To second what others have said: nobody in VP will lecture you on using the withdrawal method, and it is not "stupidity" that you've been using it. Not only do we not allow members to "yell at" or "lecture" others about their choices, but in VP we seek to promote accurate information about all contraceptive choices, including withdrawal.
Although it is certainly not as reliable as hormonal birth control or some other forms of contraception, withdrawal is 73% effective (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/withdrawal.htm) over the course of a year with typical use and 94% effective with perfect use. That's actually better than some other types of contraceptives (i.e. spermicidal foams and cervical caps for parous women).
Still, while that isn't a high enough level of protection for many couples, and while it can be more difficult to use perfectly, VP as a community believes that withdrawal is a valid contraceptive method (http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/11973497.html) when couples make an informed decision to rely on it. It sounds like you aren't comfortable with that method, so that means it may not be the right choice for you going forward, but you shouldn't feel stupid or bad that you did rely on it for so long.
So as far as withdrawal goes, not becoming pregnant while using the pull-out method really does not necessarily indicate that you are not fertile. For instance, I know that I am perfectly fertile, and I have been using the withdrawal method as my sole choice in contraception for a combined total of almost 4 years now, without a single scare.
While withdrawal has a higher failure rate than other methods, and isn't the right choice for people who aren't comfortable with that risk, it's still perfectly likely that you could use it every time you had sex for years and have it be a successful at preventing pregnancy.
However, setting that aside, it does sound like you may have some indicators for some sort of hormonal imbalance. While I will note that there's nothing unusual at all about having dark hair on your butt, legs, lip, or tummy, the irregular periods and the high testosterone level suggests there may be something else going on there.
Unfortunately, I'm no expert on PCOS, but I know many here in VP are. There's also the community pcos, and we have a lot of tagged entries on the subject. Good luck!
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Date: 2008-02-08 08:51 am (UTC)Although it is certainly not as reliable as hormonal birth control or some other forms of contraception, withdrawal is 73% effective (http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/withdrawal.htm) over the course of a year with typical use and 94% effective with perfect use. That's actually better than some other types of contraceptives (i.e. spermicidal foams and cervical caps for parous women).
Still, while that isn't a high enough level of protection for many couples, and while it can be more difficult to use perfectly, VP as a community believes that withdrawal is a valid contraceptive method (http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/11973497.html) when couples make an informed decision to rely on it. It sounds like you aren't comfortable with that method, so that means it may not be the right choice for you going forward, but you shouldn't feel stupid or bad that you did rely on it for so long.
So as far as withdrawal goes, not becoming pregnant while using the pull-out method really does not necessarily indicate that you are not fertile. For instance, I know that I am perfectly fertile, and I have been using the withdrawal method as my sole choice in contraception for a combined total of almost 4 years now, without a single scare.
While withdrawal has a higher failure rate than other methods, and isn't the right choice for people who aren't comfortable with that risk, it's still perfectly likely that you could use it every time you had sex for years and have it be a successful at preventing pregnancy.
However, setting that aside, it does sound like you may have some indicators for some sort of hormonal imbalance. While I will note that there's nothing unusual at all about having dark hair on your butt, legs, lip, or tummy, the irregular periods and the high testosterone level suggests there may be something else going on there.
Unfortunately, I'm no expert on PCOS, but I know many here in VP are. There's also the community