I’m a little too excited about birth control at the moment.
Let me explain.
I’ve been using the Nuva Ring for almost two years now. I’ve tried various methods of birth control over the years since I first got on it including the depo shot which made me even crazier than I already was (depression, mood swings, etc.), a couple different pills, the patch just for a month until I realized I didn’t like it and was worried because I was too fat for it (if you’re over a certain weight the likelihood of getting pregnant on the patch increases), and finally the nuva ring.
I rather love the nuva ring. It’s easy an extremely easy to use and extremely effective type of birth control. Onyx and I are fluid-bonded, so we don’t use condoms or other barriers when we fuck. We went through the let’s get tested and make sure we don’t have to use condoms thing at the very beginning of our relationship and neither of us has had sex outside of the relationship since we got together. Especially since we don’t use condoms birth control is extremely important to both of us. We don’t want no babies.
Right after we moved here I had a lapse in my ring usage. I hadn’t gotten a new ring, I hadn’t gone to get a new prescription here, and we didn’t have the money for me to go get one anyway. This was no good. We had a lull in our sex life while waiting for me to get up on it again. We used condoms during that time the few times we couldn’t stand it and decided to have penetrative sex and we did oral, mutual masturbation, and various other non-penis-in-vagina-or-anus sex (since anal sex can get you pregnant I didn’t want to risk that).
Once we had money again I got back on the ring, we waited the week requisite post-insertion, and started going at it like bunnies yet again sans-protection. Last week came the time I had to remove my ring and today I needed to insert a new one.
Problem is, we’re out of money again and the clinic I went to last time charges quite a bit for a new nuva ring, three times what I was paying in Salt Lake City! I decided that I would go to the Planned Parenthood here instead, which I should have really just done in the first place, and try to get my information from SLC transferred to the PP here hoping that it would be cheaper.
As it turns out, and why I’m telling you all of this, I’m eligible for free contraception with Planned Parenthood! I should have remembered I’m back in a place that values reproductive health rather than avoiding the subject all together, but it’s difficult after living for two plus years in a place so backwards as Utah.
I went in on Tuesday, had a consultation today for contraceptives, specifically the nuva ring and also IUCs (IntraUterine Contraceptives–also known as IntraUterine Devices). I’ve been thinking about getting an IUC for quite some time, and have researched them and talked with another clinician about it not too long ago, but at the time it was way too expensive. I actually got kudos for having done my homework on IUCs from one of the women I talked to today, which made me happy.
Luckily, the free contraception extends to IUCs as well! I actually made an appointment for tomorrow to get Mirena implanted! Mirena is one of the two types of IUCs which has progesterone in her, but no more than the nuva ring, and lasts for five years. I’m thrilled at the idea of not having to think about birth control for five years!
Of course, with any new partners I will still insist on condoms and barriers to prevent against STIs, but since I don’t plan on having children in the next five years (if ever) Mirena seems like the perfect option!
I’m really probably more excited than I should be at the concept of getting this Mirena put in. But the idea of not really having to worry about the possibility of getting pregnant is just absolutely wonderful to me. While the ring isn’t really that difficult to remember to put in or take out on time for the most part having it go from a once-a-month issue to a once-every-five-years issue is pretty awesome.
Mirena also has the possibility of not just regulating my periods like most birth control methods but also of stopping them all together. So, no worrying about pregnancy for five years and (possibly) no periods? Maybe you see why I’m rather excited about this.
So, tomorrow I should be able to get it inserted. It’s a simple (but somewhat painful) procedure of slipping the device through the cervix into the uterus. It shouldn’t take too long, or so I’m told. The only downside is that I’m not supposed to have vaginal sex for a week or so after getting it inserted, though there’s other things we can do to pass the time.
I’ll definitely give some post-insertion information and experiences in the next week or so as well.
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[...] help, neither did my poor behavior as his “submissive.” That, along with the birth control mess-ups I talked about yesterday really impacted our sex life since we moved [...]
I’m excited for you, and will definitely be looking forward to updates on this.
I was considering getting an IUD a while ago, but I’ve been on pills instead.
Oooooh I’m so excited for you! I’ve been wanting to get a Mirena IUD for the longest time. I really just need to go down to my local PP and see what I’m eligible for. Hooooraaayyyyy for you though! So exciting!
Amber’s last blog post: A Very Marked HNT
I had a Mirena for about 18 months (before getting pregnant with daughter #2). If you have any questions, let me know. It’s WONDERFUL that you’re able to get free contraception from PP. I hope you’re happy with the Mirena.
BTW, having it placed in wasn’t all that painful (well, at least it wasn’t too bad for me). Just take some ibuprofin ahead of time and I bet you’ll be fine.
Coy Pink’s last blog post: HNT – Black and white
I’m ihn the camp opposite of Pink – for me it was VERY painful and continued to be so for many hours afterwards. In fact for days afterwards I had bad bad period cramps. I actually went back, in fear that it was piercing me.
But, it stayed in. It’s nice not to worry about it. I was in the trials for the Nuva Ring, but they took me off of it because at that time they said there wasn’t enough hormone for a woman over 200 lbs or something….and so they worried about the efficacy. I didn’t love it, because we had to remove it for sex (he’s a bit on the larger side). Sometimes post-coital we’d forget. And ain’t it sexy to go diggin for a jelly bracelet before/after sex? Lol. With my short arms I couldn’t reach it.
With mirena, for ME, i have other period problems – i still have one, but its more just spotting than anything. Prob is, I get it twice a month because the lack of estrogen means my ovaries actually work, and when they do I have a “functional cyst” eveyr month. i.,e., cramping and spotting.
Soooo nice not to have to worry though.
Lilly’s last blog post: End of an Era
I have a copper IUD, which lasts 10 years. I’m in my 9th year. I love it. I’m not looking forward to getting it changed because like Lilly, it hurt like hell for days afterwards. My cramps have been worse since the IUD but that’s a small price to pay for 10 years of protection.
I thought I’d opt in with my experience. I never had a difficult period until birth control. I tried 6 or so different pills and eventually settled on POP for birth control but I became really bad at taking them at the right time so that effed me up even more. I was lucky enough that the doctors I talked to let me get an IUD (Mirena) because most do not consider you, if you have not had a child.
For me, insertion was like a bad cramp. I don’t remember taking any pain meds but they did offer them to me. I chatted and joked with the doc and nurse as I always do when my feet are in stirrups. LOL The doctor said I would do amazingly in child birth and we all laughed because I obviously didn’t want a kid.
I went straight from the hospital to work. My cervix was a little itchy but I wasn’t in any pain. We had sex 3 days later. Mine has moved over the years. I think it took a little bit to ’settle’ in its permanent position. I have super short fingers so my husband always gets the post-sex “hey did you feel my strings?” routine. LOL
I never feel it. I have worried it slipped up in me a couple times but it has never been the case and I forget about it most days. If I ever don’t feel it, I just wait a bit and feel again ’cause the swelling of the cervix (due to your cycle or having sex or whatever) can have that effect.
The one thing I don’t like is the state of my periods. They’re really light. Super light. More like spotting. They tend to sneak up on me and they aren’t regular so I tend to not know if I’m just spotting or having my period. I’d much rather have an obvious period or none at all. The not knowing is frustrating at times but it’s really not a drawback that I know except for once every few months.
Anyway, good luck with yours.
Adriana’s last blog post: SEXTOY.com Vibrating Rabbit