Whats the best protection?

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-21-2004
Whats the best protection?
1
Sun, 02-22-2004 - 2:53pm
What is the best protection out there? whats are the side effects of the birth control pill ? Is it ok to take other medications while you are on the pill ? Is it normal to have painful intercourse for the first few times ?
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Sun, 02-22-2004 - 8:10pm
Hi nerd clone, welcome!

There is no one best method of contraception. Some methods are more effective than others and they all have positives and negatives depending on the individual woman considering her choices. If you are primarily interested in effectiveness, then start by looking at the Planned Parenthood list of methods listed by effectiveness. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/bcfacts2.html Norplant and Lunelle aren’t currently available in the US but there are women still using them so they are included.

Then look at the advantages and disadvantages of each method at http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/cchoices.html and http://www.ivillagehealth.com/features/birthcontrolaz/pages/0,12910,436256_438023,00.html and some FAQs on the homepage of this board. http://pages.ivillage.com/cl-judie_rae/id1.html

If you decide to try oral contraceptives there are a great many combined pills (estrogen and progestin) to choose from that are all about the same effectiveness. Some possible side effects of OCs are: breast tenderness, nausea, bloating, headaches, and break-through-bleeding that may occur during the first 3 packs of pills. If you read the posts on this board you could get the impression that side effects occur to everyone but that’s not really the case, but there is no perfect pill for everyone. A pill that I might love could be a nightmare for you. Your doctor with his/her experience with his patients and knowing your medical history will be your best friend in making a selection.

Painful intercourse can be caused by a number of things none of which should be considered ‘normal.’ It is possible that there could be anatomical or medical reason for the pain but for newbies it can be from not being aroused enough to produce sufficient natural lubrication. This is often caused by inexperience in not providing sufficient foreplay. Women usually need much more time and mental preparation for arousal than men. A good water based intimate lubricant, such as Astroglide or KY lube, will take care of a lack of natural lube. I hope you find a method that will work well for you.

Good luck

      Jill