Is Getting An Iud Painful
Some women worry that IUD insertion is painful Dr. Stanwood says the experience varies for each woman. For most, its similar to a typical pelvic exam with a Pap test, but with a little more of a cramp, she says. For others, Im all done and they ask, Thats it? I didnt feel anything. Yet other women might feel more crampy. For most, its a procedure that takes about five minutes totalwith a few minutes of cramps that are worth it in exchange for many years of birth control.
IUD insertion is performed during a standard office visit. Some spotting is expected after and might last the rest of the day, Dr. Stanwood says. Women whove recently given birth have a particularly easy time with the experience, she notes. I like to let women who have recently delivered a baby know that they will have the least amount of discomfort in terms of insertion if they do it within a couple of months of having their baby, because the cervix tends to be open and the uterus isnt as bothered by it.
Dr. Stanwood jokes that, in general, it takes longer to talk to women about IUDs than it does to insert them.
Heres Exactly How To Find The Best Birth Control Pill For You
Thanks to the plethora of options at your disposal, choosing the right birth control can feel like youre blindfolded and trying to pin the tail on the contraceptive donkey. Even if you narrow your focus to just the pill, you still have a lot of possible choices out there. But if you do your homeworkand are prepared to possibly engage in some trial and erroryou can pinpoint the best birth control pill based on your needs.
Birth control pills that contain a mixture of estrogen and progestin are the most common type out there.
So, how do combination pills work to keep you pregnancy-free? During your typical menstrual cycle, theres a hormonal surge that triggers the release of an egg to potentially be fertilized, Justine P. Wu, M.D., a family planning expert and assistant professor in the department of family medicine within the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan, tells SELF.
overrides that normal hormonal surge, and because of that, theres no egg released, says Dr. Wu, who is also a board chair member of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. Progestin does its part by thickening your cervical mucus to make it harder for sperm to move and thinning your uterine lining, which makes it less likely for any egg that does get fertilized to attach to it.
Pros:
- Your fertility should return pretty much immediately after you quit combination birth control pills, if thats of interest to you.
Cons:
What Should I Do If I Miss A Birth Control Pill
If its been less than 48 hours since you missed a pill, take it as soon as you can. If youre due for your next pill, its OK to take them both together. If its been more than 48 hours since you missed a pill, take the missed pill as soon as possible, and use a backup method of contraception, such as condoms, for 7 days. Emergency contraception is recommended if your pill was missed early in your cycle, or during the last week of your pill pack and you had unprotected sex in the last 5 days.
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Times You May Not Want To Take Combined Hormonal Contraception
First, know this: Combined hormonal birth control is totally safe for most people assigned female at birth. Every medical intervention and medication comes with risks and side effects nothing is 100 percent perfect, Dr. Sridhar says. But the available birth control methods have been extensively studied and are on the market for a reason: to prevent pregnancy and provide non-contraceptive benefits.
That said, some people are more likely to have negative outcomes. Before prescribing birth control, your health care provider will screen you to determine your risk level and figure out which method is right for you. Typically, theyll refer to the U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, a guide that details whether or not certain types of birth control methods are recommended based on your personal or family health history.
Here are some instances in which you might want to stick with estrogen-free contraception:
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Is Birth Control Bad For You
Most people can use birth control without any problems, though side effects are possible. And even though there are slight risks associated with hormonal birth control, these mostly depend on an individuals health conditions and risk factors. For example, heightened estrogen levels can increase the risk of blood clots in women with other blood clot risk factors like obesity, heart disease or age. Your doctor will take these kinds of factors into account during discussions about birth control.
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How Do Birth Control Pills Prevent Pregnancy
The birth control pill works by stopping sperm from joining with an egg. When sperm joins with an egg its called fertilization.
The hormones in the pill safelystop ovulation. No ovulation means theres no egg for sperm to fertilize, so pregnancy cant happen.
The pills hormones also thicken the mucus on the cervix. This thicker cervical mucus blocks sperm so it cant swim to an egg kind of like a sticky security guard.
Who Should Refrain From Consuming Low
If you fall under any of the following categories, low dose birth control options may not be a good idea for you:
- If you are a woman over 35 years of age and you also smoke.
- If you are pregnant.
- If you suffer from migraines with aura.
- If you presently have or have had breast cancer.
- If you have a family history of stroke, heart disease, or blood clots.
- If you suffer from hypertension .
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How Can Perimenopausal Women Benefit From Low
Low-dose birth control can be implemented both to prevent pregnancy and alleviate symptoms of perimenopause. Although low dose birth control is typically not recommended for individuals under the age of 30 because it can decrease bone density, it may have the opposite effect for those going through perimenopause. This is especially important, as the risk of osteoporosis increases with age. Low dose birth control may also be implemented to help prevent ovarian and uterine cancers.
What Should I Know About Storage And Disposal Of This Medication
Keep this medication in the packet it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture .
Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them. However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Talk to your pharmacist or contact your local garbage/recycling department to learn about take-back programs in your community. See the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medicines website for more information if you do not have access to a take-back program.
It is important to keep all medication out of sight and reach of children as many containers are not child-resistant and young children can open them easily. To protect young children from poisoning, always lock safety caps and immediately place the medication in a safe location â one that is up and away and out of their sight and reach.
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How Can Pandia Health Help
Choosing the right birth control can be challenging, especially with so many options available. Pandia Health can take a HUGE chunk of your stress away. If you live in AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MI, NV, TX, TN, PA, WA, or WY, sign up for online consultation with one of our expert doctors they can help you find a prescription that best fits your health and lifestyle needs.
Already have a prescription you love? No problem! for our FREE delivery service to get your pill packs shipped directly to your mailbox. We deliver to all 50 states. With Pandia Health, you can #SkipTheTrip to the pharmacy and feel confident that you will never run out of birth control.
When Should Emergency Contraception Be Used
Emergency contraception should be used after unprotected sex, or when another birth control method, like condoms, failed or if pills were used incorrectly. Its generally advised to take a morning after pill as soon as you can after sex. You can take a levonorgestrel up to five days after unprotected sex, however the longer you wait, the less effective it becomes.
Although levonorgestrel morning after pills are the most common in America, if youre over 155 pounds, you may be advised to try another option like ella . Ella is a prescription-only option however, and may make your hormonal birth control ineffective. In some cases, your doctor may insert a copper IUD, which is also considered an emergency contraceptive method. The Copper IUD can be then left in up to 10 years as an effective birth control method.
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To Have Spotting While On The Pill
Yes, it’s normal. Spotting, also called irregular bleeding or breakthrough bleeding, typically happens during the first few months of taking a new birth control pill. It may take time for your body to adjust to the new hormone levels.
If spotting still occurs after being on the pill for more than 6 months you should see your healthcare provider to make sure there isn’t another underlying condition.
What is Lo Loestrin® Fe?
Lo Loestrin Feis a prescription birth control pillused for the prevention of pregnancy. If you are moderately obese,discuss with your healthcare provider whether Lo Loestrin Feis appropriate for you.
IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION
WARNING TO WOMEN WHO SMOKE
Do not use Lo Loestrin Fe if you smoke cigarettes and are over 35 years old. Smoking increases your risk of serious cardiovascular side effects from birth control pills, including death from heart attack, blood clots, or stroke. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes you smoke.
Who should not take Lo Loestrin Fe?
Do not use Lo Loestrin Fe if you have or have had blood clots, history of heart attack or stroke, high blood pressure that medicine cannot control, breast cancer, liver disease or liver tumors, unexplained bleeding from the vagina, or if you take Hepatitis C drugs containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, as this may increase levels of liver enzymes in the blood.
What else should I know about taking Lo Loestrin Fe?
LO LOESTRIN® FE SAVINGS PROGRAM
The Ultimate Birth Control Comparison Guide
Choosing a birth control method is an important and very personal decision. Having thorough, accurate information at your fingertips is essential. Here youll find a detailed comparison of the most popular types of contraception available. Schedule an appointment with your provider to discuss your unique health history and fertility goals and to learn more about which option might be right for you.
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Can It Lower Your Libido
You may have heard that hormonal birth control sabotages your sex drive â but desire is multifaceted, making this a challenging area of study.
A March 2019 article in the âInternational Journal of Reproductive Medicineâ stated that, “Several studies have linked hormonal contraception to negative effects of sexual function, but also to a neutral effect, or an improvement in sexual domains.”
“Arousal is not a linear process,” Dr. Sridhar says. “A drop in libido could be due to a change in the amount of vaginal lubrication caused by hormone exposure , but sometimes it is due to intrinsic factors that are completely unrelated to contraception.”
Ultimately, it’s still up in the air. “But studies have not found a clear association proving a cause and effect,” Dr. Sridhar says. If you’ve noticed a change in your sexual function and suspect it might be a result of contraception, talk to your health care provider about lowering the dose of hormones or trying a different method.
What Is The Best Low
The birth control pills available today have lower doses than they did when they first came out, which has really decreased the risk of side effects. In fact, one pill in 1960 is the equivalent of taking one week of pills today!
Because of these changes, most birth control brands today are low-dose pills. The Mayo Clinic says that most combination birth control pills, which combine the hormones progestin and estrogen, have 1035 micrograms of estrogen. Low-dose pills would then contain estrogen levels at the lower end of this range.
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Low Dose Birth Control Faq: Is It Right For You
Medically reviewed by Kristin Hall, FNP
The birth control pill, or the pill as its more commonly known, hit the market in 1960, marking the beginning of a movement in womens ability to have dominion over their reproductive life.
It was game-changing. Within two years, 1.2 million American women were taking it, according to the Journal of Ethics.
The pill is still a remarkable tool, and today, women have more options than ever.
You can start here, doing your research and getting your questions answered.
Estrogen Dominance And Birth Control Pills
Natural hormone balance is the foundation of a womans emotional and physical health. During a womans natural menstrual cycle her estrogen levels rise and fall at different times of the month. The pill disrupts this cycle altogether keeping estrogen levels high all month.
Continuously elevated levels of estrogen can overload the liver, which cant perform its essential function of detoxification. As a result, these unhealthy estrogen metabolites go back into your bloodstream and get circulated in your body quickly leading to Estrogen Dominance
ED from the pill also leads to too much estradiol , also known as an aggressive estrogen, compared to estriol , which is the protective estrogen. This imbalance can be behind tender breasts, mood swings, hair loss, weight gain, fibroids, endometriosis, breast, and ovarian cysts, and even breast and ovarian cancer.
High estrogen levels can also cause a rise thyroid binding globulin, which binds up thyroid hormones making less available to do its work in your body. ED has also been linked to the development of thyroid nodules and cancer.
To learn more about estrogen dominance and what you can do to reduce it, read my other blog post on the topic.
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High Versus Low Dose Birth Control Pills
It can be confusing to understand the difference between high and low dose birth control pills and determine which might best fit your needs. Both high and low dose hormonal contraceptives are beneficial forms of birth control, and each has benefits and risks.
Its always best to consult with your physician to choose the birth control pill that will be best suited for your medical history and lifestyle.
Theres no one option that fits all as everyone has different factors that impact what birth control would be best for them. The truth is that certain pills might make hormones fluctuate in a way that is uncomfortable for a woman.
There are other types of birth control, but the truth is that using birth control pills as advised is the safest option to prevent pregnancy, other than abstinence.
Dont be afraid to ask embarrassing or tough questions to your doctor as you should not be uninformed about anything you will be putting into your body. Read on to learn more about high versus low dose pills.
The Role Of Estrogen In The Pill
Hormonal birth control may also contain a synthetic form of estrogen. Estrogens main role is to counteract side effects of progestin, explains Mitchell D. Creinin, M.D., an OB/GYN and family planning expert at UC Davis Health in Sacramento, CA. At a low dose, progestin thickens mucus but does not shut off the ovaries. Higher dosages shut off the ovaries but also shut off other hormones, including estrogen, which you need to keep your hormones balanced, Dr. Creinin explains, and prevent the side effects of low estrogen, which can include moodiness, reduced energy, trouble sleeping, and even hot flashes or decreased sex drive.
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Dosage And Delivery Of Hormones Matters
With so many hormonal birth control options, ranging from the Pill, mini pill, patch, IUDs, implant, vaginal rings, and injection, its important to know their different delivery methods, how they contain different amounts of hormones, and provide different instructions for use, Dr. Lew says. For example, LARCs like the implant and hormonal IUDs have hormones embedded in them using a slow delivery system that releases them into the uterus or blood stream over multiple years. The ring disperses hormones into the vaginal lining and the Pill works systemically through the digestive system.
How Does The Birth Control Pill Work
Before one can fully appreciate what makes low-dose contraceptives different than other forms of birth control, its crucial to understand how the birth control pill works.The female reproductive system operates under a cycle of rising and falling estrogen, progesterone, and androgen hormones. At the beginning of the cycle, hormones steadily increase until the ovary is prompted to release an egg. Once this happens, hormones influence the uterus to grow an endometrial lining in preparation for a fertilized egg. If an egg is not fertilized within about 10 to 14 days after ovulation, the endometrium sheds, resulting in a menstrual period.
The pill disrupts the rising and falling of reproductive hormones by a steady dose of synthetic estrogen and progesterone. The endometrium is not signaled to grow to prepare a fertilized egg, and when women who take the pill have a menstrual period, its not really a period because ovulation did not occur. Monthly bleeding on the pill is referred to as withdrawal bleeding.
Naturally occurring estrogen in the female reproductive cycle is produced in the ovaries. Estrogen helps the uterus grow the lining that is responsible for the implantation of a fertilized egg.
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