birth control

[astonfire.livejournal.com]

im interesting in going on birth control,
but im vegan and i know most pills arent...
 i was wondering if you guys know of any BCs that dont have animal ingredients in them

thanks

Comments

[oompaprincess.livejournal.com]

lea shield, and I think the nuvaring, neither of which are pills though.

[crowjane.livejournal.com]

What animal ingredients could possibly be in birth control pills?

[vicious-tongue.livejournal.com]

the hormones comes from animal.

[crowjane.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression that the only hormone product that uses non-synthetic hormones was Premarin, a post-menopause patch that used PMU.

[vicious-tongue.livejournal.com]

ya, i am not sure, because i do not use birth controls. being a lesbian, i don't really need it ('tho i guess i should read up on it first before giving information!). all i know is that they did make them out of animal hormones, and they still do,i think, but i can't be sure of which products, etc.

[crowjane.livejournal.com]

When I was on hormonal birth control, I did lots of research to make sure I would not be using PMU, and the only product I found that used it was Premarin which is not even birth control. All the others use synthetic hormones.

[vicious-tongue.livejournal.com]

sweet, that's awesome. i've always felt bad about women having to use bc with animal hormones on it, especially if they are vegetarians, but that is really good to know.

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

So far, the info I'm finding suggests that the problem with HBC for vegans is that the pills themselves contain lactose (as do many other types of pills), and, of course, that they are all animal tested.

I blab more about that in this comment (http://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/9775551.html?thread=117167551#t117167551). :)

[aechei.livejournal.com]

(it's a pill, too)

[scien.livejournal.com]

No, that's not true.

Vegan Contraceptive Options

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

Hi! Fellow vegan here!

As it turns out, there aren't a ton of vegan birth control options (http://www.vegsource.com/jo/qa/qabcontrol.htm). I looked back through various vegan communities to see what people had to say, and a few thought that the Nuvaring, the copper IUD, or the contraceptive sponge might be vegan, but I haven't been able to verify it yet. According to this site (http://www.ivu.org/faq/products.html), "Femulen, a progestogen-only pill made by Gold Shield [available in the UK], is the only product that is free from animal ingredients (but not animal testing)."

Beyond the obvious problem of animal ingredients like lactose and animal-based stearates, as the above quote suggests, oral contraceptives have all been animal tested (http://www.vegansociety.com/html/people/health/contraceptives.php), according to the Vegan Society UK.

Most research indicates that the only really cruelty-free birth control methods include using vegan condoms (you can order here (http://www.veganstore.com/) or here (http://www.vegansociety.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=21&osCsid=8fff4f5aea50beee37f177fc910e60ce)), or practicing the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). You can find more information about FAM in fam, here (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Non-Hormonal_Birth_Control#The_Fertility_Awareness_Method_.28FAM.29) in our Vulvapedia entry on non-hormonal birth control, and of course, in the FAM "bible," Taking Charge of Your Fertility (http://www.amazon.com/Taking-Charge-Your-Fertility-Anniversary/dp/0060881909/sr=8-1/qid=1171900562/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4245693-9013659?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Toni Weschler.

I would also encourage you to check out both the general entries on non-hormonal (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Non-Hormonal_Birth_Control) and hormonal (http://www.vaginapagina.com/index.php?title=Hormonal_Birth_Control) birth control in our Vulvapedia (the former should indicate vegan options throughout).

Good luck! It's not an easy thing, and I know more than a few vegans who decided to prioritize contraception over using a totally vegan birth control method. Tough choices, indeed ... hopefully now that you're armed with some starter info, you can make whatever decision feels right for you.

[viv7mgte.livejournal.com]

ParaGard IUD is made of copper, no hormones involved. It isn't a pill, but it's a good solution.

However, for young people, they can be next to impossible to get. However, as far as I know, they'd be vegan, since they're just copper.

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

The trick is probably whether or not it was tested on animals, and my guess is that it probably was. Might be worth it for the OP to write to the company and inquire, however.

[femmefaeryvixen.livejournal.com]

How in the heck would you test a copper IUD on animals? It just doesn't bear thinking about!

[dama-imperfecta.livejournal.com]

I am 19 and np and I have a paraguard and LOVE it, try planned parenthood, they were excellent for me since my midwife doesn't do insertions.

[viv7mgte.livejournal.com]

I got my Mirena at 20 (also np) through Planned Parenthood. They're the best :) However, based on the OP's userinfo and my questionable math skills, it looks like she's 17, and even Planned Parenthood might not be too keen on giving her one that young, though it is always worth a try, because most PPs are friendly and helpful and willing to do everything they can for a person.

IUDs are fabulous :D