My Experience With Birth Control
Right now there is a lot going on in the United States around reproductive rights. It feels like America is taking a step backwards and stripping women of our rights more and more every day. If you haven't already seen Handmaids Tale, go watch it as a precautionary measure. Also, it's just great TV.
In the midst of all these abortion bans and strict rules regarding women's bodies, some states are restricting access to birth control or trying to ban it altogether. I won't even get into how little sense that all makes because I will get very angry and this post will go in a whole different direction. (I am fully ready to chat about in on our instagram @go4theglow if you want to hear all my opinionz.) So what I am going to do instead is talk about why birth control is important to me and what I have used. Hopefully this can help someone who doesn't understand finally get it or help give advice to people who are considering starting.
WARNING: this will definitely be TMI so if you don't like vagina talk, look away now.
I started taking "the pill" when I was in 8th grade. Actually, I believe it was the summer before high school. I wasn't sexually active at the time so I had no worries about getting pregnant. The reason I started is the reason many young women do, an irregular period. I was getting my period every two weeks, which is double the amount that you are supposed to have it. I also had it for 17 days straight once. That was when I drew the line. I started with a pill called Loestrin. It didn't work for me. I was still having my period twice a month. I then tried Yaz. Again, same result. Finally I tried Femcon. This one helped a bit but I didn't like the way it made me feel, And I would still get a lot of spotting. So eventually I decided to try something new. I got the Nuvaring. If you have never seen the Nuvaring, it is a little circle that you fold up and insert into your vagina. After 3 weeks you take it out yourself and get a new one. I didn't really ever feel it when it was in but it was kind of annoying to have to change it. However, the Nuvaring worked for me. I had regular periods and very little spotting. I did get a lot of discharge though, which is common with that contraceptive.
After a few years of regular periods I decided I wanted to get off birth control completely. I had grown up on it and didn't know if I even was who I was or if I was a result of hormones that weren't really mine. For about two years I was off birth control but eventually I was back to having too many periods that lasted too long. I knew I had to go back on. This time I tried a IUD. The first one I tried was Skyla. It was horrible for me beginning to end. First of all, the process of getting an IUD inserted is extremely painful. Seriously ladies, I urge you to take a few Motrins and get yourself a ride home. You WILL be in pain. So that sucked pretty bad and my cramps lasted for months. These cramps were accompanied by daily doses of brown discharge. I went back to the gyno and was like "hey girl, what the FUCK is up with my vagina bc this shit sucks." She told me that it takes 6 months to a year to fully regulate???? UM ok. So I waited. I waited a whole year. By that time I couldn't get that shit out fast enough. I didn't really get a period anymore but the discharge was daily so it was worse. And I was constantly crampy. I agreed to try one more IUD, Mirena. I had a friend that had been on it for years and loved it so I decided it was worth a try. Again, the insertion was unbearable but everything after that was perfect. I have been on it for two years now and I have never been happier with my birth control. I don't have to worry about taking a pill every day or changing something once a month. I don't get a period... that's right.. EVER. And I only am occasionally crampy. Like a completely normal amount. So if I had to suggest one, it would be Mirena.
Now what scares me is that there are millions of females that deal with the same struggles as me and millions who deal with much worse, and people don't get that. The government is trying to take our rights to birth control because they think if you don't want to get pregnant you just shouldn't have sex. That is fucking ridiculous to me. Not only is birth control beneficial for so much more than preventing pregnancies, but sex is natural! People are going to have sex. Why can't we just be safe about it if we're not ready to have babies? Birth control saved my life. I wouldn't be able to function without it. If you are struggling with helping people understand why you need birth control or live in a place that is trying to ban it, please reach out. We want to help.
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