[Sunflowerr]

Hey Everyone!
I'm currently in my first relationship with a bio-male, so it is the first time i have had to consider birth control. Condoms are a bit of a mood killer, but I am a bit worried about other forms of birth control. There's alot of scary information out there to sift through!
I am considering either birth control pills (because they are so easy) or an IUD, but I have heard scary things about both.
Has anyone here taken birth control and experienced a reduction in sex drive? I am really concerned about this. I have read that some people even experience a permanent lose of sex drive after taking the pill. Has anyone experienced this?
What are your experiences with IUDs? Has anyone had a negative experience? Positive? Did you use the copper device or the hormonal one? I have heard that hormonal IUD's can stop you from menstruating all-together, and I really don't want this.
I am very in-tune with my bodies cycles and I enjoy feeling the differences in my body and my sex drive at different times in the month. With hormonal birth control, would I lose this?
Are there any birth control types I am overlooking that you use? What forms on birth control have you had the most positive experience with?
I am going to talk to my OB-GYN about this, but I would like to hear some other women's perspectives before going in.

[heatherswar]

When I first started taking BC I had a hard time remembering to take the pill so the next best thing for me was to use the BC patches. I started using them about 6 years ago and haven't gotten pregnant once!! The only reason I thought to try the depo shot was because a few of my classmates told me that they love it and that I should try it. I am not going to stick with the depo shot because you have to wait an extremely long time after being off it before you are able to conceive so I have had 1 shot in July and I am not going to go in for the next one due in October simply because my fiance and I want to try and have get pregnant about this time next year, and I heard it can take anywhere from 9mths to sometimes more than a year after your last shot before you even start to have regular periods. These are my experiences. Be sure that which ever form of BC you decide to use, do some research on your own, find testimonials and talk to your doctor because certain medications can counteract the BC and make it less effective. Good luck in your search

[Sunflowerr]

thanks for your reply!
Did you find any adverse effects with either the depo shot or the patch? Did either effect your mood or sex drive at all?
It's funny how different our generations problems are from our parents or grandparents. They agonized over the lack of options. I'm agonizing over how many options there are haha

[kristalyn_04]

I was on the Depo shot before, when I was in my last serious relationship (which was over 5 years ago... sigh...). It made me gain weight like crazy, I had never gotten so big in my life. I wasn't obese or anything, just overweight, but I still felt like a moose. If you're really active you will probably be fine though. I can't give an opinion on other birth control methods, Depo was the only one I was ever on. Good luck.

[heatherswar]

I have become a very active person workout just about every single day and don't eat a lot of unhealthy things...I am more weight conscious so I haven't had any problem with weight and no other side effects that I am aware of. I LOVED the patch, I would recommend the patch to anyone that would ask about birth control. Its small and I can easily remember once a week. The other thing is you can have your SO help you put it on every week, this way he doesn't have to worry about you "forgetting" to take your pill. Its there, he can see it and actually my SO was always on top of my patch change day. He would have the new ready when I went to bed. So yes, I LOVE and HIGHLY recommend the patch!!!

[Stina]

I got the copper IUD, Paragard, about 5 months ago after about 4 or 5 years of trial and error with the pill. I had tried the patch, Ortho Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and Yaz. I had a lot of side effects with each one that I just didn't want to deal with. From nausea with one pill to an insanely increased appetite and weight gain on another, low sex drive, inability to get aroused, mood swings. Each pill I had tried did not come without some sort of side effect.

I would recommend Paragard before I would recommend the pill, but Paragard has its side effects too. I love having it, but the insertion was quite painful. My periods were extremely heavy and painful for the first 3 months, but luckily that has calmed down considerably. I have heard that Mirena, the hormonal IUD, can make your period lighter or stop you from getting it altogether. I'm definitely with you on that; I don't mind having a period and prefer to be more in tune with my body's natural hormonal fluctuations. Personally, I can handle having to stock up on extra tampons and spend some quality time with my heating pad each month. I can't handle being a crazy, moody, hungry, weepy mess. Hormonal birth control affects everyone differently, so I would say talk with your doctor and see what he/she would recommend for someone with your concerns. Good luck!