Choosing birth control

[arutha]

So my gf is thinking about going on some form of birth control, and we've been doing a bit of research. She doesn't think she'd remember to take the pill, and was interested in the copper insert until she read about its side effects. The three month injection looked ok, but she didn't like the idea of taking a year to return to normal cycles and fertility after stopping its use. So we've pretty much narrowed it down to implanon if anything (of course, we use condoms now). She is a bit unsure about what the chemicals might do, so does anyone have any experience positive or negative on it? I did a bit of a search but there wasn't really anything.

[sera300]

I would not use an implant--no way seen too many rise or get infected. If choosing I would look at the NuvaRing.

[Brandye]

Among my patients there have been more adjustment problems with the long term hormonal systems than any other. I agree with sera.

The two most underused are the IUD which you mention and the ring. Each system is experienced differently by different women. There is no perfect "one size fits all" when contraception is being chosen.

For non-hormone approaches, the IUD is a good choice and tolerated well by the vast majority of women. There are copper and there are non-copper. There is usually an adjustment time of a month or so.

For hormonal systems, the ring puts the least hormone in the system and needs only two dates marked on the calendar each month - one day to insert and one to remove. Very few women have experienced difficulties and those are usually expulsion. Some women simply do not hold it in.

And then there is the issue of discipline. Life requires much more scheduling than simply taking a pill each day at the same time. Maturity includes handling these things.

Time for her to sit down with a gyn who has experience with the entire array of contraceptive approaches.