[daisymj]

Hello,

I'm a 22 year old college student and up until about a month ago, I had never had sex. However, I am now in pretty much my first "real" relationship, and we've started having sex, but I'm paranoid about getting pregnant because I'm still in college. Every time we've had sex, we used a condom, and I've tried to make sure it's around the time of the month where I'm most likely not fertile or ovulating. Does anyone else have any other tips to make sure I don't get pregnant? I'm just kind of embarrassed to talk about it with my mom or anyone else, but I'm trying to be well educated. Should I go on birth control? I've heard it makes your gain weight and is also very expensive.

[kira]

Most insurance covers many birth control options these days. Otherwise you can get some pills for free from planned parenthood if you don't have any or hardly any income. Sometimes they even have programs for free IUDs.

Hormonal birth control of any kind is rather random in it's results. It is highly effective but can cause pretty much any symptom. Often there is only one group of pill types (or equivalent) that someone can take. I do well with only monophasic (pills that are the same all the way through the month instead of say triphasic where there is a different dosage each week) and high dose pills. I gain weight on lower dose pills and lose it on higher dose. I quite like yasmin and seasonique for all others have complained about them. Which is the other side. Some people have to stick with the lowest dose possible or even POPs aka the mini pill. Progesterone only pills instead of combination estrogen and progesterone pills. You have to decide if you want to go down that road.

Condoms are quite effective if used properly and there is the morning after pill if something should go wrong during sex. It is very effective within the first 48hrs but like regular hormonal birth control has a side effect risk. You can double up using condoms with other methods that are compatible like barriers that go in the woman (just not female and male condoms at the same time) or extra spermicide that is condom safe.

If you decide to use a non barrier method like pills be sure to consider your risk of STDs. You should make sure your partner has been tested since the last person they had sex with and make sure to get yourself tested when it applies.

[sonologist]

hello...i wont consider pills as first option as they have lots of effects on body which are undesireable specially skin changes..body weight gain..hair problems...mood changes n sometimes irregular bleeding...so...its better to use condom. for many it may be less acceptable due to its availability at a particular time or reduced sensations for one or both partner..but if u wish to be safe then condom is much better option...its not 100% safe but still offers good protection if applied at proper time and good quality condom used...if u have regular menstrual cycle then the calender method can very much predict safe days...

[DreamP346]

Like Kira said, just double up with other methods. If you are mapping your fertility (and there are lots of apps that will help you with that) in combination with condoms (used correctly), you have minimized your chance of pregnancy to almost nothing. Use nonoxynol-9 with the condom. All those methods combined will reduce your chances of pregnancy to lower than the pill alone.