Want your opinion on Ring
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| Thu, 09-09-2004 - 12:03pm |
I'm sort of leaning toward the ring but in my reading I keep seeing some horror stories about dizziness, chest tightness, etc. I want to hear from those of you that use this and get your opinion.
I also want to know if you would recommend it to your teen. One of the big pluses to this in my mind is that she would only have to remember once a month. She can't remember to take her ADD medicine and I have to do that for her. I don't want to be so involved in her sexuality that I have to remind her of her birth control on a daily basis. I could handle reminding her once a month. She doesnt' want the patch and I don't want the shot for her.
I'm also concerned about the fact that there isn't any long-term (10 - 20 year) studies on the effects of this. This always concerns me about "new" drugs. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks for your help and support. This is a very difficult time for but I am focusing on the positive - at least she came to me and didn't sneak around (although it would have been alot easier for everyone). Trust with this DD has been a real issue and we've come such a long way that I want to do the very best that I can for her.

julie
She doesn't want the patch b/c she plays a lot of sports and doesn't want it showing in the locker room. Thanks for your support.
It's great that you talked to her about using condoms. Teenagers and those in their early 20's are at the biggest risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases out of any age group, the same age group may be also the least disciplined about using them, but obviously that depends on the individual. Condoms condoms condoms!!! You know that and I know that... If you have to, make sure they are both aware of --proper-- condom use, which involves use of a condom before any intimate contact takes place, regardless of the time of the month or other birth control used, --no-- contact without protection. Condoms should be stored away from heat and light and they do have expiration dates, heat, UV radiation, and age will all deteriorate latex.
I agree that the most important part of using hormonal birth control is using it properly, and if you don't think she can remember to take it every day and she won't use the patch, her options are Nuvaring and Depo Provera. Nuvaring is just as reliable as the pill but without a lot of the possibility for user error.
I would not recommend Depo Provera for a teenager in particular because of the strength of the progestin that is used. At least one study has shown that teens exposed to strong progestins may be more likely to develop vulvar vestibulitis, possibly because the genital tissues haven't fully matured on their own. Vulvar vestibulitis isn't something I'd wish on my worst enemy! It's horrible, especially psychologically. The symptoms include painful intercourse, sometimes burning in the genitals, it's truly a life-changing disorder.
I've been using Nuvaring for the last year and 10 months. It couldn't be easier to use and I've had no problems with it. The risk of side effects with the ring is the same as for any hormonal contraceptive. The things you mentioned, the chest tightness and dizziness, those can be caused by any hormonal contraceptive (as well as many other prescription medications), they're not exclusive to the ring. Side effects are less likely with the ring, technically, because the hormone doses are lower than what's in most pills. They're still possible, though, there's no free lunch! The most common side effects with hormonal contraceptives are irregular bleeding at first, nausea, bloating, breast tenderness and maybe mood instability, but usually negative side effects tend to go away after the first couple of months.
I'm not worried about the lack of long-term studies, to be honest. The hormones that are released into the bloodstream are not new to birth control, it's just the location that's different. The progestin in the ring is the first metabolite of desogestrel, and the first pill that I know of to use desogestrel is Desogen. The patent application for Desogen is dated 1992, so this progestin has been around for at least 12 years.
If you want to talk more about it, please feel free! You can either post here or if you want to e-mail me you can (the link is in my profile if you click on my name). I think it's a great thing that you and your daughter are both doing together! Let us know if you need anything, okay?
Co-cl for Birth Control
Thanks again!
You mentioned that you feel let down about the premarital sex issue....I think in today's environment it's a lot harder than it's ever been for teenagers to wait. Particularly with a lot of us getting married in our late 20's (I'll be approaching 31 at our wedding), that's a long time to wait! The media and peer pressure don't help, that's for sure. I waited until I was 18. I'm no longer with that guy, but I was with him for 5 years. My fiance was the next, and we'll have been together for 8 years in January, getting married next fall. My mom may have been disappointed if she knew that I'd had sex at 18, but I think she'd agree that everything turned out just fine. I can't imagine that any of this is a result of a parenting mishap, it's just a lot tougher enviroment than it used to be.
Good luck, take a deep breath, and make a list of all your questions before you go! That way you'll make sure you don't forget anything.
Co-cl for Birth Control
Hi and thanks for being such a
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