shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Aug 1, 2012 13:27:13 GMT -5
thyme: Again, I say this with the note that I absolutely love being on depo. My reasons for it not being a first choice for a teenager have to do with calcium/bone density loss, the fact that it hinders weight loss (body image is such an issue for teens) but also because it is a concentrated dose of hormones- enough to provide BC for 3 months at a time, injected directly into the body. The dose is potent enough that the majority of women on it (including me) stop having periods altogether. (And while as a highschooler, that would have seemed like heaven, it does indicate the amount and potency of the hormones put in the body.) A pill is a once a day dose, so much smaller, and you can play with the doses. An IUD has a time release, so again, the amount of hormone being aborbed by the body at any one time is smaller.
In addition, if you have a bad reaction to depo, you cannot change your BC method for 3 months, because the hormone is already in your system and is going to be active that long. The pill is the easiest to work with when it comes to changing doses, the exact hormone cocktail, etc, but again, the problems come with proper useage. I would consider the patch for a teenager- you only have to remember that once a week, but given where it was supposed to be placed, and the clothes I seem some teenagers wearing, I can see teens wanting to take it off because it is visible. An IUD is definitely more difficult to mess with than the pill or a patch, but it can be removed as easily as it was put in with a visit to the doctor.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 13:31:58 GMT -5
I don't know yet how much it costs to have it removed, but having an IUD inserted costs a pretty penny. That's another reason I wouldn't consider it for a teen. It cost $800 for the Mirena, it was around $1200 for the copper (non-hormonal IUD).
If she were to have problems I then have to pay to get it removed.
Pill cost me $30 for a three month supply. It was $30 a month without prescription coverage. If I didn't like it I simply stopped the pack and didn't refill.
For a teen I'd rather start at the low cost option of the pill and have it not work than go straight for the $800 option and have it not work.
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formerroomate99
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Post by formerroomate99 on Aug 1, 2012 13:33:48 GMT -5
Well, considering how the old style IUD's from the 70's and 80's used to kill people, I'm a little skeptical about the safety of the new ones. And the whole loading up teenaged girls with hormones thing creeps me out too.
I do plan on hammering it into my sons's heads that having sex without a condom is not an option. Don't know what to do about my girl though.
Others have suggested showing kids, especially boys, pictures from the STD chapter of an A&P book.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Aug 1, 2012 13:34:11 GMT -5
I will also mention that when I first went on depo- over 10 years ago, my doctor told me that if I wanted to get pregnant, I should go off depo an on to a different form of BC for 6month to a year before trying to get pregnant in order to make sure the depo hormone was completely out of my system. My current doctor currently requires me to have a consult once a year about my birth control, no matter what kind, to make sure I am aware of risks, side effects, still on the form that is best for me. Depo has changed enough in the last 10 years that they no longer say you should go off of it 6+ months before trying to get pregnant, however, if you miss your window for a shot, they do require two pregnancy tests, at least two weeks apart to make sure you are not pregnant before they will give you another injection. Again, this is because once you get a shot, depo is in your system for 3 months, like it or not, and can therefore cause major birth defects that you don't see with BC methods that can be stopped.
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Aug 1, 2012 13:34:55 GMT -5
The Nuva ring would be a good option I think. Not permanent, but no outwardly visible patches, no needing to remember pills, and as soon as you take it out your body stops absorbing the hormones.
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souldoubt
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Post by souldoubt on Aug 1, 2012 13:35:10 GMT -5
My GF is on mirena and it's worked great but the possible repercussions of having it put in in the first place and reading this thread freak me out.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 13:36:24 GMT -5
Nuva ring would be a good one for a teen. Only risk that comes solely with it is possible yeast infections and I read those clear up as soon as you remove the ring. It's also a low dosage birth control since it is placed directly in the vagina rather than having to travel thru the bloodstream like the pill, shot or patch.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Aug 1, 2012 13:36:54 GMT -5
Cost of getting an IUD went down, starting today (kind of). The portion of the healthcare law that requires insurers to provide BC without a copay went into effect for any policies issued today or after- that includes any policies that are renewed.
My personal preference for a teenager would be what my high school BFF had- the thing implanted in her upper arm that provider 5 years of BC.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 13:38:04 GMT -5
My GF is on mirena and it's worked great but the possible repercussions of having it put in in the first place and reading this thread freak me out
I wouldn't worry too much about it Wode. I've had no problems at all and we're going on year two. It's just not something I would consider for my teenage daughter because I feel the risks are too big for a teen.
I didn't have any co-pay for the Mirena, I had it put in during my six week check-up.
$800 is the cost of the actual MIRENA and insertion of it.
I don't think the AHC reduces the cost of the actual Mirena or the procedure.
It's still way more expensive than the pill and wouldn't be my first choice for a teen looking for birth control.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2012 13:39:52 GMT -5
My mother put me on birth control when I was 14 or 15. Not because she was worried about pregnancy, but because I took after her and had the menstrual cycle from hell. I have been on BCP for 15 years with no adverse side effects so far. I was lucky that my mother had experienced the same thing and knew how to help me (she has been on birth control since college, only stopping it twice for pregnancies). I asked her once if she thought my father would have said no to BCP for me if they had been together at the time, she said that they may have had to have a "discussion", but I would still have ended up on BCP.
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swasat
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Post by swasat on Aug 1, 2012 13:45:41 GMT -5
My GF is on mirena and it's worked great but the possible repercussions of having it put in in the first place and reading this thread freak me outI wouldn't worry too much about it Wode. I've had no problems at all and we're going on year two. It's just not something I would consider for my teenage daughter because I feel the risks are too big for a teen. I didn't have any co-pay for the Mirena, I had it put in during my six week check-up. $800 is the cost of the actual MIRENA and insertion of it. I don't think the AHC reduces the cost of the actual Mirena or the procedure. It's still way more expensive than the pill and wouldn't be my first choice for a teen looking for birth control. I agree completely with DQ. I am on Paraguard (the non-hormonal IUD) and it cost a pretty penny. I didn't have to pay a cent to get it put in but the insurance paid $1100!! Because of the cost involved, I only got the IUD in after I was done having kids. I would be hesitant to spend that much money on birth control for a teen. Personally, I am not scared of having an IUD. IUDs today are nothing like what they used be in 70s or the 80s.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 13:47:50 GMT -5
Yeah the costs are one of the reasons I chose the Mirena instead of the Paraguard. I also heard it can for some women make your period really brutal. With the mirena I still get the benefit of having really short light periods like I did on the pill. Downside is there are not enough hormones in it to clear up my acne. I am back to breaking out once a month.
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swasat
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Post by swasat on Aug 1, 2012 13:51:43 GMT -5
Yeah the costs are one of the reasons I chose the Mirena instead of the Paraguard. I also heard it can for some women make your period really brutal. With the mirena I still get the benefit of having really short light periods like I did on the pill. Yeah I heard that too. Basically if you already have heavy periods then Paraguard can make them hell for you. I have always had regular periods so I didn't have much of an issue. From one day of heavy flow I went up to 2 days of heavy flow. So it suits me fine. But I agree with what you are saying. I was told the same thing by the doctor. Some women are also skeptical of putting in something for 10 long years. A friend of mine went with Mirena just because she didn't want an IUD inside her for 10 straight years.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 13:55:24 GMT -5
I was all for the 10 years until the OB mentioned the period thing. Mine used to be pretty heavy when I was a teen. I've enjoyed light ones for too many years now to want to go back to that, so Mirena it was. The birth control pill really screwed with me because I was on such a high dosage. I didn't want to go back on it and has asolutely no interest in trying the patch, shot or ring. With the Mirena I like that I get the "permenance" of five year birth control with the advantage of being on hormones sans side effects. It took some getting used to though. It's quite a difference to go from having to take a pill every day to trusting that that thing inside you is doing it's job.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Aug 1, 2012 13:56:20 GMT -5
My GF is on mirena and it's worked great but the possible repercussions of having it put in in the first place and reading this thread freak me out. Honestly the most common side effect is it falling out which isn't a life threatening problem. My issues were once I started working out, it bothered me while working. I cramped more with it in than after it was removed. It often felt like it was falling out and the strings caused me irritation and my DH could feel them and sometimes they bothered him. It got to the point I was so miserable that i called the OBs office begging them to fit me in to have it removed (I gues technically I could have just pulled it out, but that didn't seem right either). I just would not want a teen to go through that. Plus it is one thing to have an IUD inserted during a 6 week PP exam when your cervix is still pretty pliable, but it can be a lot more painful for someone who has not had children (according to the NP who inserted my IUD).
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2012 13:58:09 GMT -5
Are the boards still having problems with delayed posts?
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swasat
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Post by swasat on Aug 1, 2012 13:58:32 GMT -5
mutt, you could actually feel it falling out? TMI......but I can't even touch mine, its so way up there Can one even pull it out?
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 13:58:43 GMT -5
That's what my OB said too. There is also something about how a woman's uterus is structured post kid vs pre kid that makes it a lot harder to insert the Mirena and have it stay put. I am not going to invest or have my insurance pay $800 only to have the dang thing fall out.
I'd suggest she go with the ring if she wants something similar. That can be used by anyone, does not have to be taken daily and isn't injected, implanted or have to be worn somewhere visible.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 14:00:41 GMT -5
You're supposed to check the strings every month. I am horrible at remembering to do that. The nurse asked me how do I know it is still in there and working if I don't check?
Uh. . I'm not pregnant? #idunno#
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swasat
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Post by swasat on Aug 1, 2012 14:02:15 GMT -5
See I can check the string. But I can't pull on it.
Isn't there a reason you have to get the doctor to remove it? Otherwise everyone and their sister could remove it.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2012 14:04:07 GMT -5
There is also something about how a woman's uterus is structured post kid vs pre kid that makes it a lot harder to insert the Mirena and have it stay put. The mirena I got pre-DS worked great. They tried three times to get a mirena to stay after DS and it kept coming out.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 14:07:22 GMT -5
Isn't there a reason you have to get the doctor to remove it?I don't know. I've never tried to remove it.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 1, 2012 14:08:02 GMT -5
This thread is now giving me the willies.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Aug 1, 2012 14:09:52 GMT -5
...was the article talking about teenager pregnancy rates dropping? or incidents of teenage pregnancy? ...I ask, because I'm thinking we have fewer teenaged girls since 1990... They said the incidents were reduced by 40% from 1990.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Aug 1, 2012 14:11:25 GMT -5
To counter all the IUD horror stories, I've had the Paragard for about 7.5 years now, no issues whatsoever. Periods same as always, no pregnancy scares, no pain, nada. It is my favorite invention ever.
Since I think sensitivities/reactions to certain BC methods tend to be somewhat genetic, I wouldn't hesitate to take my hypothetical daughter to get one (although it was hard enough finding someone to give me one at 21 with no kids, I doubt you'd find anyone willing to implant one in a teen).
I'm overall much more of a fan of the barrier-type methods than the hormonal methods, though that may be my own bias (I've only ever taken BCP for about 3 months and it turned me into a character from Girl Interrupted).
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Aug 1, 2012 14:13:11 GMT -5
When are they going to come up with a shot to give my son?
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 14:16:38 GMT -5
I keep waiting for them to invent a male birth control pill.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Aug 1, 2012 14:19:40 GMT -5
I read an article at the gym a few years ago about how some twentysomething men are taking matters into their own hands and giving themselves super, super hot baths before dates (to presumably kill all the sperm). They were very upset that their only BC option was one of the least effective (condom) and that they basically had to trust the woman at her word that she was on a backup method. (I mean yes, ideally you should trust the person you're having sex with, but as we've seen on these boards, even married women can lie about being on BC...)
It is kind of screwy that guys really have no options other than condoms and abstinence.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Aug 1, 2012 14:22:14 GMT -5
Seriously, where is there any shame in premarital sex anywhere? When I was in high school, yes, but even then BOTH sexes were looked down on. Nice girls weren't allowed to date the guy who got some girl pregnant and, of course, the girl was DOOMED! Doomed, I tell ya! Where I live (the rural South) there is a strong religious push to not have sex education in schools (because if we teach our kids about it they'll want to do it) and they want teens to feel like abstinance is the only way to go. A pregnant teen still generates gossip. And all the blame seems to rest on the girl. Now where I WORK (30 minutes away, in a small city) I don't think there is much shame attached to it and they do teach sex ed in schools. I had a very religious co-worker once tell me that since the girls are the ones that get pregnant (not the boys), church and school need to scare them into not having sex, and when they get older they'll be grateful, because they will have saved themselves for marriage, and that's what God wants. She is also very much against abortions, but I am certain she would not want to hand out BC to the girls, even if it did prevent an abortion. The only acceptable thing to do is not allow teens to have sex prior to marriage. Of course she also thinks gays are sinful, so I'm wondering why I care what she thinks.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 1, 2012 14:26:41 GMT -5
I read a study somewhere that part of the problem with developing a male birth control pill is how sperm is produced. They are finding it really hard to develop a method that stops sperm production that isn't permenant.
We women only ovulate once a month and our bodies are designed to stop when we get pregnant. Then we go back to ovulating once we are done. So it's easy to interupt the process and then restart the process.
Men produce sperm 24/7 and will do so their entire lives. The question is what step in the process do they interupt and how do they do it so once a man stops taking bc it starts back up again.
Maybe funds that are being spent on researching little blue pills for old men should be given to male birth control research.
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