There is always a common question asked between women. What type of birth control do you use? The pill? The patch? The shots? The Ring? The implant? Truly, the options for birth control are endless. When I first started learning about all the different types of birth control, I thought it was such a positive thing that there are so many options. I remember talking with my friends, and we were all on different brands of the pill. However, as much as having options is a good thing, finding the perfect fit that is conducive to your body can be overwhelming. The journey of finding the right form of birth control can be quite taxing on your physical, emotional, and mental health.
This has been a personal struggle for me for years. For the past 5 years, I have been on and off birth control because I can’t seem to find a prescription that fits for me. Currently, I am not on any form of birth control just because I don’t want to put my body through yet another trial. I have started to find that this is a common issue that women face. I remember having a conversation with my friend about this topic, and we both said how we didn’t understand. How could there be so many different forms of birth control, yet none have worked for me?
Birth control has numerous different side effects. Depending on which form of birth control, there can be differing side effects. For example, there can be some abdominal pain for a while after implant insertions, but with the pill, that wouldn’t happen. There are common side effects that all forms have, like mood swings, weight fluctuation, nausea, and anxiety. There are also more concerning side effects, like blood clots and changes in blood sugar levels.
Another reason for getting on birth control besides preventing pregnancy is for period symptoms. Raleigh OB/GYN goes into detail on how each form helps with different period symptoms. For example, oral contraceptives, the pill, are generally effective in reducing menstrual cramps. When I was in high school, my friend was constantly in pain from her period cramps. She would always have to have someone come pick her up because she couldn’t get through the school day due to the pain. She was on birth control, but it didn’t help her with her cramps. She went back to the doctors countless times to find the right birth control that would help her with her symptoms.
Birth control is a vital tool for reproductive health, but finding the right method isn’t always easy. Therefore, finding the right form is crucial and will affect women’s everyday lives. Birth control is a very personal decision and requires much thought when choosing a method. There is so much more to birth control than preventing pregnancies. Women have to think about how each form will affect their period and the side effects that come with that form of birth control. There should be much more acknowledgment that goes into finding birth control. There are way more steps than setting up an appointment.
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