/r/birthcontrol
A place to discuss birth control methods.
Typical Use Effective Rates:
• Male Sterilization: 99%
• Female Sterilization: 99%
• Arm Implant (if properly in place): 99%*
• IUD (if properly in place): 99%*
• Shot (also known as Depo): 94%
• The Ring: 91%
• The Patch: 91%
• The Pill: 91%
• Diaphragm: 88%
• Sponge (Never Given Birth): 88%
• Cervical Cap (Never Given Birth): 86%
• Male Condom / External Condom : 85%
• Female Condom / Internal Condom: 79%
• Withdrawal: 78%
• Fertility Awareness: 76% - 88%
• Sponge (Given Birth): 76%
• Spermicide: 72%
• Cervical cap (Given Birth): 71%
*Recommended you check placement monthly.
Effective Rates when using Two Methods
Use the filters to see or exclude posts from one category and "All Posts" to return to the original feed. Or search using flair (e.g. flair:which)
Which Method? | Experience |
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How to? | Side Effects!? |
Mistake and Risk? | Rant! |
Educational | Other |
How to? | Side Effects!? |
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Mistake and Risk? | Rant! |
/r/sterilization
/r/FAMnNFP
/r/Vasectomy/
/r/malecontraception/
/r/birthcontrol
So I started Mirvala 28 about a month ago? I haven’t gotten my period yet this month, and I know this is only recent. Symptoms may subside in a month or 2, but I’m just curious.
My bf and I have had sex a few times, and so far every time, my vagina burns from penetration. We tried different condoms (not due to latex because I’ve never had an allergy before) and we are in the process of trying a more natural lube (previous may have been irritating?)
I feel wet, and he says I do, but maybe I’m just not wet enough still? I have noticed that my sex drive seems a bit low, and that may also be a reason why this is happening? Before I went on BC, I never experienced these symptoms. The first initial penetration is alright, but once we move, etc, the 2nd penetration is painful and it burns. I have noticed though that certain positions lessen burning?
Has anyone else experienced this? I know it’s not a yeast infection, bv, or an STI, and I still have to get used to this pill. I also know it’s not my fault, and he’s very understanding, but it doesn’t make me feel great about myself.
Hey everyone, I’ve been on nexplanon for about a year now. Pretty much the whole time I’ve had no period. For the last month I’ve been lightly bleeding, however the past three days or so my period has gotten pretty heavy and cramps have been bad. I have never seen my period heavy like this so I’m not sure if this is normal
I've been on the shot since july this year and took my second shot last month. Only issue is I've been spotting everyday since august and idk if its normal for me to spot this long 😭 It's not heavy bleeding tho a liner is enough. Anyone else in the same boat? Pls share your bleeding experiences with the shot 🥺
I started taking Xulane about 5 months ago and ever since have been experiencing increasingly worse symptoms such as increased bleeding between periods, and this month and last month experienced days of nausea and headaches after the 1 week break that forced me to leave work to throw up. After non-stop headaches this month I decided not to put my second patch on and see if I could just stop it so my symptoms would go away. It’s been 4 days since then and suddenly I’m bleeding as almost as much as I do on my period and still have headaches and nausea, any advice? I couldn’t get a gyn app until the 21st…
I’ve been on b/c (zoely pill) since 2 years now. I have taken them continuously ever since with no breaks to skip my period and wanted to ask,
If i take placebos now will it affect the effectiveness of the pill? Or am i just as protected on the placebo week as i would be if i hadn’t taken it continuously? Please help! I’m in a relationship and really don’t want any scares
Also if it affects the effectiveness, do i need to wait a week after i’m done taking the placebos and switched to normal again if i want to have sex again? To be protected?
Hello!
Ive always had terrible fears of choking while taking a pill. Recently this fear gets worse when im dealing with a lot of anxiety. I have been chewing them for about 2 weeks or maybe even more. Ive been having really instense headaches and body pain. Should I stop the birth control for a week then begin back on it. Or should I continue taking it as normal, swallowing, even if it takes awhile. Im really anxious about the fact I may have caused some really bad side effects because of chewing, ive read online there are possibilities of birth control overdoses. Is it as bad as I thought?
Me and my gf (who is not on the pill) had protected sex with a condom on. After ejaculation I stayed inside for a bit longer than I should have and got pretty soft, so when I pulled out I slipped out of the condom.
Most of the sperm seems to have spilled on the blanket, and some stayed inside the condom. We don't have credible evidence that any sperm got inside her. However, there was a lot of cuddling and moving around between ejaculation and pulling out, so it's not implausible that some did.
She's on day 13 of her cycle (seems bad). She doesn't track it and only knows the normal lenghth approximately. This month's cycle was about a week earlier than she expected.
She already took plan B about a month ago after a different incident (and never in her life before that). That was during the previous cycle, but it still seems way closer than ideal. She didn't experience almost any side effects.
Is Plan B reasonable in this situation? Risks seem low, but pregnency is highly undesirabe.
so the first birth control I used was twirla the patch it was pretty fine to be honest it definitely made me gain weight but I was very much protected from pregnancy but then I got a rash and the weight started to get super high I was 168 by the end of it
The ring mine was called enillo ring This one was horrible easy to use but oh my god did I get so fucken depressed like I was wrecked crying everyday I was simply not there it was the worst time in my life looking back on it makes me sad like it was horrible the emotional pain was unbearable I was 152 at the end of this one I lost the water weight I gained from the patch but I got to a point where I just dieted for prom but It was easy to do so cause I was so upset all the time to even wanna eat
Oh yea and one time I put a new one and And later that day I got hit with excruciating cramps Horrible I couldn’t walk or sit down I didn’t know what to do went away but looking back at it that was mad concerning
The pill I was avoiding this option due to it being the PILL Yk like I can’t take that everyday I was avoiding this option like the plague but I told the adviser at the lady doctor about my mood swings with the ring so she recommended this one as “low hormonal” The one I got is called Jasmiel and googling it supposedly it’s supposed to help with PMDD? Anywho This is the best birth control I’ve been on I feel so much better so much better side effects idk if it has any tbh the other ones felt bad that this one feels like nothing I’m 160 which is high for me but knowing that I feel good and I didn’t lose so much weight from being sad as well like it was idk ofc I’m sad here on there but it’s a normal level yk
I didn’t wanna get the shot the nexplanon for a few reason #1 being ITS INSIDE U like if u have a side effect u can’t just TAKE it out right away u gotta make an app and all this stuff whiles with the ones where u gotta take it like medicine Yk u can stop whenever the problem just gets there that’s MY reason
This is my journey so whatever works for you works for you I just wanted to put my experience out there for those who research like I do , what doesn’t work for me might work wonders for u but yea Here’s some stamps I was on the patch for around 5 months And the ring for 3/4 Now I’m on the pill for 6 months damn I just noticed yea but it’s good for me and u hope you guys find what works for u this was not FUN 😟
I know it was stupid and this is a stupid question, during a sexual encounter my partner finished in the condom they were wearing, while in the condom was still on I jacked them off, after a while I took the condom off and we had intercourse again could I get pregnant from the sperm residue that had been in the condom that possible still could have been on him?
I am sure I have a really bad hormonal imbalance so how can I help my body with recovering? Are there any supportive supplements after stopping BC?
I stopped 2 weeks ago and I keep having migraine/headaches which only lasted while my period was here but now its almost here everyday... what helps against headaches? :( I want to try magnesium glycinate
I am on Hailey fe and did not get my withdrawal bleed during the placebo pills I took over the weekend. I started up my new pack this past sunday.
The last time I had sex (withdrawal + perfect(?) use of pill) was August 32, with my next withdrawal bleed being Sept. 11.
I did not have sex whatsoever during this last pack as I was very sick and missed a few pills.
The placebo week started last wednesday and I had no bleed. Am I freaking myself out? I have yet to test because the last time I had sex, I got a “period” and would assume from that i’m not pregnant, especially with the volume of it…
** note to add with perfect use? i would never go over 12 hours from the typical dosage. I would either take my pills anywhere from 10 pm to 1 am, but with the times being close to each other per day (ex: monday 9 pm tuesday 10 pm wednesday 12 am etc.)
i (22f) had sex with my bf two days ago, i don’t track ovulation but my period ended the 4th of oct and it’s now the 16th. it was unprotected, but he pulled out before he finished. i’m just worried some of his semen got on me because i was on top of him and he had to clean it off of himself. i took a plan B around 10 hours afterwards, the next morning. however we also did the deed unprotected a couple days after my period ended but he did not finish in/near me, he pulled out and put a condom on before he finished. i’m so afraid that im pregnant, but it’s too soon to take a test. what do 🥲 should i start looking into ab0rt¡on resources just in case? thank you in advance 😭
So i’ve been on my birth control (Kurvelo) for over a year almost two. I take the pill continuously to skip my period and I’ve had no issues with it. I then went to sweden this summer and for a week i forgot to take the pill. Obviously my period started and whatever but once I got back i began taking it consistently again. Here’s the problem. Maybe less than a month ago my period started randomly without me missing a pill. Then again today it started again. I dont know if that’s because i messed up the consistency back in June or what but yeah i was just curious to see what other ppl think and if they have recommendations on what to do.
I’ve heard that for combination pills, even if you take a pill a few hours late you should be ok as long as you are generally taking a pill each day (with the highest effectiveness if you are less than 3 hours late each time). Lo loestrin fe is a combination pill, but has anyone heard that you need to be more exact with the timing since it’s such a low dose? The directions for Lo loestrin fe say to take the pill at the same time every day.
I have irregular periods . My last period was in March . We had sex on Oct 4th , I took ipill on October 7th . Today , I'm bleeding like on actual period . Does this mean ipill worked ? Can I rule out pregnancy? Is there still chance of pregnancy? Please help
When I was on birth control before I never took 7 day break and just kept taking the pill and I never got my period but recently I’ve started the pill again and kept taking it but I have got my period is it just because I recently started and my body’s getting used to it again?
(Sorry in advance it’s about diarrhea) Soo i just did diarrhea and I have the understanding that if you do diarrhea after 3-4 hours of taking the pill or 48 hours, it isn’t good like the pill didn’t work. But I did diarrhea like 9 hours later of taking the pill. Am I still fine?? Is the pill still working?
I'm currently crying RN while typing this. So I just started birth control yesterday (Drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol), since I was told to start using it on the day I got my period. I suffer from PMDD and was hoping birth control would help. It's day 2 and ever since I've taken it, I've been upset like anxiety and crying over silly things (aka musicians). The only time I've felt normal was when on my period. Now I'm afraid that's gone and this will be permanent. Does my body have to get used to it before I return to normal? Has this happened to anyone else? I'm lowkey scared.
Hello! So I thought I’d keep u guys updated on how i feel after getting my naplexnon removed. I’ve had my implant for 5 total years, so it was very much expired and ready to come out. i wanted to try going BC free for a while and give my body a break from all the crazy hormones. Like a lot of women I’ve had the horrible anxiety, depression and horrible headaches, low libido, breast always sore. I was basically having pregnancy symptoms without the pregnancy it was AWFUL I feel like my emotions were so out of wack the moment i had the implant inserted in my arm. It was like a flip of a switch, i was a totally diff person with absolutely NO patience. which no patience is crazy for me bc that’s actually one of the personality traits most ppl (friends and family) that know me would use to describe me. My periods were still on time, only 3 days and once a month which is normal pre BC for me. The removal was so quick and easy I didn’t even feel anything other than the numbing shot. mines didn’t go deep in the skin at all, I would always feel for it thru the course of the 5 years. it pretty much stayed in the same exact spot, which made things super easy for removal. I removed the implant 10/14/2024 so I’m on Day 3 (or day 4 if you count the day I got it removed lol) with no implant and my anxiety is SO much better, the headaches are GONE, the light sensitivity GONE, I’m not as reactive and going off emotions like I usually would on BC. makes me regret ever getting it which sucks because it’s SO convenient (ps. Sorry about the all over the placeness guys, grace pls im ADHD LMFAO)
I took a plan b 24 hrs after unprotected sex because I found out I'm ovulating, then the same day I took the plan we had unprotected sex again and came inside, is plan b still effective?
hi! I’m 25 and this is my first time on BC. I’m sorry if I sound uneducated about any of this, I just grew up in a super conservative household so this is all new to me.
I started Lo Loestrin Fe 09/29 (my last period was 9/22-9/26), I have always gotten my period “on time” (27/28 days) before starting this. I had unprotected sex w my bf on what would normally be my ovulation day (according to flo, which ik isn’t 100% accurate) but it was also my 5th day on the pill. I know you aren’t fully protected until after 7 days on the pill, so the next 2 days we pulled out.
I’ve taken it on time (give or take an hour some days) since 09/29, and on 10/14 experienced bleeding (6 days earlier than when I normally would get it). The days prior I had tender breasts (common when I PMS) but no chin pimple (other sign that my period is coming). I know obviously the pill is going to change my hormones but I just don’t know what this bleeding is. I had cramps the first day (like my normal period) and it looks just like my period, has lasted now for going on 4 days (my periods are usually 5), but I was just wondering if this means the chance of pregnancy is gone? I will take a pregnancy test but I’m not sure if it’s too soon/when it will be accurate.
Sorry for the amount of confusion/questions, but anyone that has insight/help I appreciate it!
F22. Me and my bf always use condoms as a form of contraceptive. Now I want to try it raw with him. Do I take it after we have sex? then take it consistently? IM SORRY but how
Found out recently that the depo shot should only be short term. I don't know how I missed that bit when I researched and started it about 5 years ago. You shouldn't be on it for more than 2-4 years, or you can lose bone density!
No doctor has told me the long term issues it could cause. I get all medications have their risks, but if a medication has a specific time limit I can be on it I should've been told! I hate theres really no other good alternative. The implant seems decent, but I have not done enough research yet. I know I would pick it over an IUD.
I wish I could just have my tubes tied or removed. 0% chance of me ever wanting kids, and there's multiple factors in my life to support that.
Im just scared and tired. I'm sick of how I've been treated by doctors and how I keep having to jump around trying to find a good one. I just had to switch my gynecologist because she made be extremely uncomfortable and caused a lot of pain during my annual exam. I'm praying this new one will take me seriously.
I’ve been taking combination ocp for 5-6 months now and I just started my new pack 5 days ago (1st pill was when i first bled during placebo week), am i already protected or should I still wait for 7 days?
Hi everyone, I made a post here a few days ago asking about my chances of getting pregnant as a condom broke and although i took a plan b right after my period app said i was fertile then but my periods can be irregular. Anyways that was a week ago now and I just started to get that egg white discharge that stains my undies lol which is typically what happens when i do ovulate. So im just wondering if thats potentially a sign that it worked? I know plan B is supposed to delay it so I wasnt sure if this could be a good sign that I probably wasnt ovulating then and its unlikely I got pregnant?
I currently have the Mirena IUD and it’s time to change it out. I’m trying to figure out if I should replace it or try the Kyleena. I still get my period with Mirena and have almost daily pain with it. When it was inserted the doctor cut the strings too short which is why I’ve just put up with it for this long. I’ve tried every other form of birth control and every kind has given me horrible mental or physical side effects. Even though the iud pain can be really bad, I still prefer it over the suicidal ideations I was getting with other bc’s. I have endometriosis so my doctor says I should stay on a hormonal birth control to help manage those symptoms.
My question is- does anyone know if Kyleena’s smaller size would make it less painful than Mirena? I’m not talking about insertion, I’m more worried about daily pain. I know Kyleena has less hormones so I’m worried it wouldn’t be enough to control my endometriosis, but I’m hoping the smaller size would help with the pain have almost every day.
Does anyone have experience with this? Or experience with iuds and endometriosis?
Hi! My partner is uncircumcised and we're switching to condoms as our primary BC.
Before anyone says we just need to find the right fit, we got a bunch of myOne different sizes and literally found some that were too big and some that were too small to calibrate to the ideal size. But still, it slips partway down with penetration. We start with the bottom of the condom rolled all the way down to his base, but as he thrusts it slides to a maximum of about halfway up his shaft. Is that okay? Is it just part of how condoms work or how his penis is shaped? When I try to Google all I find is info on condoms slipping off and our condoms are not slipping off, just slipping partially down.
We also struggle with, when he retracts his foreskin before putting this condom on, then as he thrusts and his forskins slides back and forth the condom gets caught in it, which I think I understand from googling that that can just happen and it's okay.
Last thing I'll add is he produces A LOT of precum, more than any other guy I've known, so that feels like it complicates the slipping partially down as it could risk some getting out? Idk. Thanks in advance!
This is not an "am I pregnant?" post but rather a "is this normal and okay when using condoms?"
The implant was put under my arm at a clinic on August 13th. I got one abnormal period (3 days before and after of brown discharge, period itself was a week ish long on Sept 2-10th). My boyfriend and I have had sex a couple times since then and I haven’t gotten my period again. Is this normal? Should I be worried about pregnancy? Anything I’ve read online says there’s a less than 1% chance but I’m just paranoid! TIA
i had my first ever IUD inserted today and it went amazing, unfortunately i have to go back in to get my strings clipped because they are WAY too long but now im paranoid its falling out even tho im having no discomfort and i dont feel any plastic when feeling my cervix. Is there anyone else who overthinks everything after getting something new..any suggestions would be helpful
I am 6 weeks postpartum and last Thursday I got the progesterone only mini pill and started taking it that night. For the first few days I had really bad cramping that I thought was just stomach pains because it was resolved by going to the bathroom. However, they kept getting worse and yesterday I started spotting. I decided that the cramps and bleeding were not going to work for me so I stopped taking it. My husband was supportive because I was in pain and also have a newborn and it was too much. I only took 5 pills. Well now today I am bleeding more and it’s red/pink. It’s not heavy, but it is frustrating. When can I expect the cramping and bleeding to stop and is this normal? I will be calling the nurse line with my doctor tomorrow as well.