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Call Planned Parenthood or a local clinic and say "Hi, I'd like to make an appointment to get a full STD panel." Some cities also have free walk-in testing centers you can use instead. Be sure to ask what they're testing for (usually HSV isn't on the list). Testing methods differ. They haven't swabbed my vagina, but they've asked for blood and urine tests. Or they may want to do a cheek swab for a rapid HIV test -- every facility probably has slightly different procedures. Feel free to ask what to expect.
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Jan 18, 2011 04:26
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i like nice words
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Sapphic Swordsaint posted:I'm an off and on again Depo Provera user. I get it for dysmenorrhea and it works wonders. I've never had a side effect off of it and would recommend it for this use. The nutjobbery is all theirs. If you just want to get in, get what you want, and get out, I'd recommend striking up a conversation with the nurse and getting a little TMI pretty quickly: "Oh, I sure am glad I found this shot, isn't it amazing. I used to bleed all the time, you know, and I was afraid I would just bleed so much I wouldn't be able to have babies down the road. But this shot stops all that worry, isn't that a wonderful thing?" It's lying, but it hurts nobody and it makes your life way, way easier. v Better than latex for this laydee, too. Apart from the "WAIT STOP I think it broke or came off or disappeared!" factor! Lifestyles Skyn hell yeah. Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 13:52 on Jan 19, 2011 |
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Jan 19, 2011 13:23
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Avocadoes posted:So my girlfriend is allergic to latex. We are poor, both 18, and still live under our parents' rule so that really takes out any fancy contraceptive ideas we have. Most of the fancier methods look like they'd require doctors visits, and since we still live under our parent's insurance it looks like they'd find out. ... My parents were conservative too, and I could never have gone to my mom in my late teens to say "hey, I want to have sex with birth control, hook me up with some of that please!" Instead I did my research, found a birth control that looked like it might help improve my skin, and brought it to my mom for that reason. She took it totally at face value, which meant I got her insurance and her complete cooperation, just like it was any other drug for any other reason. Bagleworm posted:Everything I've read states nonlatex condoms (excluding lambskin!) have the same effectiveness preventing pregnancy and protecting from STIs. Jumpsuit posted:Also this may be a dumb question...but is there any possibility that the implant can break inside your arm? It just feels so flimsy in there Even if it does break, I don't think you're at huge risk of anything. It's not like a capsule surrounding a liquid that leaks out, and if there's a rupture it would all flood at once. Instead, the hormones are impregnated in the implant and slowly leach away. There would only be a tiny increase in surface area. They'd still probably want to replace it, but it wouldn't be like one day you whack your arm on something, flood your system with hormones, fall over, and get rushed to the hospital.
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Jan 28, 2011 01:34
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Scurvy posted:I'm currently on Mircette (or its generic), and have been for at least 6 years. For the past two years, I've been bugging my gyno about Implanon, because the idea of not having to be a slave to pills every day really appeals to me. However, she's always been dismissive and tells me that my current form of BC works fine, and so there's no need to switch. I told her why I wanted it (convenience, not to mention lower chance of human error), and she says, "that's not a good enough reason to switch." I would bet that she isn't approved to insert Implanon (you have to go to a training session) but she doesn't want to lose your business. I would find a new doctor just because she's so dismissive and it doesn't sound like she really has your best interests at heart.
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Feb 1, 2011 02:30
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Lanthanum posted:Got my implanon on put in a couple days ago! Geolicious posted:Uncool, Marshmallow. Terrible business. I think I'm going to stick to my pill for now. But, reading through the thread, I may give Implanon some consideration.  kdc67 posted:I was just going to ask this myself. I've only ever been on the pill, but it would seem if your IUD or implant's not working for what you need where you have to take a pill as well, just take the pill. - The implant's not costing you anything; you don't have to pay anymore and it shouldn't hurt you. - Implanon is more effective than the pill. (Both together should be even more effective.) - With an implant, you can't screw up. There's nothing to forget every night, and it doesn't matter if you're a day or two late picking up your prescription -- and you also don't have to care if you throw up, if you take an antibiotic, whatever -- you're covered, guaranteed, no effort, no matter what, for 3 years.
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Feb 26, 2011 03:51
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I havent ha any bleeding yet, but the people at PPH told me finish the pack of pills that i was on. Once they finish they said up to 3 months of spotting/bleeding. Then no periods! I love this thing. No nausea (yet) and a few light headaches. Yay Implanon!!
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Lanthanum posted:My arm is SO ITCHY. To the point where I can't focus on anything else, except to itch itch itch. Is this normal? Yeah, they definitely should not have told you that. I'm really sorry they misinformed you. I think it's something like 20-30% of women enter amenorrhea by the end of their first year. I bled irregularly (but nor crazy heavily) for a couple months, and then for longer, I only bled when my cervix was poked (but when it was, I bled a lot). After about 9(?) months, that stopped too, and for the rest of my time I only had very, very light spotting (irregularly but infrequently). I was lucky -- it's not like a 1% chance, it's a fairly decent chance, but it's definitely not any kind of guarantee. That chart I posted is straight from Implanon's site. You might want to bring that into PP along with whatever other info you can find, just so they don't spread that misinformation to other women. Implanon is fantastic, but it's not for everyone, and like everything else, you really have to make an informed decision.
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Feb 26, 2011 14:04
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Sulla-Marius 88 posted:I know someone who doesn't bother with her placebo week, and just starts the new cycle anew every time, without waiting. I.e she just does a 3-week cycle with actives every day ad infinitum. She's been doing this since December. No, it's fine to do this. Feel free to google "skip placebo week" or "continuous birth control pill" or something. Doctors often mention it, and I think it's also in the package insert for a lot of pills. Some women don't like to do it for whatever reason, but the worst side effect is a chance of unpredictable spotting. It's fine, she's fine, she knows more about it than you do.
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Mar 23, 2011 13:54
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Grushenka posted:I was re-reading the information packet for Cerazette today and it talks about thrombosis symptoms. I thought that the progestin-only pill carried no risk of thrombosis/DVT's, since the NHS website says that they carry no risk. Is that not true, then? - combination pills definitely elevate your risk of clotting - progestin-only pills haven't been around as long and haven't been shown to have much effect on clotting - since progestin is in the combination pills (and there are no estrogen-only pills to compare), they include a warning to stay on the safe side The WHO released a fact sheet saying that Implanon (progestin-only implant) was safe for women predisposed to clotting (Leiden factor V), which was good enough for me and my doctor. I haven't died yet, which is sort of promising. You can google "progestin only clotting" and get a ton of information. I think there haven't been a lot of long-term studies and they've been pretty inconclusive. Progestin-only methods aren't nearly as bad as methods that contain estrogen; the question (which studies have been unclear about) is whether they raise your risk at all, or not really.
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Mar 30, 2011 20:55
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I think the iron issue is (1) if you're on a type of birth control that means you have infrequent/no periods, AND (2) you're supplementing with iron. Iron supplements for women assume that you're losing a lot of iron with a monthly period, and if that's not the case, you could potentially wind up adding too much.
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Apr 6, 2011 01:12
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DrNewton posted:I am surprised that somebody at a BC would tell me to use Vaseline. then again i once was told honey is a good substituted. *shrugs* Also, honey is possibly the worst idea I've ever heard. Wrong texture, yeast infections -- no, you don't want to try it. If you tell us what you're actually allergic to, we might have some better solutions -- there's organic lube marketed as natural, for example. If you keep playing Princess and the Pea, all that's "natural" enough is actual lube or saliva. Cat Breath posted:My question for you guys is: what have been your experiences going from a combined hormonal method to Mirena/Implanon with respect to libido? I understand that what happens to me will be different, but I'd like to get a general opinion about it.
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Apr 17, 2011 16:53
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I had a similar experience with Implanon, but after a little trial and error, I figured out that I wasn't just bleeding nonstop; it was that hitting my cervix would trigger bleeding. I think that stage lasted for maybe a few months, and then for the next two years, everything was awesome and period-free (except occasional tiny spotting).
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Apr 21, 2011 19:52
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I know there are a bunch of us with Implanon now (yay!). I just got mine replaced. My old one was placed perfectly, and felt exactly like the example. If I went hunting, I could find it, but I was absolutely never aware of it otherwise. My new one is placed differently -- it's crazy shallow. It hurts to move my arm, and I worry the end's going to come through the skin. You can see it! Has anyone else had a really shallow Implanon? What happened? It's only my second day, so I'm hoping it will magically and quickly move deeper, but I doubt it.
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Apr 27, 2011 15:00
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What a pain. I'm sure it's still effective (I'm single right now so it's actually not important for now), but the pain/irritation/concern isn't exactly ideal! My last one was probably a few mm deep, into the fat layer, and it never made its presence known at all. This is immediately under the skin -- like if I were a chicken, this is where you'd be rubbing your compound butter. I'm going to keep the compression bandage on a little longer and see if that magically drives it deeper? Maybe? It hurts less then, anyway.
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Apr 27, 2011 17:19
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legsarerequired posted:Has anyone lost a significant amount of weight while on hormonal birth control? If so, could you give me the name of whatever you were doing? Please head to W&W! The FAQ are really helpful. I was eating a deficit of 1000 calories/day with a macronutrient split of 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% healthy fats. There was more to it, but your details are likely different so that's something you can iron out for yourself. But you really need to track -- if you don't know what you're eating, you don't have any handle on what you're doing. quote:I also like the idea of being able to just easily stop a procedure--by no longer taking pills, by not scheduling another depo injection, etc--if one method isn't working for me, and I don't know if I could easily do that with a paraguard or a similar method.
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Apr 30, 2011 10:56
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Did you seriously come into the birth control thread just to warn all women not to be irresponsible liars? I'm sorry you're in a relationship with one, but that doesn't mean the rest of us need to be nagged about it.
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Apr 30, 2011 21:47
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Maybe she "wasn't allowed" by her practice or insurer or something if they didn't think it was cost-effective? Implanon is definitely still FDA-approved. I can't guarantee mood issues, obviously, and suicidal thoughts are serious enough that I wouldn't want to experiment. Removal is easy and quick, but making an appointment isn't as immediate as throwing away your pills. I personally haven't had major issues on Implanon. It did/does make it easier for me to cry, but it doesn't make me any more upset; tears just start coming from my eyes at a lower level of upset-ness. Anecdotally, I've heard that mood issues may be a bit less likely since it's a steady, constant dose (not even a 24-hour up-and-down cycle like pills). However, suicide is serious enough that I wouldn't just go out and give it a shot. Separately -- Jesus, I hate to dissuade people from Implanon, because my first one was so fantastic. As a birth control, I still love Implanon, but my new implant is killing me. It was inserted poorly, it's way too shallow, and in the last 10 days it hasn't moved deeper at all. A dozen times a day, it catches on my shirt and it's crazy stabbing pain. The same pain wakes me up every time I roll over -- just about hourly, every night. I told myself I'd give it a month to calm down and hopefully move deeper, but I'm seriously not sure I can make it.
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May 6, 2011 04:41
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IIRC, Implanon should take effect more quickly than other types of birth control. I think a lot of clinics either aren't used to this (since they're used to dealing with older methods), or else they want to stay way, way on the safe side. If you do some research and some talking, you should be able to get it on any day of your cycle that's convenient for an appointment. It's almost guaranteed to disrupt your cycle anyway, so that shouldn't be a big concern either. PS I'm getting mine redone  I'm so glad this wasn't my first one or I would've thought it was supposed to hurt like crazy! It's not. Don't leave until it feels like the example they show you!
Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 17:50 on May 12, 2011 |
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May 12, 2011 17:46
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They're both progesterone-only, but different types of progesterone. However, the only major side effect I've noticed on Implanon (I'm also on my second) is...I cry more easily. I don't get upset more easily, but I start crying when I'm less upset than it would usually take for me to cry. Obviously everyone reacts differently, and Implanon does have the benefit of a steady dosage without any ups and downs -- but crying is literally the only negative side effect it's given me, so I thought it was worth saying something.
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Jun 3, 2011 07:34
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No, there are people who use more than one kind of hormonal birth control. Obviously you need the say-so of a doctor who knows what s/he's doing, but it's not the end of the world. Amenorrhea is a common, although definitely not guaranteed, side effect of Implanon. Irregular spotting at first is common, so you could possibly stay on a pill to combat that, and then go off it to see whether you're one of the women who winds up not having a period on Implanon (I'm one of them and I love it!).
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Jun 4, 2011 15:42
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Nail polish remover might make the area dryer, but it shouldn't cause a field of breakouts or anything. I would go for it and just follow up with moisturizer. Goo Gone, on the other hand, is probably a bad idea...
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Jun 18, 2011 04:53
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Implanon insertion isn't so scary -- they just make a small puncture and slide it in with a needle. I literally couldn't tell when mine was happening. There was zero gore or pain. There was some bruising, but keep the ace bandage on and it shouldn't be an issue. Removal is a little scarier and mine wasn't super fun, but I still didn't need anything more than a Band-Aid! It's just supposed to be one small hole and a pair of tweezers, not a chunk taken out of your arm and four stitches! I'm sorry that went so wrong. 
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Jun 24, 2011 15:18
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Budget Bears posted:I actually have kind of a similar question to this. I'm on the patch and my boyfriend has been cumming inside me pretty much every time we have sex. But last night he told me that he thinks he should only cum inside me every other time we have sex to "lower our chances" of me getting pregnant even though I'm on a really effective birth control. Is this reasonable? I really prefer him to just cum inside me because I feel like it kind of breaks the rhythm and gets me out of the mood when he has to pull out. If he's right about only cumming inside me half as much lowering our chances of me getting pregnant then obviously I'm all for that, but I have a feeling that's not correct. Basically (slightly oversimplified but whatever), either you released a fertile egg, or you didn't. The exact numbers depend on the type of birth control, but let's say for typical use it's 95% no egg, 5% egg. If the egg is there, it doesn't matter whether he comes inside you twice or ten times or once every three days. One sperm can do it, and sperm can live in the body for days. If the egg's not there, it doesn't matter how many gallons of semen you swim in, you're not getting pregnant. Pulling out "every other time" is pointless -- it only serves to frustrate you (and I can't imagine he really loves it either).
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Jun 27, 2011 20:56
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Silver Falcon posted:the actual procedure took over an hour!  What were they doing for all that time? I've had two put in, and they took less than five minutes -- combined.Peggy Lee posted:As far as I know, I'm doing everything 'right': cotton underpants, no skinny jeans, no soap or douching (just water and sometimes Dove unscented soap on the outside), using condoms, eating yogurt. I did pick up some chewable acidophilus tablets on a whim, figuring at worst they'd be a waste of $8, and they seem to have done a good job staving off a yeast infection from the antibiotics I'm now taking for a UTI. Maybe they'll help calm things down.
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Jul 7, 2011 23:52
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DRP Solved! posted:Just being able to put a condom on right and not using lubes or products that reduce the condom's integrity pretty much constitutes "perfect use". - Don't store it in a wallet, glovebox, or anywhere else that might be friction-y, warm, or light - Check the expiration date - Be sure it's airtight before opening - Squish it to the side before opening - Don't open it with your teeth - Pinch the tip while putting it on - Be sure there are no air bubbles before using - After you come, pull out immediately, while using one hand to hold the condom around the base Do you seriously do all of these every time? I wouldn't even trust the average goon not to put it on inside-out. It's called typical use for a reason.
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Jul 13, 2011 04:32
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Eggplant Wizard posted:True, but we can probably agree that typical use condom still comes out really really well compared to typical use sponge & spermicide, which was her point.
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Jul 13, 2011 04:55
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Gutless Wonder posted:I had some blood tests run on me and every doctor I've been to agrees I cannot be put on hormonal birth control at all. I have factor V Leiden, which is pretty common and basically the (mild) opposite of hemophilia. All the older male blood doctors told me omg, no hormones. When I did my own research, or talked to doctors who were younger, female, and/or reproductive health specialists, they agreed estrogen was the problem and progesterone was fine. I also got a nice printout from a WHO study that specifically said Implanon was fine for me. I suspect you have the same deal, and while combination BC may be off the table, there are plenty of progesterone-only options that should be fine. Also, goddamn at all of you who shrug off a colposcopy like no big thing. When I had one, it was pretty much the worst thing ever, the procedure and the aftermath. I'm amazed by y'all's cervical fortitude. Also also, PSA: get the HPV vaccine if you can! Even if you already have one type of HPV, it's still worthwhile. If you're a guy itt, you too can and should get it. College health centers and local clinics can sometimes give you good price breaks, and insurance can sometimes be surprisingly good about covering it since it's a preventative thing. Vaccines for everyone
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Aug 6, 2011 00:26
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Bone Storm posted:Unfortunately she's already got pretty gnarly, painful periods so an IUD might not be a great idea for her. I hope there's something out there that will work. While I'm more than willing to wear a condom if it keeps my girlfriend from being miserable, I loving hate condoms. Dammit, science, where's the male oral contraceptive?
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Sep 19, 2011 04:35
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IIRC Schroedinger was the lifter who did a ton of research, but I can't remember what the conclusions were. Totally anecdotal evidence: I started on Implanon after working out for awhile and it didn't seem to have any noticeable effect. I was working out for weight loss, not qualifying for the Olympic team or anything, so although I think the average woman can do fine with it, at very serious levels, who knows.
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Oct 4, 2011 13:07
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fork bomb posted:Anne, I saw some of your before/after pics posted in W&W and you are a complete inspiration. I'm glad to hear that you have experience with Implanon, that gives me one less excuse when I actually try. :3 
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Oct 5, 2011 01:52
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VoodooSchmoodoo posted:New guy (finally my libido came back after coming off the pill a few months ago), so new contracption needed.
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Oct 23, 2011 07:40
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Yup, it's basically right where it rubs against your breasts. I've had allergy shots and Implanon -- not at the same time, but even if you were Olsen-twin thin, I don't think they'd conflict. If a needle could go in one side of your arm and out the other, then maybe.
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Nov 17, 2011 02:08
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samizdat posted:Has anybody who enjoyed the anti-acne properties of oral birth control ever gone the route of getting an IUD and then getting some sort of anti-acne medicine from a dermatologist? My problem is just pimples on my face and upper chest. Not Accutane-like acne, but I don't want any.
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Dec 1, 2011 03:01
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I'm on my second Implanon and I love it. I've posted about it here, but in the last thread, I posted a trip report and more -- does anyone have a link to the last thread?BrainParasite posted:- Reasonable in some circumstances, but these aren't them. She's been on the pill off and on for eleven years and apparently she can't deal with the emotional toll it takes. - Has she tried different kinds? Low-dose, POP? Also, agreeing Plan B is way worse. She's also worried about losing her fertility. She doesn't want an IUD because she's worried that being on birth control long term will make her infertile. - This is wrong verging on nuts, like anti-vaccination levels of wrong. Also she's grossed out by having a piece of metal inside her uterus. - If she can't handle that, she definitely can't handle NFP. She's also worried about the cost (medical insurance supposedly won't cover it.) - Have you checked? Lots do. Planned Parenthood and other clinics often have sliding scales. Even if they don't, over the lifetime of an IUD/Implanon/etc., it may wind up cheaper than pills or condoms. If she won't consider abortion or adoption, then you have to be absolutely 100% sure pregnancy isn't possible. It seems like she's making it about as likely as possible. Sounds like you have different goals and she's a whole lot more okay with babies than you are.
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Dec 23, 2011 07:03
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Semisponge posted:On the negative side, I finally got my Implanon taken out a year early because it was making me cry every goddamned day and have a full, heavy period every twelve days like clockwork. Just be warned, not everyone reacts well to the hormones, so be prepared to have it taken out and don't be an idiot like me and wait way too long for things to get better.
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Jan 5, 2012 01:28
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Hey, I have Implanon and I'm pretty sure I was obese when I got my first one (I was losing weight at the time and I don't remember the exact timing). As I understood the explanation, the hormone would leach faster -- so it wouldn't make it less effective at first, it might just need to be replaced sooner (in the third year). You would know this if, for example, your periods went away on Implanon (common) and later started to come back. Before having unprotected sex, I did some googling, and I couldn't actually find any examples of women who'd been on Implanon and gotten pregnant. There were some women who thought they were on Implanon, but the implant hadn't actually been inserted, but that was it at the time. That was years ago, so statistically some pregnancies are likely to have occurred, but not a lot -- Implanon is the most effective hormonal contraceptive, more effective than having your tubes tied. That may change depending on size, but it's hard to predict how much. Using condoms or another barrier method can't hurt, but I personally wouldn't be too worried. Remember all kinds of hormonal birth control are being prescribed to all kinds of women -- from 5'0" and 100 lbs to 6'3" and 200 lbs. Even if those are both average BMI, that's still a major variance in size/dosage. e: btw, if she really is 230-260, she is morbidly obese if she's around 5'3"-5'7". Don't assume she doesn't fit into that category just because she's not gross and doesn't need a scooter. Anne Whateley fucked around with this message at 06:08 on Mar 17, 2012 |
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Mar 17, 2012 06:04
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Sexual Panda posted:This may be a good sign that when I do stop taking pills eventually, my skin should go back to normal. I'm a little afraid of antibiotics since the last time I took them, I got a yeast infection, so I might be prone to those again.
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Mar 24, 2012 23:18
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gabi posted:Warning! Incoming stressed out word vomit! When they put mine in, I didn't even realize what was happening. I was looking in the other direction and talking to a nurse, and when I felt the slightest of pushing sensations (but no pain), I figured the doctor must've just broken the skin. Nope! All done! I had some local bruising for a little while, and I left the ace bandage on to protect the area for a couple days, but that was it. I wasn't curling 100 lbs, but I could still certainly do the dishes and live normally. Also obviously you shouldn't have cramping/bleeding/fainting/cervical issues because nobody is going even vaguely near that area. I'm sorry your Mirena insertion was no fun, but Implanon is completely different and it shouldn't be affected by your Mirena experience.
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Apr 2, 2012 03:50
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Where do you guys live who had Implanon inserted via slits? I thought the norm was to use a big needle (with Implanon inside the barrel) to puncture and insert, then withdraw the needle and leave the implant behind. Doctors have to be trained before they can insert Implanon, so I figured it would be a standardized procedure.
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Apr 2, 2012 23:43
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DeADHeaD posted:That's so crazy to me! (I'm certainly not calling the figures into question but) how in the gently caress is there a method of hormonal birth control which is MORE effective than tubal ligation!?
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Apr 8, 2012 20:19
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There are a number of other progesterone-only methods of birth control besides Implanon. That said, I have Implanon and I love it; click the ? under my name for my other posts itt. As long as you can feel that it's in your arm after insertion, you're fine. Iirc, the trouble was that sometimes it would fall on the floor and nobody would realize  As long as it's in there, you should be very well protected.
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Apr 8, 2012 21:13
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