to check, very easy to reverse. Dr. thinks they are one of the most under-utilized methods of birth control.</p>
<p>I think IUD technology has changed significantly in the last 30 years. I know when I first started going to my OB she was very against IUDs, 20 years later she was trying to talk me into one, as they were now so much safer and much more effective.</p>
<p>well this makes me feel better But I also think part of my shock was I didn’t know she was involved with anyone- let alone * a man!*. ;)</p>
<p>I imagine that the reason why I got pregnant while an IUD was still inserted was that I had a bicornate uterus- and it probably went into the other side. ( I didn’t know it at the time). I had irregular periods and I couldn’t get it removed until I had one- :p</p>
<p>And now I don’t have to curl up on my bed, miss school, and take tons of pain meds, not to mention bleed through my shorts and sheets while I’m sleeping every month. </p>
<p>Best decision I ever made.</p>
<p>@Naturally- It’s called “Lybrel.” Then there’s Seasonique, which is 4 periods a year (which I’m on).</p>
<p>One of my daughters wanted to get the Mirena IUD and spoke to her nurse-midwife about it. (The Mirena does also suppress menstruation for most women, although it is not guaranteed.)</p>
<p>The nurse-midwife told her that the Mirena is not recommended for women her age because if you have a greater number of sexual partners, the chance of contracting pelvic inflammatory disease is much higher with it. With PID, you can easily become infertile because of uterine scarring. That may be why IUDs are not recommended for women who haven’t had children yet.</p>
<p>Naturally-- my gyn will allow us to have our scripts filled so that we don’t have to have a period even though we are not on one of those specially designated pills, my mom has been doing it for decades with no problems-- a lot of women do it just to skip one or two periods if they have a vacation or something, just go on to the next pack instead of taking the fakes. I would ask your gyn, if you’re already on a pill you may not even need to change.</p>
<p>I am a 46 year old mom who has had a Mirena IUD fitted after my last child (until I had an ESSURE procedure - the new sterilization technique), my college age daughter just had a MIRENA inserted. Yes, ladies things have moved on since we were ‘young’-er! Some Dr’s are reluctant to insert IUD in women with no previous pregnancies as they have to soften and slightly dilate the cervix prior to procedure and this can be ‘uncomfortable’. Of course, it must also be stressed that condoms are still necessary to prevent STI’s.
IUD’s are very cost effective, safe and long term. You don’t have to remember to take your pill, take extra precautions if you throw up, remember to replace (nuvo ring & patch). Once it’s in, it’s in -for 5 years or till you remove it.</p>
<p>My H is an ob-gyn and also strongly recommends IUD’s. The scares you’re all referring to are from 30 years ago with completely different technology vs today.</p>
<p>And Hanna is absolutely right. The monthly-period is NOT “the natural way.” The body doesn’t need a period to cleanse itself out. And you’re already not getting a real period when you’re on the bill. The only reason that bc pills were designed with 3 weeks pill / 1 week withdrawal bleeding was because the developer thought that women wanted to see the reassurance of a period to ensure they weren’t pregnant.</p>
<p>Most monophasic bc pills can be taken that way continuously (12 weeks period / 1 week bleeding, for 4 periods a year). There’s nothing particularly special about Lybrel or Seasonique other than smart marketing.</p>
<p>I’m certainly past that stage now, but as a life-long sufferer of endometriosis, the very idea of an IUD gives me the shivers and the shakes. Perhaps science and medicine have progressed since, but I understand your reluctance to support this method of contraception. Perhaps you could investigate further to ease your own mind, although the ultimate choice is of course, hers.</p>
<p>All birth control methods and devices have their drawbacks, are not 100% safe, and many are have bad side effects. Finding the right device is not that easy, and often requires trial and error. </p>
<p>I knew young adults who used IUDs without any problems. I also know some IUD babies. Maybe the devices are better, safer and more effective these days. </p>
<p>I would give the pros and cons of any given birth control method if I entered into a discussion about the subject.</p>
<p>I would be alarmed if my child factored 30 year old research into their decision about birth control. </p>
<p>I encourage my son to speak with his health care providers, do his own research and I stay out of it. That’s what I want for myself and so it seems appropriate to extend that to my now adult child.</p>
<p>I would be alarmed if my child factored 30 year old research into their decision about birth control.</p>
<p>Why alarmed? An IUD- while the type of plastic may have changed- is basically the kind I had.
A piece of plastic stuck in the uterus to prevent pregnancy with a string hanging out the cervix for easy removal.</p>
<p>How have the mechanics changed?
I am not that worried about pregnancy- it is longer term health repercussions I am concerned with.
She already had her belly cut open when she was 1 day old and less than three lbs, I don’t think I could handle her being severely ill from injury or disease because of an iud she had inserted at the local clinic.</p>
<p>Remember, a lot of these drugs and devices are being heavily pushed by the sales reps. If something is still new on the market, there is no extensive statistics beyond the clinical trials. Some serious side effects only surface many years after the FDA approval… Unlike cancer treatment, birth control is a choice.</p>
<p>EK, I would search the FDA website and package inserts for the approved in the US IUDs.</p>
<p>The design has changed in 30 years – old research about the bc pill would be similarly suspect, because the older pills used to have higher doses of hormones.</p>
<p>^^I would be very hesitant to rely on Newsweek and Slate as reliable sources of medical information. Remember where the push comes from - the sales force.</p>