Hi All,

My gf and I have been using the pull out method for quite sometimes. We know it is just a matter of time before my gf will get pregnant. We are looking into a suitable contraceptive method for us. I know my gf won't remember taking pill on time, thats is for sure. We do not like using condoms either.

I was looking at the forum and the internet and found "Injectable Progestins". One injection and it is effective for 3 months. However, my gf is afraid of the side effects esp, getting Fat. Is there anyone here who have used the Injectable Progestins method? What were the side effects it had on you? Did it make you fat? Also, is it safe for the guy to come inside with the "Injectable Progestins" method?

Thank you,

I think you're thinking of Depo, which is a shot given every three months.
I recommend not going down this route. I've known tons (tons!!) of women very displeased with the side effects from this form of BC and only one who was happy. It takes a very long time for the hormones to leave your body once you stop the shots.

Please check out the planned parenthood contraceptives website
PP Contraceptives

This lists all the methods of BC available today, the pros and cons, etc etc.
The most popular ones being used now by young women (if not the pill) is the nuva ring, the patch, and the mirena IUD.

Good luck.

The last thing I want to do is to see my gf suffering from BC. So Depo is a No no. Thanks for the website, very informative. We narrowed down to 3 BC methods:

1) Implanon
2) Nuva Ring
3) The patch.

Do you have any exp or hear any story about implanon?

Does Nuva ring work if not used regularly but rather 1 week or a few days b4 intercourse (we see each other once a month)? Not sure how much the Nuva ring would reduce intercourse pleasure. Would it cause infection?

A friend of my gf said that the patch left some burn marks on her stomach. Is it true?

Thanks,

My neice gets the depo shot and after a year on it she likes it now she never gets a period, but my friend got it and gained over 100 lbs in 3 months on it. I had it once and had a period for 3 straight months. So I am not a fan of them! But each persons body is different, so they work for some and not for others. What about a patch, they stay on for a week at a time?

Omg, 100lbs in 3 months. Was it because it stimulated her craving then she ate a lot? There seems to be more horrible stories about the Depo shot than good ones.

We were thinking of the patch. Thing is we only see each other once a month. And guess what, there is a lot of sex. Can she apply the patch like a few days before intercourse and not use them when we don't see each other? Would it be safe for the guy to come inside (just in case of accident). Have you used the patch yourself?

Thanks for your help

some studies show the patch is 99% effective, but thats a risk you have to take. i was on the pill for years and never used another birth control method and i was fine.

but you cannot use the patch for only one week. it has to be used continuously to allow the hormone levels balance out in her body and be effective.

I just read about the "Morning After Pill". Since we only meet once a month. I think this might be a good solution for us. What do you think? Are the side effects of these pills severer than other BC?

i wouldn't recommend the morning after pill. it's only meant to be used in situation where there is an accident.

its a huge dose of hormones and it's not good for a womans body to keep taking it on a regular basis. it can seriously throw off your periods and hormones for months afterwards in some cases, and it basically forces your body into having a period. it's not always a pleasant experience for some women.

it's also only effective when taken up to 72 hours after intercourse, so if you're having sex for more than 3 days in a row, it won't do much good anyway.

Thanks, we normally see each other for about 3 days. We don't find anything that can be used on and off. My gf thinks its a good solution but I want to make sure what the side effects are first. Is it ok for a girl (less than 25, healthy, non smoker) to take morning after pill like once a month? Or what else would you recommend for us?

Thank you.

repeated use of the morning after pill is not recommended. studies haven't been done to determine the effects of repeat usage, but it's only intended for "emergencies" not regular use.

I found this article. hope it helps: http://http://www.cwfa.org/images/content/mapalec.pdf

Unknown Effects of Repeat Usage
Advocates argue that women know better than to use the morning-after pill often, so there is no risk of over-use of this high-dose drug. Yet, in the label comprehension study submitted by Barr Labs to the FDA, a full one-third of adult women who read the instructions for Plan B did not understand that the morning-after pill is not to be used as a regular form of birth control. The number increased among those with low literacy and less than high school education. Over one-third did not understand the need to take the second pill at 12 hours after the first.6 The chairman of the FDA Advisory Committee
that reviewed the comprehension study called it an “overall failure.”

The maximum safe dose for levornorgestrel (the active ingredient in Plan B) has not been determined by scientific study, or the effects of overdose.8 It is unknown whether there is a maximum safe daily dose, monthly dose or yearly dose. The health risks for those who may use Plan B repeatedly (ranging in age from menarche—as young as 9—to women in their 50s) at one time or over years are unknown.

While advocates brush away concern over repeated use, stating that women will use it only in “emergencies,” experience shows that, when easily available, the morning-after pill is relied upon often. In fact, promoters of the morning-after pill describe "emergencies” as suspected contraceptive failure or “any time unprotected sexual intercourse occurs.”9 Repeat use is only discouraged based on its insufficient efficacy as a birth control method, not due to safety concerns.