DD (college senior) has been in a serious, exclusive relationship for over a year. They have not had sex but DD has been talking with me about different birth control options for when that eventually happens-- she thinks probably not for a few more months, but has been reading up in advance. Both are STI-free and not sexually active.
DD feels strongly that she does NOT want hormonal birth control as she does not want to deal with the side effects. I tend to agree on this-- I have used the pill on and off and always had unpleasant experiences (weight gain, sex drive took a nosedive, moody, took a long time to get pregnant after, etc. Sorry if TMI). She is adamantly opposed to any abortifacient BC for personal moral reasons.
Currently she is interested in a copper IUD i.e. Paragard but is concerned about the side effects there, too-- pain and heavy periods seem to be the main two. Does anyone have experience with this, for themselves or their daughters? Or any CC physicians out there who can lend some insight?
A couple of my friends have gone on the IUD. One got it out because she literally bled for months but the others didn’t have a problem with it. It’s really individual and there’s no way of knowing what one’s reaction will be but the good news is that it’s easy to take out.
Just as an FYI, many pro-life groups DO consider the IUD to be an abortifacient because it prevents the embryo from implanting. (From a scientific standpoint, there is absolutely no way an IUD would be considered a form of abortion since the pregnancy hasn’t begun.)
I know you’re both against hormonal, but let me make a pitch. I have had ovarian cysts since my early teens so I began the pill in my early teens. I was on them for a long time and hated them because 1- I was bad at taking them and 2- I didn’t like the way my body felt while on them. Around the age of 20, my gyno suggest a hormonal implant. It’s been a godsend. I have had it for about 5 years now (so I’m on my 2nd one as they last 3-4 years) and really have had no side effects. Because it keeps a steady stream of hormones, you don’t ovulate so no chance of pregnancy. Bonus: no periods! Hallelujah
Good luck to your daughter. We’re fortunate to live in a time and place with so many options to meet different needs
Just a note about how great pills are. Make sure your family does not have a history of circulation problems or blood clotting disorders before deciding on any hormonal option. My little niece got prescribed BC pills for PCOS and ended up in a ER with a lung blood clot (paternal side had relatives with clotting disorders and she had no idea about that). It was a very scary experience, and thank goodness she was on a college campus with a major hospital within a couple of miles. Had she been hiking out in the woods somewhere she would not be with us. BC is not sugar pills. My personal experience: as soon as I went on them, I developed severe leg cramps. I attributed those to dehydration and exercise, but it was actually the pills, yes, the lowest dose possible. Glad that at my age I have other options than subjecting myself to that torture.
A couple of friends who use IUDs bleed like there is no tomorrow and randomly. They still think it is better than pills.
I am researching this with my daughter and her DR, I thought the hormonal implant like @romanigypsyeyes talked about sounded ideal but they (daughter and DR) are leaning towards the pill. We aren’t there yet - just in discovery mode.
Good luck to your D @threebeans FWIW, I don’t know anyone who went back to the pill after trying a LARC method (long acting reversible contraception).
Also remember that some doctors will try to steer young women away from LARC methods because of outdated ideas about who “should” get LARC. (It used to be only women who had children already were even allowed to get it.) Unfortunately, a LOT of doctors still work under that old framework. While working in repro health/justice, I can’t count the number of times young women have told me that their doctors flat out refused LARC because of their age.
My D has a bleeding disorder and ended up after birth control pills failed to stop continual menstrual bleeding, getting the Mirena IUD. It does involve hormones but local so different from the pill and no clot risk. She has been happy with it so far although lots of cramping for first few months. Almost no monthly bleeding at all which was the goal. She is finally able to stop taking iron supplements. We have a family history of migraines with aura though this D doesn’t have the aura…( birth control pills a big NO for blood clot risk with this condition). I was really nervous about her being on the pill because of that risk. The Mirena is known for very light periods, scant bleeding or no bleeding at all.
My daughter took very low dose BCP to help control acne last year. Almost immediately with every mini period each month she would get severe yeast infections. She had a bad reaction to the OTC year infection treatment the first time so had to take Diflucan which is a pretty strong drug in and of itself. She quit the BCP after the fourth month. No yeast infection (which was never listed as a side effect) since.
This is what my D wants also, and she will have a consult on it this month.
I did a lot of research into IUDs for myself and had settled on one. By the time i got to my consult, it appeared it was going to be unnecessary (and it was, so I didn’t get it).
How does Mirena IUD work? My D tried many different BCPs, all low dose, and implants. They were all bad. Mood swings, continuous bleeding, migrants, food craving… No more fooling around with hormones. What side effects should you expect with Mirena IUD?
The Mirena IUD releases low doses of progesterone over time. It’s localized to the uterus, so it doesn’t cause as many side effects. I recently got the Skyla IUD (even lower dose, and slightly smaller so easier to insert) after a year on the pill. I experienced some cramping in the days after the insertion and irregular spotting for the first month. Those tend to be the most common side effects. I also had some breast tenderness for a few days a week later, but I’m pretty sure that was from coming off the pill. I know some friends who had issues with hormones in the pill were okay with the Skyla/Mirena since it’s localized. Personally, it’s helped resolved the mood issues I had from the pill.
Lot’s of things to consider these days.
We have lots of options.
Hormones–how do they affect YOU? Good at taking a daily pill?
An insert or injection?–happy to wait months to get a kid if that’s the plan?
Just think it over. It is NOT a light decision.
Really research–it’s your body.
There is one more thing to consider (and it’s minor but it’s relevant for some people): some people with IUDs report that their partner can feel it and that it bothers them.
A clinic I used to volunteer at would sometimes have women get them out for that reason (supposedly that reason- there were almost always a lot of other issues going on in relationships).
D’s good friend is an OB/GYN who says that doctors and nurses in her field use IUD as B/C of choice these days. D tried Mirena, but she is one of the few whose bodies reject it.
^I bet my D would belong to the few whose bodies reject it. Her body rejected just about everything so far. What is frustrating is that side effects creeps on you slowly and each time a different side effect. It takes a long time to connect side effects to BC. Would copper IUD be better?
