birth control pills

ally34 · **birth control pills -** September 20th 2011, 05:52 PM

Hi my boyfriend and I are both 20 (I'm almost 21 next month, October) we have been together for almost 3 years (soon after my birthday in November) We have fouled around and done things like that but never actual sex.. there has been talk about it and my boyfriend has never pressured me or brought it up a bunch or anything like that. But he has told me that when I am ready he wants to and would. Now I probably would have sooner if I knew 100% that there was no way I'd get regnant ; which I know is not realistic and there's always that chance.

I have brought up the option of birth control to my doctor and it was basically left well think about it and come back if you want it. I have a male doctor and prefer going planned parenthood or a women's health clinic/ discuss with a female doctor. Now I've never had a pap test done, will that be required before a walk in or planned parenthood can prescribe me birth control ?

I do not want my mom knowing that I want to start having sex with my boyfriend but she is very health conscious and I want her to know and have her advice as well about what I am taking..cause she is a smart lady lol and I've heard that they aren't good for runners, is that true? cause I'm just starting to get very serious with running and races. I was wondering what you guys do and think , Should I my parents so its cover on my dads insurance and say its to regulate my periods? (I dont have bad acne but my mom knows my periods arent regular, I'm just thinking she will make assumptions Im going to have sex and say irregular periods are normal and I dont need birth control for that!!)

So in short my major things here are should I tell then so its covered under their insurance and next to free?

2. what is the most common birth control pill to take where you live? Like the best, most well known one for a girl who wasnt previously sexually active (me lol) and that isnt going to have crazy side effects and easy to get off?

3. If i go on it would it be safe enough (with a condom) as well to have sex say a week before my period is supost to come? cause thats when our 3 years would fall and i know your more likely to get pregnant leading upto your period. But with pill and condom do you think it would safe still?

4. If this birth control pill doesnt work out for me and I cant find one I want to take or my parents disapprove and have suspicions, both of us being virgins, is it taking a big chance to have sex just with a male condom? and using the pull out method?

thanks for taking the time to help me out and read all this!

Dr.Bobby · **Re: birth control pills -** September 20th 2011, 06:00 PM

Hi Ally,

First, you should be having regular Gyn appts., it's part of good adult care. Your doc should have referred you to one, rather than unprofessionally dismiss your request for birth control. You are legally an adult, so you can make these choices, you do not need anyone's permission!

Planned Parenthood should be able to provide these services, as well as determine with you which methods of b/c and which Pill would be best for you. These services are low cost and confidential. Check the Yellow Pages.

No method of b/c is 100%, but the Pill comes closest. A condom with it raises that, of course. But withdrawal ("Pulling out") isn't at all reliable, make sure he has a condom on, and read the directions so you're using it properly.

ally34 · **Re: birth control pills -** September 20th 2011, 06:07 PM

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Originally Posted by Dr.Bobby

Hi Ally,

First, you should be having regular Gyn appts., it's part of good adult care. Your doc should have referred you to one, rather than unprofessionally dismiss your request for birth control. You are legally an adult, so you can make these choices, you do not need anyone's permission!

Planned Parenthood should be able to provide these services, as well as determine with you which methods of b/c and which Pill would be best for you. These services are low cost and confidential. Check the Yellow Pages.

No method of b/c is 100%, but the Pill comes closest. A condom with it raises that, of course. But withdrawal ("Pulling out") isn't at all reliable, make sure he has a condom on, and read the directions so you're using it properly.

I should be having regular gyn appts. even though last time I was there I was 20? Or is it 21 since I haven't been sexually active I thought I heard? Yeah my doctor isnt very good though!

And so if i go on birth control and my bf used a condom with it still be ok to do it say a week or a few days before my period is supost to come or is that risky? cause I know that's when your most likely to get pregnant ..but if i have both should it be ok?

Aletheia* · **Re: birth control pills -** September 20th 2011, 06:09 PM

I'm going to answer your questions in the order you gave them, as not to get confused. Here we go:

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will that be required before a walk in or planned parenthood can prescribe me birth control ?

I've always had pap tests done, even before I was having sex. I first started MY birth control when I was 16, and the clinic I go too requires that I get one done to make sure everything was okay. Even if these clinics don't require it, it's always best to have one done. They test for STI's and infections (such as bacterial infections within the vagina), and to make sure everything is working properly down there. Usually, they only require it when you've been sexually active or at the age of 21, whichever comes first, and since your 21st birthday is coming up, it's best to start now anyway.

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should I tell then so its covered under their insurance and next to free?

Since you don't want your parents to find out, using their insurance might be a bad idea. They get bills/doctor's pills, even from Planned Parenthood and clinics if you use their insurance, and they could likely find out this way. Planned Parenthood usually gives out birth control and charges on a sliding fee scale, meaning, you can get birth control for free if you have no income, or you can get it for cheap if you do, always depending on how much money you make. Same with clinics. I get my birth control completely free right now, since I'm not working. Before, I only paid $20 for a years worth of pills. Keep this in mind, and contact some clinics in the area to see if they have this sliding fee scale.

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what is the most common birth control pill to take where you live?

It's not based on where you live, but it's based on what they have available to them at that clinic. For me, when I first started getting the pills, they had Ortho-Tricyclen, and Yaz. All they did was write me a prescription, and I'd pick it up at the pharmacy every month. But, I now use a clinic that it's in the basement of the courthouse, and they have, usually, offbrand or generic birth control pills, and I'm currently on reclipsen, since I smoke and it has less estrogen in it to help prevent blood clots since I'm at a higher risk. When you go in for your appointment, just ask them what kind of birth control pills are available, and which ones are best for you. The ones I mentioned are all oral contraceptives, but they do have implants and the copper IUD which are implanted either in the arm or right into the vagina and work just the same as birth control. You just need to do your research on which birth control option would be best for you.

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have sex say a week before my period is supost to come?

Yes. Usually you ovulate the second week before your period is meant to come. But, since you'd be using a barrier method, and a back up method like birth control, you are lowering your chances of getting pregnant. There is always going to be a chance, since both methods have been known to fail in the past, the percentage is low, so you wouldn't have anything to worry about.

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big chance to have sex just with a male condom? and using the pull out method?

The pull out method isn't a form of birth control, and yes, it would be taking a big risk, even though you are using a condom. A condom can slip off when he's trying to pull out, and condoms can break, and pre-cum...while it doesn't have sperm in it every time, CAN get you pregnant. So, don't use the pull out method. I sound hypocritical since I use this method with my boyfriend, and we don't wear condoms but I have a back up plan, but I would NEVER suggest another person to do this. I have to live with the consequences of my actions, not anyone else. Much like you, you'd have to deal with the consequences of using that method as birth control but again, it's not a method of birth control and I don't recommend it.

ally34 · **Re: birth control pills -** September 20th 2011, 06:37 PM

thanks for all your help Shannon.. and my best friend said I should be fine just with a condom but its ironic because when she had sex she was on birth control..

These are the ones available at a planned parenthood in my town: Any you would say that stand out as the best?
Alesse $5.50
Cyclen $17.00
Demulen 30 $5.00
ECP (Ovral) $2.00
Linessa $8.00
Marvelon $10.00
Micronor $17.00
Min-Ovral $5.50
Ortho 777 $17.00
Plan B $13.00
TriCyclen $17.00
TriCyclen Lo $7.00
Triquilar $15.00
Synphasic $5.00
Yasmin $13.00

Also if you dont mind me ask ; did you tell your parents you were going on it? I want to be honest that I am but I want to say to regulate my periods, not cause I am going to have sex.

Angel · **Re: birth control pills -** September 20th 2011, 06:51 PM

Plan B shouldn't really be on the list. That should be used as a back-up in case something goes wrong with your usual method of birth control, like if a condom were to break. It contains a lot of hormones, more than is in the average contraceptive pill. It's not meant to be used as the contraceptive pill is so stick with your other options.

Aletheia* · **Re: birth control pills -** September 20th 2011, 07:30 PM

As the above poster said, Plan B isn't a method of birth control. That's the emergency contraceptive that is meant to be taken in...you guessed it, emergencies. Emergencies include if you think your birth control failed or you think the condom broke.

Some extra info on that can be found here: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/hea...-pill-4363.asp

I've been on a few of the pills that are on that list including Tricyclen, and Trycylcen Lo, and I was on the different version of Yasmin, which was called Yaz. Your best bet would be to search up the different ones and see which one would work best for you, and to make a list of questions to ask the doctor.

Your friend is being a bit hypocritical. Condoms do work, and they DO protect against pregnancy, but condoms can break. Most often, an unplanned pregnancy comes because the condom was put on properly, or they weren't stored in the right place. Condoms need to be stored in a safe place that isn't too hot or too cold, and they won't get wet. Also, condoms also DO have expiration dates.

Another form of birth control is a good idea. It's always best to protect yourself.

bitesize · **Re: birth control pills -** September 20th 2011, 11:35 PM

1.should I tell then so its covered under their insurance and next to free?
Yes. Why would you not want your mum to know you're having sex?? It's often an awkward subject to bring up with parents, of course, but you're almost 21 ~ older than me ~ and you have been with him for this long, I can't see why she might be upset. Also people go on the pill for reasons other than birth control.

2. what is the most common birth control pill to take where you live? Like the best, most well known one for a girl who wasnt previously sexually active (me lol) and that isnt going to have crazy side effects and easy to get off?
I can't really answer this because a) I have no idea, b) I live in Ireland, and c)it's absolutely different for everyone. I'm serious, trust me on that one. I've had friends who found one pill worked perfectly for them while it turned me into a psychotic freak, etc. Speaking of which you might have to try out one or two before you find one that suits you perfectly (I'm about to start my fourth.)

3. If i go on it would it be safe enough (with a condom) as well to have sex say a week before my period is supost to come? cause thats when our 3 years would fall and i know your more likely to get pregnant leading upto your period. But with pill and condom do you think it would safe still?
You're most fertile two weeks before your period. But yes, I would really think you'll be ok having sex then, especially with the two forms of contraception!!

4. If this birth control pill doesnt work out for me and I cant find one I want to take or my parents disapprove and have suspicions, both of us being virgins, is it taking a big chance to have sex just with a male condom? and using the pull out method?
I know you obviously know your parents better than I do but I really wouldn't let their disapproval stand in the way!! You ARE a grown-up after all and can make your own decisions (: It's ok to have sex with just a condom ~ a lot of people do, but remember they aren't great ~ even with the pull-out method, if you come into contact with pre-cum after the condom breaks there could be a chance you'd get pregnant. They are only 95% effective!!And having a condom break on you can be a very scary experience ~ only happened to me once but I've never trusted them since!! There are other methods of contraception that aren't the pill; I think there's a list of them somewhere on Teenhelp?? But it might be worth looking into if the pill doesn't work out for you.

Best of luck!!x

Maloo · **Re: birth control pills -** September 21st 2011, 01:27 AM

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