Hi guys. I'm 19 and bisexual and kind of thinking of becoming sexually active in the relatively near future. Before I become sexually active, I want to be on birth control. I was just wondering what kind of changes any of the women on here who've taken birth control experienced while they were on the birth control. Thanks for your help guys!
It depends on what birth control you use. I use the shot, which for me caused a lot of weight gain, a very low sex drive, and some depression while I was getting used to it.
Some of the more androgenic contraceptives can cause acne and hirsutism, so if they happen, then your doc should be switching you to a less androgenic one. Weight gain, headaches, nausea/vomiting, and bloating are also other common complaints, but there are ways to manage those adverse events that the doc should be able to figure out. It may involve titrating the dose of either hormone in the combined contraceptive, taking the drug with food, etc.
I have the NuvaRing and I love it. Depending on how you use it, you can choose to have a regular cycle, or none at all. I chose no cycle.
I had an IUD and I experienced mild PMS symptoms and my period only came every couple of months or so. The only issue I had with it was it caused me to have a period for about 2 1/2 weeks and my doctor thought it might have moved putting fear into me and eventually causing me to make the decision to have it removed.
I have a really close female friend who's on the pill that shares this kind of stuff with me.... Sometimes, she gets a lower sex drive and mood swings. But overall, she experienced minimal side effects. She also told me that her periods went out of control at first, but it stabilized after a few weeks. However, I've heard of instances where the hormones caused a change in behavior. If you want to go on hormonal birth control, try to be observant of your behavior. Just to let you know, the best form of birth control is the one that you'll remember the most. If you can't be very consistent and remember to take a pill at the same time of each day, try the NuvaRing. You would only have to switch it out after a month. If you are an incredibly forgetful person (like me, but I'm not female), then you should try the hormonal IUD since it lasts for years. If you are only concerned with getting pregnant, I recommend the copper IUD. It's like a magical spermicidal device similar to the hormonal IUD; it just doesn't have hormones. This one, you could be assured that your menstrual cycle won't change and your behavior won't change, but you may experience increased bleeding during your period.
I've got the Nexplanon implant which is the bar they put in your arm. It has its ups and downs but ultimately, I think it does more good than bad: For starters, they stick it in your arm and that's you set for three years. You don't have to remember to take any pills or injections, it just does its thing by itself in your arm. Its very reliable too - more than 99% effective, and the only time it does fail is if its placed wrong but that will be easy to tell from the outset. You cant feel it in your arm and the procedure isn't even that sore. There is a little scar but barely visible. There were some negatives though. It took a very, very long time to get settled. I remember not getting a period for about three months, and then all of sudden a got A MONTH LONG PERIOD. God it was a disaster. It did this quite a lot for the first year or so, just being completely irregular and impossible to predict. Despite this - the periods I do get are a lot lighter, shorter and less painful. So all in all, I think its worth considering. I didn't gain any weight or lose my sex drive or become moodier, as far as I can tell. But I think side effects differ from person to person.
