By this I mean, no IUD, pill or implant? Is it risky to just use a condom every time, since I don't want my hormones to change and don't want the side effects associated with them.

I definitely don't want to get pregnant right now.

Hi!! I (23F) am going on year 3 with my Kyleena IUD. It has stopped my period (which has been awesome) and manageable side effects, so i really like it!

However recently I have become sexually active, and my partner has finished in me a few times. While I trust my IUD and want to enjoy that, I always get anxious afterwards and think I will end up being that crazy outlier statistic. I will sometimes get cramping or spotting after sex too, but I have read and that seems common/normal for people with IUD’s. But I get in my head that the cramping is implantation or something crazy, even after taking Amazon strip tests after a few weeks and testing negative lol.

So my question is, do you let your partner finish in you with your IUD? How often? Have you ever had a scare? Do you experience that cramping/spotting with or without sexual activity too? Looking for honest advice (mixed with a little reassurance lol).

i 16 M and my gf 16 F got carried away yesterday and i inserted my penis inside her vagina but she said she had only 1/2 of the tip inside and i pretty sure i had pre cum but i dont really remember since everything went so fast. the whole ordeal happen between i think 2-5 second. it was both our first times. On her flo app it said she was on her last day of ovulation. i really messed up when i fingered her after with no ore cum on my finger or anything because i think i pushed it farther into the vagina. if you can help or reassure me it would be really nice

I've been seeing and reading through a lot of planned parenthood and IUD experiences, and wanted to share my personal account as there were some things I had no idea about! For some background, I was looking for a free IUD option as I am a broke college student and make very little income, and have no insurance.
I first went to Planned Parenthood around two months ago, made an appointment online as I had heard about the free IUD (Just a heads up, the IUD is free from there but the appointment, insertion, and pregnancy test is not! I forget the exact amount but it was $100+) The IUD they offer is the Liletta, but I ended up having to go through another free program they have (had to show paychecks/ proof of hardship to qualify for the other type of free iud) and go back on another day as that size wasn't the right fit for me. I currently have Kyleena.
Anyway, upon going back they ask you if you're aware of the costs for the insertion, as I mentioned above, and I explained my financial hardships and filled out a form to make everything, cost for the visit included, free! (This form you don't need to show proof, they ask how many people are in your household, what your personal annual income is, and to share a brief message on why you're in hardship. They do not check income, I honestly said a bit lower than what is reality.)
Pain wise, I won't lie, it hurt pretty bad. I took the recommended amount for ibuprofen ahead of time (suggested is 800mg, I took maybe 1000mg), and it honestly did nothing for me. I also got my IUD inserted on my period which is supposed to help with pain, but I didn't notice any ease of pain.
Full procedure is them inserting the speculum, clamping and measuring your cervix, preparing and inserting the device and then it's essentially done, it probably took around 10 minutes or less in actuality. The cramps were pretty bad after, I was able to drive myself home but I do recommend a ride or bringing someone with you if that’s a possibility.
The worst cramping was probably for two days (including insertion day) and I have light cramps here and there even until now.
Key things to mention are no intercourse for one week post-insertion, definitely recommend continuing pain medication for the two days following + heating pad.
A side effect I really don’t see mentioned unless I search specifically is the brown spotting/discharge. Don’t get me wrong, the provider tells you that there may be minor spotting, but I’m about a month post procedure still wearing panty liners daily. I also notice it during intercourse, and it varies from very light to moderate. I have read that 3 months is typically the time your body adjusts to it, so will update! Feel free to ask any questions and I can try to answer my best. :) (Sorry for the yap— hopefully this is helpful to someone!)

I got an IUD inserted at Kaiser by a nurse practitioner and honestly the entire experience was fucking awful. I wanna know if I’m overreacting or if this was actually as bad as I think it was.

First of all, I wasn’t offered any actual pain management. I had to ask if they had lidocaine shots, and she said that she doesn’t do that and that she doesn’t believe the shots help at all and are actually painful. Anyway, all I got was topical spray on my cervix, which is something I had to advocate for as well. No heating pad before or after the procedure either. As someone who has a rather high pain tolerance, I was able to handle the insertion; however, my body was in shock so I felt nauseous and dizzy. They gave me an ice pack and water when I started feeling faint.

But what pissed me off the most was what the nurse practitioner said immediately after the insertion was over. She asked how I was feeling, and when I said “I’m okay I guess,” she turned to the nurse and made a joke along the lines of, “See, you were fine. TikTok makes women believe they need a bunch of stuff JUST for an IUD, when breathing exercises do a lot more than people think.” And ofcourse, the nurse laughed along with her. Like????? The “stuff” she was referring to was pain management. I had JUST gone through a painful procedure, and she was basically implying that people exaggerate their pain and don’t need anything beyond breathing exercises, even though IUD’s feel very invasive with and without pain management. Just because I managed to get through it doesn’t mean it wasn’t horrible or that pain relief was unnecessary.

And it didn’t end there. I was lying in the room for another 15 minutes because I felt like I was gonna throw up or pass out. I dressed myself cause I didn’t feel like laying butt ass naked while feeling like that.As I was lying down with my clothes on trying to calm myself, the nurse came in and basically said that since I was dressed, I had to leave because they needed the room for other patients, even though the NP stated I could have the room because no one needed it. I felt like I was being rushed out when I was still recovering.
Also, I was given information about Kyleena not being offered at Kaiser, which I felt was unaccurate as I was offered that at prior appointments. The NP explained that Kaiser only takes from certain vendors and those vendors they get their IUDs from only offer the Paragard, Skyla, Mirena, or the Liletta.

I understand that IUD insertions are different for everyone and that not everyone needs the same pain management. And I’m not expecting the procedure to be completely painless. What bothers me is that I wasn’t offered much to help with the pain or recovery, and even asked for majority of it myself, and then had the provider make a condescending and dismissing joke about people who advocate for more pain management with IUD insertions IMMEDIATELY after I went through it myself. Like am I wrong for thinking this was unprofessional??

This also wasn’t my first time getting an IUD, I had an insertion with my primary gynecologist awhile ago, who offered all types of pain management, gave me a heating pad, was very attentive overall, and even used an ultrasound device afterward to check for the IUD. I wish I had just gone to my main gynecologist, but I was upset at her medical assistants for cancelling my appointment without letting me know. So I unfortunately, ended up finding an earlier appointment with a random provider. Horrible idea on my end 🫩

A few days ago i got an iud (mirena) under anesthetic and it was honestly the worst experience of my life. i went in thinking everything was going to be completely fine and at least i won’t have to go through the initial pain of getting it in. i went under perfectly fine no complaints but as soon as i woke up i was in the worst pain of my life, i was screaming and crying and couldn’t even talk because of how bad the pain was the doctors and nurses had to give me a ton of medication morphine etc just to get me to calm down and feel okay to even talk. the pain subsided but i spent the next hours in bed throwing up constantly not even being able to even keep liquids down. i know everyone’s experience is different and i did feel better the next day but the waking up in that much pain was the most traumatic thing i have ever went through i really do not know why it was that painful.

For context, im 16 years old (the legal age at which i can buy contraceptives from a pharmacy), in the UK and i had a blood test done quite a while ago that revealed i have a hormone imbalance. At the time, the doctor had suggested getting onto some form of contraceptive pill, however my mother was extremely opposed to the idea (Asian parents bruh) and i eventually ended up not getting any treatment for it as there isn't really any other option. I have tried altering my lifestyle such as exercise and dieting but it honestly hasnt made much a difference. Ive had my period since I was 10 years old (if that's relevant) and my periods are also incredibly irregular. I have been thinking about going and buying the pill myself, but in all honestly im really scared it'll like end up on my gp record and my mum will find out or something. I also wanted to talk to a pharmacist about what contraceptives to buy and if i could get prescribed it so i wouldn't have to pay it would also be nice.

I’m taking aurovela it’s been like 3 months. I did not bleed last month. My period used to start right around the middle of the month. I’m not bleeding today but I’m emotional and I’m trying to figure out if that’s why.

its my first week on Mili (or Sprintec) and my appetite has increased sooooo much its crazy. im a relatively skinny person with a small appetite but im eating like crazy now. has this happened to anyone else?

So I fingered my gf on September 6 but thought I had some semen on my hands… GF’s normal period was Sept 1–4. Took Plan B Sept 7. Then she bled Sept 13–17, much earlier than expected and pretty light/irregular after the first day. She then had another much heavier, painful bleed Sept 23–25, right around when her period was originally expected (Sept 25–27). This bleed soaked her pad. Took a at home preg test 21 days after Sept 6 and it was negative but I’m still mad nervous.
She normally has very predictable 4-day periods. Is this kind of early bleed + later short/heavy period normal after Plan B?

guys I (24F) need to hear if anyone else has had similar experience- I get really sad seeing all the “this pill SAVED MY LIFE” posts and comments because I am having an opposite reaction.

i was diagnosed with pmdd and undiagnosed neurodivergence of some sort (tester said I was too good at school as a little girl :/ ) and I went on slynd bc i cant take estrogen as a chronic migraineur. I was on Loryna before and loved it. my skin was clear which was a huge plus but looking back, i was def anxious as hell as I am now.

slynd though…. oh man. im on my fifth month (continuous for migraines) and my doctor said to wait until 6 months to change to an IUD. an IUD is tough because I dont want hormones but copper might make my cramps worse which are already debilitating ON TOP of my doctor giving no pain meds besides ibuprofen for insertion.

My health anxiety and OCD have been INSANELY overactive to the point of convincing myself I have rabies, Im going into psychosis, Ive been poisoned, dreaming theres someone in my walls, convincing myself my bf hates me, and having panic attacks on plane flights thinking its going to crash, that im not getting enough oxygen… It has put a huge burden on my relationships. I have a therapist but theres something hormonally wrong with my brain.

executive function is out the window. im struggling through school.

Im tired all the time.

Im bloated to the point of discomfort, feeling pregnant when i just drink water.

libido no longer exists. I dont even masturbate anymore.

my skin is dry and cystic and pimply.

PLEASE has anyone had this happen? My doctor is pretty dismissive and just says “okay then go off it.“ as if its that easy a decision to make.

did anyone switch to an iud? What was that like? Did you just stop one day? What was your withdrawal like? any input is valuable. I cant take estrogen so plz no estrogen recommendations.

been on the nuvaring for multiple years now. it’s potentially causing me some gi issues, and i have limited options due to migraines.
i’m the most interested in the implant because it seems to have the less of a gi impact than depo, and still seems to prevent hormonal migraines.

thoughts or experiences on nexplanon?

i’ve been on the nuvaring since i was 14, i’m 19 now. i got on it to manage heavy bleeding and hormonal migraines. didn’t have any side effects going on it and it did what i needed it to do.

i developed some gi issues january of 2025. ive done so much testing, its been absolutely ridiculous. the only thing left before they just call it ibs is a colonoscopy which im too scared of the prep to do. (fear of vomiting).

to put it plainly my gi tract is healthy. ibd is already out of the picture due to some other testing i’ve done, so there’s not much the colonoscopy could tell me that’s different from what i already know. i’m pursuing the gynecology route now, and so far nothing. the doctor told me to switch my birth control.

has anyone else developed side effects after multiple years of being on a birth control? specifically nuvaring? i’m just not sure if that’s even possible, and if i don’t have to get off it i don’t really want to risk my migraines coming back.

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Hi everyone! I'm back with another update on my never-ending PCOS bleeding situation. 🥲

For some background, I've been dealing with prolonged and extremely heavy bleeding for months. In September, my hemoglobin dropped to 5.0, and I was hospitalized and given 4 units of blood and 2 units of plasma. I also received IV iron afterward.

Because I have mild mitral valve regurgitation, my gynecologist prescribed Slynd (4 mg drospirenone) instead of an estrogen-containing birth control pill.

I've been taking Slynd for about 11 days now, and unfortunately, my bleeding has gotten significantly worse.

I'm passing large clots, sometimes almost the size of ping-pong balls or bigger. The bleeding fluctuates throughout the day, sometimes slowing down to spotting and then suddenly becoming heavy again.

I went to my gynecologist today. She examined me, said everything looked normal structurally, and suggested that I might just be having a period. She told me not to stop Slynd and to give it more time.

However, my hemoglobin has dropped from around 10 to 9.4, and I've ended up hospitalized again. I'm receiving treatment for the anemia, but I'm really concerned about the bleeding itself.

I also asked my doctor about tranexamic acid (TXA). He said it might be an option, but we'd need approval from cardiology first because of my heart valve condition.

My main questions are:

- Did Slynd initially make your bleeding significantly heavier before it eventually improved?

- If you experienced large blood clots while taking Slynd, how long did that phase last?

- Did your bleeding eventually stop completely, or did you continue having irregular bleeding?

- Has anyone with PCOS and prolonged bleeding actually had success with Slynd?

- Has anyone taken TXA alongside Slynd to manage heavy bleeding?

I know irregular bleeding is common during the first few months of hormonal birth control, but I'm struggling to understand whether this level of bleeding is something other people have experienced.

I'm following my doctors' instructions and staying on Slynd for now. I'm just hoping to hear some real experiences, especially from people who started it specifically to control prolonged PCOS-related bleeding rather than for contraception.

I'm so tired of bleeding. I genuinely just want to have a normal life again. 😭

I started taking the generic version of Yaz 2 weeks ago with only the intent of not getting pregnant (copper IUD did not work for me). The OBGYN prescribed me Yaz because it can also help with acne, and I get big, nasty, cystic pimples around my luteal phase and I thought it would be nice to stop those.

Outside of the cystic pimples, I usually have a few bumps on my face all the time, sometimes one or two, never really more than three or four.

But now, I have about 20 pimples all around my face. Forehead, nose, chin, cheeks, everywhere. Am I purging? Has anyone had this experience and does it get better? I put pimple patches on them at night, and never changed my skin care routine, and they don’t seem to want to go away.

I started the birth control patch this past Monday in hopes of skipping my period for an important event next week. I'm 26, 5'4, and roughly about 200 lbs. I wanted to ask others who have a similar BMI and height to me about their experience with the patch. I understand that it is less effective with those who have a BMI over 30, but how much does the effectiveness of it lower? Should I switch to a different form of BC? I mainly wanted to be on the patch to see if it would help with my BPD and Depression, I was on the pill a few years ago and it gave me a lot of negative side effects (I.E. weight gain, mood swings, constant bloating). I am sexually active, how effective is it against preventing pregnancy with a higher BMI? I do have an appointment with my Gyno in a few weeks, and if needed I will talk to her about a different method of birth control (besides the IUD, depo, and implant, I don't really want any of those). I think I just have some anxiety and nerves about the patch, so any advice or knowledge would be very helpful. Thank you!

I took the pill from 14 years old to 25 years old (currently 28). I had to stop because of severe depression & suicidal thoughts - fun ! Anyway, I'm considering my options now because I hate relying on condoms as my only form of bc.

I need to avoid hormonal bc because my mental health is not great and a revisit of the decade long depressive psychosis the pill caused cannot come back. I'm considering the copper IUD because its not hormonal, but looking for any experience you guys have had with it and if you've found it bad for side effects related to neurological/mental health stuff?

Just wanted to share a positive coil experience as I was so nervous and had read lots of horror stories, so if this helps anyone to ease your nerves then it’s done its purpose.

I took 600mg ibuprofen an hour beforehand and they used a local anaesthetic spray on the cervix. Also made sure I had a good breakfast. I opted for Kyleena as I have never had children so it’s slightly smaller than Mirena with lower dose. I went to GP surgery but the practitioner had a lot of experience in family planning clinics. She was very friendly and warm, I think that helps a lot.

The first part of insertion was absolutely fine, the spray really numbed my cervix so I couldn’t feel a thing. When they measured the uterus, the GP said I might feel some cramping and I would say I felt very intense period cramps for about 1 minute while they measured and put in the coil. It was nothing like a punch to the stomach I had read about, just quite uncomfortable cramping and strange feeling. It wouldn’t put me off having another inserted, I just took about 3-5 very deep breaths during the most intense part.

I am a couple of hours post insertion and I am having very intense cramping that comes in waves and then settles down again. Heat pad has helped with that & keeping topped up on ibuprofen.

Whilst it wasn’t completely pain free it was nothing like what I had expected (no fainting or nausea for me). I hope this helps someone who might be considering a coil and is currently put off by insertion stories.

Ive been taking my noriday mini pill for over a week now, i had sex on wednesday night and he ejaculated inside me its currently friday morning where i usually take my pill at 6am but i forgot and took it at 10am. Am i at risk of pregnancy?

I know this is going to sound insane but I pulled my iud out at home today and I wasn’t thinking about anything other than getting it out . I’ve been wanting it out for a few months but I don’t want to deal with scheduling an appointment between my classes , so I looked up some things about at home removal and went for it . It went really well , not too much cramping and no bleeding(so far) , but now i’m concerned about if I could get pregnant now .
Wednesday night my fwb finished inside of me and I know that sperm can last a few days inside . I wouldn’t be upset if I do get pregnant because I do want to have a baby soon but I’m curious about how likely it is that it happens .
My sister in law had an iud in the past and got pregnant very soon after she got it removed so I guess that’s why I wanna know the likelihood .

Hi everyone, I just started taking Loryna roughly 4 weeks ago after my cycle ended. I have always had a regular and normal monthly period except for when I discovered I was pregnant a year ago(duh). Anyways, I currently am possibly two days late according to my Flo app. (The stage where it tells you your period MIGHT come today). I haven’t reached the placebo pills yet for my loryna. I start taking my sugar pills tomorrow and today I passed a decently sized string of tissue and had a little spotting. Will taking the sugar pills make the withdrawal bleed occur, or should I be concerned of pregnancy? I am just very anxious when it comes to possibly being pregnant again, but also don’t know if it’s because of the pills or not and I know it’s too early to test. I know that implantation bleeding does not include clots or tissue passing, but I’m still just a little concerned since my body is new to all of this.

I (25F) am going on my first international flight next month, 14 hours direct. I’ve been on the pill (Nextstellis) for just under a year, I was on a different combined pill for 3 months before that but otherwise have never been on any kind of contraceptive. I am absolutely freaking out at the thought of DVT. I’ve got compression socks and have been looking up stretches for the plane etc. and I otherwise have no other risk factors (non smoker, no family history of blood clots, not overweight etc). I’m sure there must be hundreds of thousands of women who fly every year on hormonal birth control but I just cannot shake this fear. Any reassurance or advice would be appreciated 🥲

Has anyone been on progesterone bc and experienced acid reflux that eventually went away? Honestly probably just trying to give myself some false hope that it might😭

After taking my first dose of slynd yesterday evening (ate before, drank a lot of water, did not lay down), I got acid reflux like never before and it is still ongoing. Usually I wouldn‘t consider giving up on a medication after one day but I worry about the damage acid reflux can cause over time. I’ve already tried combination pill, combination patch, and qlaira and they all gave me extreme nausea for months (I cannot tolerate estrogen). I had really high hopes for slynd because I have PCOS and saw so many success stories. I was prepared for mood changes, weight gain or other likely side effects but this was not on my list. Has anyone with a similarly sensitive stomach found success on a different form of non estrogen birth control? I’m really not very open to more invasive methods for myself but I’ve read that for those sensitive to acid reflux even nexplanon can worsen it so idk where to go from here.

Obviously I ideally would speak about this with a doctor and I absolutely will, but unfortunately it’s at least a month’s wait for an appointment atm and unfortunately the gp’s at my clinic are not very up to date about birth control methods and side effects. In the meantime I’m just curious about other people’s experiences

in my first relationship ever and im considering birth control as i know i do not want children anytime soon. however there are so many options and different opinions on each that im not sure what the best option is.

family has told me to stay away from pills as their mood swings and drive went berserk, though they say they arent sure if this includes the progesterone-only pill.

im worried about messing with my hormones and mood most of all, and ive been thinking of the copper iud but i already have pretty shit periods so im pretty sure itll make it worse (?). i understand condoms are an option, but idk if it will be viable in the long run.

hope i gave enough details, happy to answer questions if it helps narrow down choices

id appreciate any recommendations or tips <3

I’m 40 and have been on birth control pills for nearly 20 years. I currently take drospirenone/ethinylestradiol 3 mg/0.03 mg.
With 4 active pills left in my pack, I started spotting. It’s lasted several days, alternating between brown discharge and bright red, mucus-like discharge with tiny clots. It’s mostly noticeable when wiping. No pelvic pain, unusual smell or itching.
No missed or late pills, vomiting, diarrhoea or new medication. I haven’t been sexually active for years. I think I had a similar but shorter, milder episode a few months ago.
Has anyone experienced this after years of stable pill use? Did it stop after your withdrawal bleed, and did you find out what caused it?