[moonstruck_chick]

I am reseraching different methods of birth control and am trying to find something that is effective, safe, and doesnt affect my sex drive!! I am on ortho tri cyclen lo and unless im crazy, it has already started to decrease my sex drive.
Please share your experiences or advice. I am thinking of getting an IUD but ive heard these horror stories about excessive bleeding during mentrual cycles, or cutting your partners penis and stuff like that...are those just freak accidents or is this normal?
Are diaphragms uncomfortable?

[moonstruck_chick]

also, my partner and i both hate condoms, and im afraid spermicide will irritate my vagina because i already have very sensitive skin down there.
Is it fool proof to simply count the days and figure out when you've ovulating and either not have sex on those days or use a condom just for those days?

[Ahryin]

I have the merina in and so far I have no complaints it has actually shortened my periods. I have tried depo but I gained 50pounds YES 50 I tried Yasmin but i got pregnant twice off of it...I'm extremly fertile

[jdranch12]

I used a diaprahm for almost a year after my second child was born. It worked good for me, except it was sometimes icky because of the spermacide. It didn't have hormonal side effects, though. I had Mirana, also and that made me a witch.

[WildChild]

A non hormanal IUD is probably the easiest and most effective. Diaphrams work fine so long as you use them properly.

[Ashlee T.]

This one hits home to me because I've been having the same problem. I've been on different pills since I was 19, and never until now have they started affecting my libido. I was on Ortho Cyclen for a year, apparently higher dose than some others, and I was a maniac (very high libido!), but I also gained weight, had bouts of what felt like depression, swollen chest, EXTREMELY fatigued. So I switched to Loesterin 24FE and almost INSTANTLY my libido became nonexistant. I've been on it for 3 months, and my sex life has gone from crazy good, to "what sex life?". I've made my BF aware, so he doesn't take it personally, but I seriously feel like I could never do it again and be just fine with that. That is SO unlike me.

So I have switched again, to an even lower dose, LoSeasonique. Since I'm not a fan of skipping periods, I will take only three weeks of pills per pack so I will continue to have a period. I can only hope this one will get the mojo working again.

I've basically decided that if I have problems with this one, I'm going off BC altogether for a while......and though I despise condoms, they're better than feeling unlike myself every day.

[jnd2009]

I always used condoms until I started having sex with my current bf. About a year or two later I started out on BC with the Nuvaring. I was on it for almost 2 years, but it gave me the worst attitude and I was getting very snappy, very easily. The doctors recommended taking a progestin only pill, since I didn't want the depo shot. I tried them for about 3 months- if that. I spotted throughout the month randomly and I was not a fan of that at all. So I finally went to just regular BC pills, since they have a small amount of estrogen. My only problem with them is I don't remember every day to take them....and yes, lost most of my sex drive too. I haven't been on any bc for 3-4 months now, and let's just say I love having sex I do think I need to get back on it, just haven't made it to the doctors yet.

[2Bpositive]

I will put my 2 cents in also. I was on BC pils for over 15yrs. Let me tell ya, after being on them for 5yrs I noticed that I didn't have any enthusiam in having sex. Then a few years ago, I could care less if I had it or not. Then I started feeling like I just didn't want it. Something had to change. So last year around this time I stopped using BC pills. At my yearly exam last year my gyno gave me a sample of the NUVA ring (it's still in the package in the fridge still) LOL I better throw it away now.
If you are looking for non-hormonal it's gonna be a tough decision.
I had an IUD inserted 2weeks and 3 days ago. I got the non-hormonal type. Yes, you are gonna find horrer stories about them. But, there are good positive stories out there too. All I can say is that everyone will react differently to an IUD. I'm not gonna give you a horrer story cause it was not horrible. Insertion was a breeze. I had no cramping after insertion at all still don't! I have been spotting, but so minimal it only requires a pantyliner or not even that. So, far I haven't had any complaints. Here is one complaint some ladies contribute to the IUD "hair loss" Well, let me say that I have been losing my hair ever since BC pills. I should've been bald by now, but I'm not. oh, and LOL about you reading about ladies cutting their partner's penises off with there IUDs (it just may come in handy one day hahaha! just kidding)

[443ang]

This one hits home to me because I've been having the same problem. I've been on different pills since I was 19, and never until now have they started affecting my libido. I was on Ortho Cyclen for a year, apparently higher dose than some others, and I was a maniac (very high libido!), but I also gained weight, had bouts of what felt like depression, swollen chest, EXTREMELY fatigued. So I switched to Loesterin 24FE and almost INSTANTLY my libido became nonexistant. I've been on it for 3 months, and my sex life has gone from crazy good, to "what sex life?". I've made my BF aware, so he doesn't take it personally, but I seriously feel like I could never do it again and be just fine with that. That is SO unlike me.

So I have switched again, to an even lower dose, LoSeasonique. Since I'm not a fan of skipping periods, I will take only three weeks of pills per pack so I will continue to have a period. I can only hope this one will get the mojo working again.

I've basically decided that if I have problems with this one, I'm going off BC altogether for a while......and though I despise condoms, they're better than feeling unlike myself every day.

I've been on Seasonique for a couple of years, and it also has affected my sex drive. I take it for 3 months and than off a week. Have you had any side effects with just taking it for 3 weeks at a time.