If you have questions about or want to discuss methods of birth control, this is the place for you! Please see our sidebar for some great resources.

Long story short, I have IBD and my doctor recommended coming off my OCP for 3 mths to see if there is any impact on flair up while we get it under control. I started taking it for dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia and acne. Prior to taking it I would be out for the first 2 days from the pain and be stuck in a ball in bed so I am quite scared if I come off it the symptoms will come back. I still want a method that is convenient and easy to stop if need be hence the mini-pill is my only option that I can think of. From experience, how does the mini-pill do with keeping symptoms at bay?

(Just a little note that I am a transgender man)

I’ve been on the pill for around 8-9 months now and so my period stopped when I was in the 6th month of taking it and I haven’t had any type of bleeding since. For more information I’m taking the ‘Lovima Lovima Contraceptive 75 Microgram Film-coated (Desogestrel)’, thats the whole thing in case it helps-? 😭

But today I though it was like discharge that came out but when I checked it was blood, it was like dark red blood so like the typical one that I had on my period- and it smelt like period blood too (as weird as that sounds), it was also only like a small bit but enough to cover a tissue when I cleaned it up

So I just kinda wanna know if that’s like normal bc I’ve never missed a pill and I’ve taken it on time for every day for the last 8-9 months, so just wanna know if it’s normal

I got varicose veins and all my veins is more visible now in my body since i take birthcontrol, i take combination birthcontrol for almost a year and lately i notice im having varicose veins, i stopped 2 months ago but still the veins is still visible, does the pill cause it?

hi! i’ve been taking tri-sprintec for about 6 years now. when i first started taking it i had some wild mood swings but now i only tend to get like that around my period. however this last year ive started to experience bloating , mainly on my right side and lots of digestion noises and movement. i’ve never had bad acne or bad cramps, or had any big weight changes.

i would like to stop taking it but im scared. im not ready to be pregnant but how will my period be after stopping since i have it so regulated now and what are of the side effects after stopping, like weight gain or hair loss. is it worth the risk stopping to feel normal again? has anyone else here stopped and what were your symptoms like after and how long did it take till you felt normal? thank you!

I’ve been seeing nothing but negative Mirena IUD experiences. I am dying to see some positive ones to give me some hope. :,) I just got my Mirena IUD placed on October 15th due to heavy prolonged non stop menstrual bleeding. Can you give me some of your positive experiences with the Mirena, especially if you’ve suffered from similar period issues &/ or hormone imbalances before.

Okay so this is a different case. About 6 months ago I hooked up with a girl. I used condoms the entire time. There was no record of slipping or breakage that I remember. But I do remember not feeling my penis, and having a very hard time finishing. I think I had sex for about 1 hours of mostly the girl riding on top. Back then, I didn’t think much about possible pregnancy, since I used condom all the time, but now that I learned about condom failure, I became worried that maybe the condom was broken, maybe there was a breakage or leakage that I didn’t notice. I never noticed used condom, so I couldn’t tell if the condom breaks or not. Any advice?

I got my flu shot 2 weeks ago and now I noticed that my period is super light and lasted for only 3 days usually it lasts 5-6 days . Could the flu shot be the reason ??

I am sure my body needs time to adjust to its original state so that I can experience side effects, but are these a part of it?

• constant headaches (usually had it 2 days before period and while period)
• my neck is crazy stiff and hurts along with my shoulders :( theyre so restless cant get rid of it ugh

My discharge is back tho!!!! Dont remember when the last time I had discharge was so that is positive :)

--__-Why would a doctor prescribe a day after pill when asking for birth control pills? I went online to set up birth control and was also prescribed Ella day after pill. Did it had to do with the questions asked ?

I got my first mirena monday (easy, 2/10, brief pain no worse than medium cramp, took ibuprofen and an anti anxiety, had numbing cream, I’ve had two kids). It was the first day of my period, I’ve been on Yaz before that for years. I stopped bleeding immediately. I bled a tiny bit more Monday and nothing since then. It’s Friday. Usually I’d bleed for at least three days. From all accounts I should have had more bleeding and at least a normal period this week? Anyone else have this? Any thoughts or suggestions?

Got my IUD in today. It went super well. I took naproxen 500 mg (prescription), 1500 mg Tylenol (gyno allowed it), and .3 mg lorazepam. Also had numbing cream and a local anesthetic.

It was more uncomfortable than painful, but only at certain times. The lorazepam was great at calming me down and I almost fell asleep during the procedure. It hurt when the speculum was first put in, and then I felt a jolt of moderate pain when measurement, and then another jolt when the IUD was inserted.

To me, getting my blood drawn is worse than this. The part where they took my blood pressure was just as uncomfortable as this in my opinion.

Started cramping after, but a heating pad did the trick and lying down.

Been about 12 hours and I’m currently cramping, but I took midol and naproxen again (it wore off).

Honestly, the procedure was a 4/10.

About a year ago I started birth control for the first time to help with heavy and painful periods. I didn't get any major side effects from it and it definitely helped with the pain, but I had forgot to take it for 3 days straight and decided to just stop taking it altogether. Fast forward to last month, after experiencing months and months of heavy and painful periods, I decided to get back on it. I found a full pack of the ones I was given a year ago and began taking them. This time the effects have been horrible. I had a prolonged and extremely heavy period (bleeding through a tampon + nighttime pad in 2 hours) of about 30 days (the duration of the whole first pack) and I had been feeling very bloated and my mental health definitely started going down the drain. The only thing that was going well was my skin had began clearing up. Anyways, I stuck it out since everyone (even my doctor during a checkup) said it takes about 3 months for your body to get used to it. My doctor had me get blood work done and obviously we found out I was iron deficient so I took iron pills for a bit but recently stopped taking them. The next pack I started this month is the same type of pill but a different brand (not aure if this makes any difference, my doctor said it might make small difference) and my period had finally stopped. Unfortunately last Monday when my alarm went off to take the pill, I didn't hear it and my coworker turned it off and forgot to mention that it. I took the pill 10 minutes late that day, which I know might not have an effect or it might cause some effect. Since that day I've been getting brown spotting and honestly sometimes it feels like a period but it's been brown and it comes and goes throughout the day. Today it also gave me horrible cramps. On that note, the one thing that makes me want to fully give up on birth control is my mental health. I haven't felt happy since starting it up again over a month ago, a lot of it having to do with my physical appearance. My skin is breaking out horribly to the point that it throbs and I can't sleep because of how bad it hurts,my bloating has been pretty extreme and it's very discouraging because for the past month I have been extremely strict with the food I consume and doing my regular strength training/cardio sessions that usually give me good results (but I'm not seeing any now). I honestly feel ashamed to leave my house because of how I look and especially how I feel. I feel like my mental health is translating really bad in school as well -- feelings of inadequacy and not having the energy/motivation to get any of my work done. I hate not knowing what to do and for the past month and a half I've had absolutely no clue whether I want to keep going with birth control or not. Does anyone have any advice?

Hello everyone. I’m a 19/F and just got my 4th depo shot yesterday, November makes a year since I’ve been on it. I’m here to say that I haven’t had any significant side effects of depo! I am 110lbs and haven’t gained or lost any weight since starting it. No change in sex drive, appetite, or my mood. The only thing I will say is I feel tired more often, but I have recently started working a lot more than im used to. I seem to see nothing but negative things said about this method but I chose it because it’s very practical. I don’t have to remember to take a pill daily or go through a painful implant insertion.

(24F) I’ve had the copper iud inserted for 5 months now but every time my period comes it is extremely heavy and the cramps are horrible. I have to take painkillers all the time. Other than that everything is fine, does this gradually get better? It is really interfering with work and my studies so I am having second thoughts on whether I should take it out

ive been on paragard for a year now, exactly this month last year i got it. a year ago i found out i was pregnant and got an abortion. they gave me an iud afterwards so i could ensure this never happens again. and here i am. never thought this would happen to me. i literally don’t know what to feel right now. i had my period 3ish weeks ago, and i was supposed to get my period a few days ago. saw a random girl on my tiktok pop up about being pregnant with an iud, didn’t think much of it. then i noticed i was extremely emotional and found out i was actually almost a week late. i panicand took multiple tests. all came out positive. i took the preventive measures and of course im the 1%. i’m trying to schedule an appointment with an ogbyn, but what i do want to know is, if i do get another iud, how do i make sure this doesn’t occur again? my husband and i are both worried about dealing with this again. it was really emotionally and mentally hard the last time.

I was recently prescribed bc for heavy periods and I'm honestly pretty scared of it. The brand is Junel FE 1/20. My doc assured me it such a kow dose it shouldn't cause any issues. However, the side effects or mood swings, weight gain, blood clots, ya know, all that jazz, has me pretty freaked. Any experience with Junel or suggestions of hormone free options for heavy periods?

Hey all, I recently got the Liletta IUD and I’m beginning to wonder (?) if the strings of the IUD are too long because they’re literally poking my partner. He is on the bigger side as well so I wonder if that could be a factor. Yesterday after we had sex, he noticed he had scratches on his penis from it poking him which I was really shocked by. Has this happened to anyone else? I’m thinking of making an appointment with my gyno about it… Help!

ok so i've been on the implant for only a week and a half, so i'm well-aware my body is not fully adjusted to it yet. however, my "period" started a few days ago, on time, and it's MUCH lighter (and by that i mean basically non existent, really no...blood). which i should be happy about, but instead i'm worried. i have never EVER had spotting, not during my period, or any other part of my menstrual cycle. but when i started getting a pinkish/grey discharge as my "period", i figured maybe that's what it was. before anyone says that grey means an infection-i don't have any symptoms of a bacterial infection. every picture online of light pink, slightly grey discharge (that looks VERY similar to mine) says that it's "implantation bleeding" (which i found out has nothing to do with the implant, but rather is an early sign of pregnancy). now obviously i got a negative pregnancy test before getting the implant, but i may have lied just a bit to the doctors about the timing of sex. they asked me to wait 10 days before, and i didn't. i know that was a mistake, but i figured it would be fine. now i'm worried that maybe the test was a false negative because it had only been a few days after i had sex. someone please let me know if you've had any discharge like this, and if i should be worried!!

Hi, Im 16 and i was on the pill for over a year almost 2. At first i was on microgynon then switched to desogestrel. I came off the pill about 1.5 months ago and still havent got my period back. i was getting my period on microgynon but when i switched to desogestrel i knew i wouldnt get my period so i used extra protection. After i was off the pill for a few weeks i got anxious and took a pregnancy test to ease my mind and it was negative. but now over the last 3 days ive been feeling really odd. Ive been feeling really disoriented like everythings moving fast and almost like my brain cant catch up with my eyes. ive also fallen up the stairs a few times from being uncoordinated. Ive been waking up feeling really nauseous and the same at night with the added dizziness and light headedness. Also when laying on my side in bed ive been getting a really tight feeling in my chest and feeling unable to take deep breaths. Honestly Im scared because ive never been through this before and all my friends havent been through the same thing. I cant work out wether im genuinely feeling these feelings or if im manifesting them almost like a placebo effect because im so damn anxious about it. Please help me, I would really appreciate it ❤️ if you also see this please upvote it i really need people to see this so i can get their thoughts xx

I recently had a condition called “friable cervix” diagnosed where my cervix was bleeding easily via intimate contact, which isn’t something that has happened to me before.

I hadn’t been sexually active in over a year and was previously skipping my periods using birth control pills.

However after experiencing the bleeding issue after sex, I thought I would try and stop birth control for a few months to see if it will help.

However I think I made a mistake because I’m having the heaviest most painful period ever and I feel like I should’ve gone to a doctor first before quitting cold turkey.

It’s a nightmare and I just want it to end.

When can I take birth control again? At this point I might be willing to put up with the cervix issue because I forgot how awful periods are and I’m so over it.

Do I need to wait for this period to end before starting a new pack?

I am so tired of my doctors thinking that my symptoms are all in my head. It’s so invalidating. I am so frustrated that the female body is not studied sufficiently and that so few options are available for treatment. I hate that when I go to my doc to say that I have acne, weight fluctuations, brain fog, chronic infections etc. and mood swings and she basically offers an antidepressant. How is the antidepressant going to help with my acne? And my chronic yeast? I got my thyroid tested and my antibodies are through the roof and she basically said, that this isn’t a big deal and just to wait for my thyroid to eventually not work so I can take meds and call it a day. I have PCOS but she cannot seem to comprehend that PCOS and hormones actually impact everything! Moods, digestion, sleep, productivity, literally the moisture level of your eyes! So annoying. I am so sensitive to birth control hormones and I can’t seem to get the right one! I try it for a year and then it won’t work for me at all and all the doctors I talk to just don’t understand. They say it’s like throwing a dart at the wall and trial and error. But when you are making big life moves and decisions, I don’t want to just f**** around and find out if this particular pill will work or not. Anyway, thanks if you read all this. And if you are dealing with this same stuff, I feel your pain and you’re not alone. Thanks all!

This is a question and a vent. Recently, I was switched to Aurovela Fe 1/20 after being on Blisovi for three years now. They never told me about this till the day of and this isn’t the first time my pharmacy switched my birth controls. Last time they did this, I was put on Larin and I felt like I was going insane (I.e emotions on 10, constant crying spells, etc). That being said, I wasn’t happy about it. I looked into this BC and I’ve seen nothing good about it. Cystic acne, heavy periods, weight gain, extreme mood swings, yeast infections?????? Yeah no. I tried to get Blisovi back but was told they were out of stock, hence why I got Aurovela instead. They said it’s the same medication, just under a different brand.

I don’t know. I’m not comfortable taking after seeing the negative reviews and my last experience being switched without notice. Blisovi balanced out my periods, made them lighter, and more tolerable. My emotions remain regulated. It never affected my skin and the weight gain wasn’t crazy. Matter of fact, I’m happy with the weight I’m currently and not trying to gain more. Overall, I’m really anxious about it because of what happened to me last time when they switched me and going through all that isn’t worth it to me.

Im only debating it because I am sexually active and have no interest or the stability to carry and take care of a child but condoms exist and I don’t mind using them. I just like the extra protection BC gives me just in case. I don’t know what to do. Should I wait it out or give it a try?

Me and my gf had intercourse for the first time tn. It was unprotected. I pulled out even before I felt like I was about to finish I js pulled out when I felt like it was gonna happen soon. But for some reason I am still js so anxious about if I could have gotten her pregnant. Is it possible that could've happened or am I being paranoid?

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting, so bear with me.

I’ve been on birth control essentially since I first got my period, around age 12 or so- and currently am 25. I was put on the basic tri-sprintec and it worked wonders to get my period to a “normal” status (I would bleed through a super tampon in an hour and always have to wear a pad even if I had a tampon in). Fast-forward to graduating high school and was en route to start college away from home. My OB had stated a lot of girls my age in my situation had a lot of great success with Nexplanon and it was a low commitment option for me. I was tired of remembering to take the pill, so I opted for the implant! IT WAS AWFUL FOR ME. I went through 2 rounds (~5 years) with the Nexplanon implant and bled pretty much the entire duration that I had it. And not just light bleeding. It was heavy, non-stop bleeding for a month at a time, with maybe a week break and back to bleeding. On top of that, it made me hormonal mess. I was constantly irritable or crying about something and it just wasn’t me. The only pro during this time was I thankfully had an overactive sex drive and was able to do it constantly. I had finally had enough of the constant bleeding and my OB put me on Lo Loesterin FE. I’ve been on it about 3 or so years now. And I have the COMPLETE opposite problem. I’m dryer than a desert, sex is not only painful, but I have no desire to even engage In it, and mainly I just feel mentally numb. The only pro is that I don’t have a period really anymore. I’m terrified to come off birth control due to fears of getting pregnant, and how my body will respond after being on birth control for over a decade now. But I can’t take it anymore with feeling like my body is betraying me in the sex department. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Did you go off birth control? And did you survive???

I was talking to a fellow woman the other day and she brought up the topic of cortisol and how hers is high. I said my doctor suspects mine is high but can't test for it because I'm on the birth control pill and I would need to take break for 3 months to test my cortisol levels and I can't take that 3 month break right now. And immediately she said "is it because you don't want to use condoms?" I was honestly taken aback because first of all I thought I was in a safe space talking to her, and second, I started the pill before I got into my relationship because of heavy painful periods and PCOS. And so what if I was just on it to be protected during sex? There are so many reasons someone could be on birth control and I just hate having to explain myself when people shouldn't be judging in the first place.

Since starting Yaz, I have been bleeding non-stop. I started taking it in the beginning of August and just stopped. My gyno has now prescribed me Estarylla. I start taking it next week. Will switching my pill help with my bleeding? What side effects have you experienced on Estarylla?

I took plan b two days before my fertile window on Sunday Oct 27. My fertile window was set to begin on the 29th and my ovulation day prediction is Nov 3. My period is very exact every month. I usually get it on the same day every month or off by 1-3 days. Fingers crossed plan b worked, should I expect my period this month? I should be getting it November 14-16. Does plan b really mess up cycles? I really hope I can get it on that day so I can start my birth control. But I’m scared I might skip a month and or get withdrawal bleeding.

I stopped taking my birth control about 6 weeks ago (Nuvaring). Have been on birth control for ~12 years now with one or two short breaks. Since going off of it, I feel like something about my face changed and I feel ugly. Even my makeup doesn’t look right anymore. My hair feels dull. I went off of it to just give my body a break since I’m single and expected to be for a while. Did anyone else have this problem? Does it pass? Feeling so ugly and defeated.

I’m due to get my nexplanon removed and/or replaced in January 2025, as it will have been three years. I’ve experienced lighter and shorter periods on it and haven’t had any side effects……until middle of September this year. I’ve had a 7 day period biweekly, and they have been heavy, like they were prior to starting birth control.

I’ve had really bad back pain with each one, but I have a history of painful ovarian cysts occasionally appearing and causing this same pain prior to nexplanon. This pain has been constant over each of these “new” periods.

I think I’m going to get it taken out in the next few weeks (the appt waitlist for my doc is LONG) I’m just concerned because I haven’t heard of anyone having side effects only at the end of its lifespan instead of the whole 3y duration. Has anyone else experienced something similar?

i started a new pack of my birth control (day 5), this is officially my 2nd month on birth control EVER and i am feeling some side effects like tender breasts.

is this a normal effect for starting a new pack? lmk!