Should I worry
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Should I worry
| Thu, 06-03-2004 - 8:16am |
Hi. I am 30 years old and have been taking birth control pills since I was 20. My fiance and I are not we want to have children. Is is safe to continue taking birth control pills until menopause? What health risks are involved? Is there another form of birth control I may want to consider? Thank you for any info you can share. :-)

If you're worried about being on the pill for so long, why not talk to your doctor at your next appointment and share your concerns? S/he may have some words of wisdom that would help you.
Another option you might look into if you want the ease and effectiveness of the pill is an IUD. It's typically given to women who have had children already, but more and more doctors are giving them to women without children these days. The IUD is more effective than the pill (there are two types common in the US--a copper IUD and the Mirena IUS which secretes a little bit of progestin) and is good for 5-8 years. You'd go back to your normal cycles, as the IUDs don't prevent ovulation, but all you'd have to do would be to check for the IUD strings every month to make sure they're still there. Some women have bleeding changes with IUD's, depending on the type and how they adjust to it, but we have a lot of IUD users here who are pleased with them. If you want, you can search for the hundreds of IUD posts that we've had over the last couple of years!
We also have successful barrier users here, and I don't mean condoms--cl-dancer31 is our most avid cervical cap user! Caps and diaphragms are as effective as condoms if they're fitted and used properly (that's the biggie--proper fit and diligent use) and are less invasive than an IUD. If you've got questions, I'm sure Jill will be along shortly to answer them!
Good luck...I've been on hormones for 7 1/2 years and haven't worried too much about long-term risks. One of these days I'll stop! Just not right now. ;)
Co-cl for Birth Control
if you and/or your doctor are concerned about continuing the pill as you get older, you may want to consider the mini-pill or depo-provera. The depo shot is a progestin-only form of birth control that lasts 3 months at a time. some women have bad side effects on it, particularly irregular bleeding, especially at the beginning. i do, however, know women in their 30's who love it and swear up and down that it's much better than the pill.
this really seems like the kind of thing to discuss with your doctor or nurse practitioner because they have the most experience at making these kinds of decisions and making educated guesses about what will work best for you and your situation. all we can do here is tell you what works for us. ;)