Moon Cup, Birth Control, Sex!

[illutible.livejournal.com]

Hi ladies (and gents)!

My first question is about my Moon Cup. Basically, the last time I used it was about 2 months ago, and it was near the end of my period so I rinsed it out with hot water and planned to clean it properly later on. But I forgot.. and haven't thought about it since due to moving house and other stuff, I'd forgotten my cup even existed. Now mother nature has approached me and I have found my beloved cup, hurrah! But I've suddenly remembered how it hadn't been cleaned properly for so long and I'm not sure it's safe to use. I don't want any infections. And I know it's gross and horrid that I never sterilised it! Do I need to buy a new one, or is there a way to make sure it's safe and clean enough to use? And I can't leave the house at the moment so I can't buy any fancy sterilising things..


Secondly, I'm just wondering if anyone else feels like they HAVE to use a condom even though you're on the pill, and if you've got over that anxiety and now it's great? 'Cause I would loveeeeee for my other half to not have me nagging at him to use a condom, or to definitely definitely definitely pull out in time - which I don't like to be honest, I don't like messy endings. I want to relax afterwards, not rush up for a shower. I just have such paranoia about becoming pregnant, yet I would really like condomless sex. I know the pill is very effective. Is it just me?


Also! I've been on Microgynon 30 for years now, but my doctor has given me a new one called Rigevidon. Apparently it's the same pill but with a new name, but I've read up reviews and they are mostly bad! Weight gain, increased appetite with junk food, moodiness right up the scale.. I don't want this. Should I change my pill??

Thanks in advance for any answers!

Comments

[naath.livejournal.com]

Speaking as a lazy type of person... I reckon your Moon Cup is good to go if you give it a bit of a wash. You could put it in a pan of boiling water to sterilise it.

Condomless sex is much messier than using a condom; if you worry about mess then, er, you'll probably be jumping up for a wash anyway. I used to have a great deal of anxiety about my hormonal BC failing, but I've been relying on it for years now; I find knowing how to access abortion services a comforting mental backup even though I've never needed to do so.

[nickelshoe.livejournal.com]

You don't need to sterilize. I doubt you sterilize anything else you put in your vagina. Tampons, fingers, penises. Boiling doesn't sterilize, and even f it did, as soon as you picked up your cup it would be contaminated.

[kcrona1.livejournal.com]

Just wash it with hot water and soap. It should be fine. If you had rubbing alcohol, you could wipe it with that and then wash it if you wanted.

[kaberett.livejournal.com]

As everyone else says... just boiling it up for 5 minutes would be more than adequate. Honestly, I don't usually bother doing more than washing in hot water & soap.

[illutible.livejournal.com]

Thanks everyone for your comments, I will go boil it now :)

[hairballsplat.livejournal.com]

i don't always boil my cup between periods. haven't had any infections.

i used only the pill for quite awhile. only got pregnant when i intended to, once i was off the pill.

[glass-houses.livejournal.com]

I use birth control so I don't have to use condoms. I don't mind the mess. I don't immediately get up and clean up right afterward, either.

[illutible.livejournal.com]

What I meant is that I'm too paranoid that the pill isn't effective enough on it's own. That I will be the unlucky 0.01% that it doesn't work on. And if anyone has overcome that fear..

And I'm sure the amount of mess from the man finishing inside is less than outside and on my body. Sorry for TMI but maybe I didn't make myself clear enough.

[lilac-ribbon.livejournal.com]

same. i stick it in the dishwasher every 6 months or so, not one single infection!

[sweetchild92.livejournal.com]

There's nothing weird or wrong about doubling up, it's all about your comfort level. If you absolutely cannot handle the risk of being one of the 1-8 women who become pregnant on the pill, then that is your call and no one else's.

I find pulling out to be much less messy than ejaculating inside. I can just wipe up whats on the outside, whereas I can sometimes feel the messiness in my vagina for quite a bit afterwards.

[quixotic-coffee.livejournal.com]

"Apparently it's the same pill but with a new name, but I've read up reviews and they are mostly bad! Weight gain, increased appetite with junk food, moodiness right up the scale.. I don't want this. Should I change my pill??"

I've noticed that reviews for any kind of birth control pill sound like that. Often only people with negative experiences are commenting so it distorts the picture but those are pretty much possible side effects with any birth control pill so I wouldn't be concerned about any particular brand.

[archangelbeth]

Exactly. Every form of HBC has those risks, and it's generally the people who had the bad side effects who complain about them. Who posts to a forum or review saying, "I have no problems with HBC at all!", eh?

It's why VP will routinely, gently, delete any posts asking only, "What was your experience with [HBC Brand Mumble]?" Because everyone is so individual that... it really doesn't matter what experience other people had. Unless the other person is your twin sister or something, and even then, it's iffy. All one can do is take the pill, roll the dice, and consult the Random Side Effects table.

[illutible.livejournal.com]

Thank you, that's put my mind at rest about my pill :)

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

I never sterilize my cup - I just rinse it with water, and occasionally use soap and water. I've never had any problems with it.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

Sterilize in rubbing alcohol or boiling water if it makes you feel better. But hot water and well-rinsed soap should be fine.

I trust my Mirena to protect me from pregnancy, but didn't fully trust my NuvaRing. I knew that I was using the Ring properly, but couldn't quite bring myself to trust it full-time. That said, when a condom broke, I didn't worry about pregnancy for that one incident.

If Rigevidon is the generic of Microgynon, then there should be little reason to expect those side effects. Weight gain, increased appetite and moodiness sound like HBC adjustment side effects ANYWAY.

[dusk-falls.livejournal.com]

As many other posters have said, boiling is always a great idea if you want to sterilize your cup. In fact, you can do this with anything that is fully silicone (like some sex toys!)