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

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.