Other Birth Control Methods.

[Danustouch]

Ok...we've discussed differen't versions of the pill, and depo, and norplant. But...what other methods have we NOT discussed. I for one have tried a couple of differen't methods in my past. Anyone want to talk about them? Whether or not they worked, whether or not they were just TOOO difficult to use?

I'll start by saying...Where in the world did Sponges go??? I haven't seen the contraceptive sponge sold in stores in YEARS!

[Lucidia]

well... i haven't used all of them but i'll give my little rundown of what i know of...

condoms (i think EVERYONE is aware of them, and most sexually active people have used them... or at least know how to)

female condoms - i hear they are kinda uncomfortable and feel even more unnatural than the male ones.... i also hear they make funny sounds during "the act"

cervical caps - gotta go to the doc for that... and get fitted. one of those options that requires you to stop, get that thing "in there" and "in place"... kinda kills the mood i think... low scoring for sponteniety

sponges (as mentioned by danustouch) - hmmm... you gotta soak them in spermicidal goo don't you? i don't know anyone who's actually used one...

diaphram - i think this is similar, or maybe the same as a cervical cap... would never even consider it... so i dunno... another "over the cervix" type method of blocking the sperm's advance, and also requires you insert is a certain time period before intercourse

spermicidal foam/gel/film - hmm.. from what i know they aren't exactly perfectly effective... far from it.. but using them with condoms is supposed to help in case it breaks... but you have to use them at least 10 min before sex... so no sponteniety.. and there are other things i can think of that might also kinda kill foreplay...

the rhythm method - good old ovulatory tracking... some people are pretty successful with it... and know their cycle well enough not to get preggie, and other's use it the other way around of course... you can buy one of those things that tell you when you are most likely to get fertile (usually used by women trying to conceive) and use it the opposite way. of course this method is NOT exactly recommended... sperm can sometimes survive even a week or two, and women have cycles that aren't exactly predictable.

"pulling out" - okay.. i know everyone is aware of that "method" of birth control. doesn't work too well.. definitely not recommended.

herbal stuff - there are herbs you can take if you have unprotected sex or a condom breaks, and they will help your uterine lining not let the egg attach.. but at that point, it's kind of the "morning after" method.. kind of like a super early abortion, not for the pro-life crowd, and it's NOT at all failsafe.

the morning after pill - well... i haven't used it. don't know anyone who has.... but it's supposed to keep you from getting pregnant (much like the herbal stuff) if you catch the egg before it implants (within 72 hours). it's not really birth control, in the traditional sense of stopping the sperm from getting to the egg... also probably not a choice for pro life people

IUD (intra uterine device). made of copper or some other metal. no longer used... it was inserted into the uterus where it did some thing or other to stop the sperm from getting through... they caused severe bleeding, complicated pregnancies (if it failed, you have this pointy metal thing in the womb area, not good), and a host of other problems. they don't use them anymore... as far as I know.

abstinance - don't do it, and you won't get pregnant! heh. not an option for everyone, but it usually works unless you regularly get artificially inseminated.

and there is this method, for men and women.. where men learn not to ejaculate, but still achieve orgasm. women stop ovulating and usually stop menstruating. the energy from the sperm/semen and ovums is recirculated through the body into life energy. hard to learn, i dunno how effective it is. i've met people who do it though.. seems to work for them.. you have to buy a few books and seriouslly commit to it though...

[SilverRain]

Sponges are supposed to be coming back in the next few years. But sponges and cervical caps and diaphrams have to be used with spermicide, or they only kinda work.

IUDs are supposed to be almost %100, but back when they were first put into use one type that they were using had major side effects (death maybe? don't quite remember) but they are coming out with them again as well and they are supposedly safer...(most of them originally were safe, just one design was bad)

And the Withdrawl Method "stupid stupid stupid" (in the words of my senior year health teacher)


SilverRain

[ladyrowan]

Originally posted by Lucidia

IUD (intra uterine device). made of copper or some other metal. no longer used... it was inserted into the uterus where it did some thing or other to stop the sperm from getting through... they caused severe bleeding, complicated pregnancies (if it failed, you have this pointy metal thing in the womb area, not good), and a host of other problems. they don't use them anymore... as far as I know.


They're still used a lot over here, but only for women that have already had babies.
There used to be one for women who hadn't had babies yet; i tried it for 3 months and it was sheer agony!!!!! Periods were very heavy, longer than normal and extremely painful. Had to have it taken out and i've never tried any of them since.
None of them are 100%, i know quite a few people who got pregnant with them, and they couldn't have them taken out until after the baby was born. I think it was a miracle that the babies weren't harmed by them.

BB

[Danustouch]

Another problem with IUD as a birth control method, I've heard, is toxic shock syndrome, as well as other infections which can easily 'latch onto" the device. It kinda becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

I've heard horror stories of women who had serios infections because of their IUD's. And one woman told me something about clamydia and IUD's. How an IUD increases your chances or something like that of getting Clamydia..or simply complicates the case. I don't remember all the details..but...it was pretty..scary. Enough to turn ME off of getting an IUD. And yes..i have heard that they can lead to future infertility.

I've never tried the Female condom...don't think i'd be interested in it though.

I have used sponges. I kinda like them, except for the whole gymnastic routine you have to do to get it in right. And I've used spermicidal suppositories with them.

I've also (unfortunately) had to use the morning after pill, once. The only problem I experienced with it, was severe cramping, and irritability. But..as far as I know..it worked :)

[EasternPriest]

The IUD that had the problems was the "Copper-7", back in the 70's. IUD's are still being implanted in the US.

[Lucidia]

no IUD for me, i think i'll continue suffering with depo.

[Lucidia]

Emergency Contraceptive Insertion of the Copper T Intrauterine Device (IUD) (http://www.emory.edu/WHSC/MED/FAMPLAN/emergencycopperT.html)

ick...scary... never really knew they used IUD's as a method of emergency contraception...

here is another link... which gives an indepth explanation of what an IUD does and side effects and stuff:

http://www.fwhc.org/iudinfo.htm

there are massive amounts of informtion on it.. still wouldn't use it thought... but that's just me...

[ladyrowan]

Originally posted by EasternPriest
The IUD that had the problems was the "Copper-7", back in the 70's. IUD's are still being implanted in the US.

That was the one i had EP, early 70's. Wow, you've got a good memory!

BB

[Sage Witch]

is just that. Emergency contraception.

Emergency contraception is basically a special dose of BC pills that prevent an unitended pregnancy. They can not terminate an existing pregnancy. So emergency contraception is an option for pro-lifers.

Practitioners of it prefer to differentiate it from the rhythym method, but Fertility Awarness is the practice of tracking your fertility by those special thermometer things and monitoring the size of the cervical opening. When you are fertile you either abstain from sex, or use contraception. It is supposed to be quite effective if you are disciplined enough to keep up the practice.

It surprised me to find so many threads focused on hormonal birth control on a pagan board, because hormones interfere with the body's natural rythyms, and have scary side effects. Personally, we use condoms and a spermicidal jelly. It doesn't interfere with spontenaity, or maybe we just don't care because pregnancy is just not an option.

[SilverRain]

It surprised me to find so many threads focused on hormonal birth control on a pagan board, because hormones interfere with the body's natural rythyms, and have scary side effects. Personally, we use condoms and a spermicidal jelly. It doesn't interfere with spontenaity, or maybe we just don't care because pregnancy is just not an option.

I don't think that it's so much spontenaity, i've never had a problem with that with condoms. But i would think that there is an added level of comfort with something more. Besides who is to say what works for someone else.

The biggest problem with the hormonal stuff (nasty side effects aside) is that you still need something with them to prevent STDs... b/c they don't do that at all.


SilverRain

[Danustouch]

Someone recently asked about other birth control methods..so .....

* BUMP *

[Myst]

Originally posted by SilverRain
I don't think that it's so much spontenaity, i've never had a problem with that with condoms. But i would think that there is an added level of comfort with something more. Besides who is to say what works for someone else.

The biggest problem with the hormonal stuff (nasty side effects aside) is that you still need something with them to prevent STDs... b/c they don't do that at all.[/B]

They ruin spontaneity for us. It is *not* cool when you start cuddling and get into the mood and then you realize you have to go have a cold shower because you've run out of condoms and the stores are closed! I find it very uncomfortable too. As far as STDs for us it's not an issue. I prefer to have something like the Pill that I can take at a specified time every day - it becomes so much second nature that it's far more spontaneous and less of a problem then condoms, et cetera. And besides that, even tho it makes me gain weight and bra size it keeps my skin crystal clear and regulates my period much better, as well as gets rid of my PMS symptoms :)

[Danustouch]

Some people also have an allergy to latex. So for them, Condoms would DEFINATELY NOT WORK!!!!! Itchy owie!!!!! Seriosly though, I feel bad for the people who are allergic to latex. Protected Sex is thrown right out the window. So obviosly, they must be VERY careful who they sleep with. No room for error there, I guess. Some of us, perhaps, have had it too easy. There are some men that I wish I had not been with, and just THANKED GODDESS that I made them use a Condom. If I hadn't had that choice, due to an allergy or something....I could have gotten into some PRETTY bad situations. Anyway...you learn, as you grow, if you're lucky. I certainly have. I'm thankful I'm off the dating circuit now-adays.

[Myst]

There's always lambskin.

[Danustouch]

Yeah..but last time I heard, Lambskin wasn't an effective block against AIDS. It's more pourous.

[Twilight Garden]

I feel like a Sex Ed teacher's nightmare. I'm one of those allergic to latex.(Itchy, Owie, You got it! Just add Gross) I have to be very selctive with my partner. The pills I've tried make me UNBELIEVABLY moody. If it wasn't so bad, I'd still be on it. We are looking to get pregnant next year, so I don't want anything surgical. If you read my post in the Depo thread, I don't do the Depo. So far (the last couple of years) we've been successful with the pull out method. I would NEVER reccomend it to anyone. Too risky. We're just very careful and look forward to the time when we try for a child. I'd love to not worry about it. That's why I was wondering if there was anything new out.

[Twilight Garden]

How uneffective, for just birth control, is lambskin? Know any links? I may try to find some.

[Danustouch]

I don't know the percentage. But lambskin is a pourous material...so it does not protect as well as latex. If you use lambskin and ANOTHER method...such as a diaphram, or a spermicidal gel, it might improve your chances.

There are some new methods being researched. New Pills, Male Birth Control, the Female condom, of course (which wouldn't help you..since you are allergic)...and they are developing a birth control patch. I would assume that the patch would work very similarly to depo, though. So you might want to research that more adequately.

[Myst]

Important link - http://www.io.com/~wwwomen/contraception/

Keep in mind ladies and gents that even latex condoms now are under examination, apparently studies have shown that even they aren't as effective as we thought.

[Danustouch]

*BUMP*

[Sage Witch]

You could use the female condom because it isn't latex, it's polyurethane. They also make polyurethane male condoms. The sponge is also coming back soon I believe.

The other problem with lambskin is the smell. Ewwww!