Non hormonal BC

[katarokkar.livejournal.com]

An earlier post about hormonal BC choices got me thinking...

I'm planning on becoming sexually active for the first time soon (yay!), and I don't want to go into it unprepared.

I'm really, really hesitant to use any hormonal BC because women in my family have all had bad side effects from it like headaches and mostly weight gain.
Are there any hormonal ones out there that tend to have less side effects?

I obviously plan to use condoms, and I'm considering getting a diaphram to use with the condoms since I've heard that makes for more effective prevention. How easy is that to use?

Are there any other things I can try?

Thanks!

Comments

[mangofandango.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if you know this or not, but you might consider trying a low-dose pill, because those tend to have less side-effects (but still equal protection) since there are less hormones in them. Other women in your family may have been on higher doses or different formulations, so one of these might work well for you. You could also try a mini-pill (aka progestin-only pill), paired with condoms if you're more comfortable (the mini-pill is a teensy bit less effective and must be taken at literally the same time every day), since those will have even less of an impact on your body.

The NuvaRing also has a very low dosage of hormones, if you are interested in that, and it delivers the hormones more locally than a pill would.

[ourika.livejournal.com]

I've never used a diaphram, but I did some research on it, and I’ve used Instead menstrual cups which are shaped like diaphrams. Oh, and when I was in fourth grade, my stepmother sat me down and showed me her diaphram and how it worked and explained how simple it is to use. It seems like it’s a very simple item to use. It’s a round cup, fill it with spermicide, and insert it. A doctor will need to fit you for it, though. And a friend who got a diaphram said that the doctor makes sure that you can insert it properly before they let you go home. She also went back a few days later, with it inserted, and the doctor checked to make sure she’d done it properly.

When used properly, diaphrams have a decent protection rate, but they are can be mis-used (not put in early enough, taken out too soon, or used without spermicide). All of these things have seriously lowered the effective percentage rate of diaphrams.

Personally, I think that a diaphram is an excellent choice of birth control for someone who is either not concerned about STDs or who is using it as a back-up method. The only reason I didn’t choose it as my form of birth control was because I have reactions to spermicide :-(
Oh, you also asked about other back-up methods you could try. There are spermicidal foams that are inserted into the vagina that work very well with condoms. Spermicidal films are said to be very good, too. The cervical cup and the sponge are also spermicidal methods that are inserted into the vagina.

The main thing you’d need to worry about with all of these methods is whether or not you’re sensitive to spermicide. Some women will experience irritation with it while others have no problem whatsoever. Also, the spermicidal film is very highly concentrated, and women who don’t have problems with other spermicides have been known to have reactions to the film.

My partner has used the condom/foam method with previous girlfriends, and he was happy with them. They both felt safer having another form of birth control, and when you feel safer, you have more fun :-) (At least in my experience!)

[strand3d.livejournal.com]

I think trying a form of hormonal birth control is a really good idea if you think you're going to possibly be sexually active for a long time. Birth control is the best way to avoid pregnant, even though there are other non-hormonal ways. I agree with the other poster. Try a low dose monophasic pill. The worst that can happen is you don't like it, so you go off it. My personal belief about weight gain is that you'll gain a lot more weight if you get pregnant. :)

[enigmae.livejournal.com]

I really like the Nuvaring because it uses a lower dose of hormones than any birth control pill.