[mariaguzman86]

Hey,

Ok so, it's a long story but bear with me. I'm 23 years old and I was in a steady relationship for 2 years that ended about 3 months ago. I was on the pill throughout our whole relationship but for the last about 8 months my emotions were running wild. I was diagnosed with OCD and well I was sort of assured by the dr that my out of control self had to do with the disorder and not the pill. I also gained a lot of weight but I'm not sure if it had to do with the pill either.
After we broke up I went off the pill and suddenly I started feeling much much better; I was back to the witty happy person I was before. So... needless to say.. even though I was assured it wasn´t the pill, I can't help but think it might have had something to do with it.
Now, I have been thinking that (even though I'm NOT a one night stand kind of person or anything) you never know what's going to happen later on (you guys get where I'm coming from)... So, I keep thinking that if I have sex with a condom and no further protection I will get pregnant for sure... (and I just graduated from college about two months ago and certainly don't want this since I have an amazing job offer) but then again I am TERRIFIED of going back on the pill cause I don't want to go back to being depressed and feeling horrible (it was very very bad for a while).
I'm torn now...
Are condoms unsafe? I certainly would not wanna go back on the pill but I can't risk getting pregnant...
Help! I'm confused guys!

[Agony_Aunt]

I use Implanon, its a simple little implant put in to your upper arm.
I've had it in over 2 years now, and no problems whatsoever with it
There is other contraceptives apart from the pill.
So maybe consider trying something else, and not go back on the pill.
But condoms are the best protection against STD's and STI's.
I would advise using them also.

[mariaguzman86]

Yeah I used condoms and the pill... I am OCD hence the double protection and freaking out lol!
I don't wanna expose my body to hormones when they're not needed (I'm not sleeping with anybody)... but I'm terrified of using only a condom cause I'm afraid I might get pregnant...

[Agony_Aunt]

Okay, well Implanon is the best contraceptive at the minute. It is proven to be 99.5 % safe. Which is a higher percentage than any other one.
Would you feel safer knowing that? And be able to kinda relax about it knowing your using the best there is?
If you feel terrified of using just a condom, maybe you should consider the implant. It contains only one hormone, that is released i to your body. So it might not have same affect on you as the pill did.
But condoms are safe to, and as i said against, std's and sti's also.

It is said, if you dont want to get pregnant use some sort of contraception, or just dont have sex at all.

[sourpuss]

If you use a condom correctly, you won't get pregnant. If you're worried about using just a condom, you could also use some sort of spermicide. I use VCF and condoms. My doctor told me that the two, in combination are as effective as the pill. .....without all the nasty side effects.

[lizzardb63]

Actually I believe the insert in the arm has hormones in it. You can choose an IUD that is non-hormonal. If you aren't sure, an IUD is an implant in your uterus that its 99.4% effective (same as the pill). There are two types, Mirena and Paragard. Mirena is like the pill and gives hormones off. Paragard is made of copper and copper is a natural spermacide which won't allow for pregnancy. Mirena lasts for up to 5 years and paragard lasts anywhere form 10-12 years. You can have it removed whenever, so it is not permanant.

[Yazwoman]

Another method that hasn't been discussed is the Depo-Provera shot. You get one every 3 months or so. Also there is the Nuva-Ring which is inserted right into your womanly bits and hormones are directly absorbed into your body. But if it's the hormones in the pill that are bothering you, I'm not sure how you would do with Depo or other hormonal methods . There is also a mini-pill that is progesterone only. Though that has a higher failure rate. As Lizzard said, it may be good to try Paragard if the synthetic hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are indeed causing your distress.

It's always good to have a second layer of protection, for STDS and such anyways. Used the right way, condoms are perfectly fine.

[ManINeedACoffee]

I never reacted well to the pill, either - made me vomit constantly for three months. And it made me gain weight - two months after I went off the pill, I shrank back down from a size 6 to a 0 or 2. Since then, condoms have been the birth control of choice because I can't handle the effects of hormonal birth control. My partner and I are both cautious to a fault - he insists that we "double bag" it just to be safe. Condoms work pretty well when used properly, though they aren't fool-proof. Adding spermicide makes them work better.

I've thought about a copper IUD, but I'm under the impression that doctors don't encourage using those if you've never had children? Is this true?

[Ashlee T.]

From what I can tell, you need to stay away from ANY birth control method that is hormonal. There are other options, cervical cap, diaphragm, female condoms, male condoms, etc. I believe there may also be a non hormonal cervical implant, but I don't care to have anything implanted in my cervix so that's a no go for me.

I got off hormonal BC too and life is MUCH MUCH better. I kinda like seeing the things my body does every month in it's natural state.

You do have other options. Being on hormonal BC and feeling like a crazy loon all the time (and trust me I know the feeling) and all the physical side effects...it's just NOT worth it. And I'm not surprised to hear that your doctors say your issues have nothing to do with BC. I'm not sure why so many of them refuse to acknowledge the very REAL problems hormonal BC causes women. When I told my doctor I had lost my libido, lost hair, and gained weight........he kept telling me that it couldn't be the pill causing that because my pill was "low dose". I heard this over and over, and switched and switched and switched from pill to pill. Contrary to what my doctor was telling me, ALL these things went back to normal after I went off the pill.

There are other options. Don't give up and don't think you're crazy. Kudos for listening to your body and going off that stuff.

[Yazwoman]

Wow. I guess I'm lucky in that fact that I found something hormonal that works for me. Then again, my natural hormones were out of wack already. It's true I feel like a different woman, but in a positive way. But then of course, that's me, and not anyone else.

BD, That really sucks that your doc never even said: "oh, it could be your pill." To me that would have been the first thing to try. Go off your pill (Using another form of backup) and see what happens. Super easy to fix. I think sometimes Doc's downplay the stuff that really can mess up someone. It is hormones after all.

I was under the impression that you weren't allowed to have an IUD before having kids, but my friends told me they are childless and they were allowed to.It does make it easier to insert (as the opening to the cervix is wider) but not impossible. I'm sure if you went into Planned Parenthood or a clinic and asked they may let you. It might hurt like heck to dilate your cervix but there really is no reason for you not to have it placed. I'm considering it myself since my friends say that I really don't have to have a child to get it in.