Would You Prefer Contraception You Do Not Have To Remember Every Day
Not all contraceptives have to be taken every day or each time you have sex.
You do not have to think about some contraceptives for months or years.
These methods need to be inserted by a health professional into your uterus or arm :
The contraceptive injection can be given 1 of 2 ways: either by an intramuscular injection into the buttock, or as a subcutaneous injection into the thigh or abdomen.
This is given every 8 weeks or every 12 weeks, depending on the type.
The subcutaneous injection can be given by a health professional, or you can be shown how to inject it yourself.
Other contraceptives that need to be changed or replaced every month or week are:
Other contraceptives used or inserted just before sex are:
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How Do The Options Compare
Compared to the various other medications and hormonal treatments, hormonal IUDs are the most effective at reducing bleeding and the related problems. The effect of hormonal IUDs is comparable to that of surgery to remove the lining of the womb. There was no real difference between the two treatments in the studies.
Hysterectomies have the greatest benefits of the various surgical procedures: The less invasive procedures that involve removing or destroying the endometrium don’t reduce the problems associated with heavy periods as completely as a hysterectomy does. Those procedures may also have to be repeated if the lining grows back. But serious side effects and complications are much less common after endometrial ablation or resection than after hysterectomy.
Can Contraceptive Pills Stop Periods
In order for us to effectively answer this question, there are some things you should know about the pill. There are two types of birth control pills: the combination pill and the progestin-only pill.
As its name implies, the combination pill contains a mix of estrogen and progestin. It primarily works by stopping ovulation from occurring. In other words, it stops your ovaries from releasing an egg. Without an egg for sperm to fertilize, a pregnancy cannot take place.
Most combination pills require you to take three weeks worth of pills containing hormones. The fourth week is typically your placebo week.
The progestin-only pill, as youve likely gathered by now, only contains one hormoneprogestin. Its often called the mini-pill because of its low hormonal dose.
With this in mind, the combination-pill would be your go-to for stopping your period. However, it also comes down to the type of pill youre taking.
If you werent already aware, not all combination pills are the same. There are multiphasic and monophasic pills.
According to Bedsider, multiphasic pills have a mix of hormones which changes from week after week. On the other hand, monophasic pills contain the same mix of hormones each week.
Its possible to control the timing of your period with both a monophasic pill and a multiphasic one. However, skipping periods with multiphasic pills is not as well studied and, according to Refinery 29, may be a little more difficult to use .
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What If You Cannot Use Hormonal Contraceptives
Some contraceptives work by using hormones that are similar to the hormones women produce naturally. These hormones are oestrogen and progestogen.
Contraceptives that contain these hormones aren’t suitable for some women, such as those who have medical conditions like breast cancer.
Not all contraceptive methods use hormones. Some work in other ways, including:
How Comfortable Are You With Using It
Your comfort matters. Birth control for your heavy periods shouldnt come with a side of anxiety or trauma.
If the thought of needles makes you weak in the knees, the shot may not be right for you.
Similarly, if youre not comfortable touching yourself or have a hard time inserting anything into your vagina, then you might prefer to rule out an insertable method like the ring or IUD.
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The Patch Vs The Sponge
The contraceptive sponge is a soft, round piece of plastic foam with a loop for removal. Its available over the counter in many drugstores.
The sponge doesnt contain any hormones and is instead filled with a spermicide known as nonoxynol-9. This slows sperm down and helps prevent sperm from reaching the egg.
You insert the sponge deep into your vagina up to 24 hours before having penis-in-vagina sex to prevent pregnancy. This means it requires a little more time and preparation than other forms of birth control, including the patch.
You can have sex multiple times with the same sponge inserted. However, it shouldnt be kept in for more than 30 hours.
The sponge is less effective than the patch. With perfect use in people who havent given birth, its around 91 percent effective. For people who have given birth, perfect use equates to 80 percent efficacy.
In reality, people dont tend to use the sponge perfectly. So its usually about 88 percent effective for people who havent given birth and 76 percent effective for people who have.
Can Birth Control Help Regulate Your Period
While you might not be able to make your monthly visitor disappear forever, many forms of birth control can help regulate your period. This is great news for people living with irregular cycles and painful or heavy periods. According to the ACOG, combined hormonal methods that contain estrogen and progestin can make your period more regular, lighter, and shorter. This includes birth control pills, the patch, and the vaginal ring.
The bottom line is this: If you view your period as a monthly reassurance that youre not pregnant, then you might prefer to see it arrive on schedule. But if thats not you, asking your doctor about the types of birth control that are most likely to stop your period is something to consider.
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How The Vaginal Ring Works To Prevent Pregnancy
The vaginal ring prevents pregnancy by continuously releasing synthetic estrogen and progestin. These hormones are absorbed into your bloodstream.
They prevent your ovaries from releasing eggs to be fertilized. The hormones also thicken your cervical mucus, which helps prevent sperm from reaching the egg.
You should get your period during the week when youre not using the ring. One week after removing it, insert a new ring. You should insert the new ring, even if youre still menstruating.
Its important that you remove or insert the ring on the same day of the week. For example, if you insert a ring on Monday, you should remove it on a Monday 3 weeks later. Then, you should insert your next ring on the following Monday.
If the ring falls out, rinse it off and put it back in. If the ring is out of your vagina for longer than 3 hours, use backup contraception. The ring may fall out when you:
- remove a tampon
Uses other than contraception
Some people use the ring and other hormonal contraceptives to control when they get their period. They can regulate their period based on when they remove the ring. Some people use the ring continuously to avoid having periods at all.
How Can I Find The Right Solution For Me
Different women experience their periods differently, and the amount of menstrual blood they lose can vary naturally from month to month. But the amount of stress caused by heavy periods can only be determined by the woman herself: Whereas some women who have heavy periods may not think its a big problem, others already feel very uncomfortable with less heavy periods.
Its important to first have a doctor look for possible causes of the heavy periods. In most cases you can then take your time to decide whether to start treatment and consider which of the treatment options is right for you. If you’re not sure, it may be a good idea to get a second medical opinion especially if a hysterectomy has been recommended. Our decision aid may help here. It briefly summarizes the main pros and cons of the different treatments.
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Is It Natural To Stop Your Menstrual Period
Theres not actually a biological reason to have a period.
Having a period is natural and can be an indicator of overall health. But stopping it shouldnt be seen as an unnatural thing to do.
Plus, if youre already taking hormonal birth control, its worth remembering that the period youre having is just withdrawal bleeding.
So, in effect, youre already stopping your menstrual period.
2014 research review found that it was safe to stop periods with birth control.
No study has found adverse effects of using an extended or continuous birth control schedule. In fact, some doctors say you can suppress your period for a long time if you want to.
However, there havent been any long-term studies on this. And Planned Parenthood adds that combination pills can come with a slightly increased risk of things like strokes, blood clots, and liver tumors.
Of course, it may also be more difficult to detect pregnancy if youre not having a period.
Types Of External Condoms
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Latex: The most common. Only water or silicone-based lubricants can be used with latex condoms .
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Plastic : May be useful for those with allergies and can be used with oil-based lubes .
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Lambskin: May be useful for those with latex allergies. They do not protect against STIs because of tiny pores that could allow viruses to pass through . You can use any type of lubrication with these condoms .
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Will Birth Control Make My Period Stop
if I get on birth control will i stop getting my period?
It depends on what kind of birth control you use and how you use it. In general, women who use the IUD, patch, pill, or ring will have menstrual periods every month. Women who take the shot may not have periods often or at all while they use the method. Some women use combined-hormone methods the pill and the vaginal ring to skip periods.
Combination pills, for example, usually come in 28-day packs and are taken without interruption. The first 21 pills in the pack are called active they contain hormones that prevent pregnancy. The last seven pills in the pack are called reminder pills. Theyre inactive placebos that do not contain hormones. Theyre taken during the fourth week to let a woman have her period and to help her keep the habit of taking a pill on a regular basis.
Some women choose to skip placebo pills and go right into the next pack to avoid having a period continuously or during certain events like their vacations, for example. They may still experience some spotting light bleeding when they do this.
Tags:birth control, menstruation, periods
Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of people worldwide. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. is a registered 501 nonprofit under EIN 13-1644147. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.
Where Can You Get The Birth Control Patch
No matter where you get the patch from, youll need a prescription to access it. A typical clinicians office or centers like Planned Parenthood can prescribe the patch.
You may also be able to get a prescription straight from a pharmacist or through online services. Many health insurance plans cover the cost of birth control, meaning it may be free or low cost.
If you dont have insurance and are on a lower income, organizations, such as Planned Parenthood and Title X family planning clinics, may be able to significantly reduce the cost. You might also qualify for free birth control under Medicaid.
Platforms that offer virtual consultations include:
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What If I Want To Get My Period Again
First, some important information: If you want to take birth control and suppress your period for years to come, thats totally OK.
Frankly, if someone never wanted a pregnancy and never wanted to have a period, they could safely suppress menses from puberty to menopause, Prager says.
If youre wondering how youd know youre entering menopause if youve been suppressing your period, well, there are other ways to tell, such as if you start getting hot flashes or night sweats or are at an age where menopause typically starts).
If, however, you want to have a baby or arent enjoying the side effects from taking birth control, you may decide to start getting your period again, which is also totally safe.
There isnt anything special you need to do to bring your period back other than to adjust or stop your birth control. If youre taking pills, this means starting to take the week of inactive pills again. If you have gotten a shot or an IUD, it means not getting another shot or getting your IUD removed by your doctor.
Its also important to recognize that, while your period may return exactly as it was before you stopped it, it may also change. You could get new symptoms or different period severity or duration than you had previously.
Prepare for it to be as unpleasant or more than it used to be. It might be totally different from how people remember it. Its important not to have expectations for what it will be, Prager says.
How Can Hormones Help
Painkillers like ibuprofen and diclofenac both of which are non-steroidal are often used for the relief of menstrual pain and cramps, and also for heavy periods. In addition to relieving the pain, they may also help to lower the amount of blood lost. Acetylsalicylic acid is not suitable for heavy periods because it has an anti-clotting effect so it can increase the amount of blood lost during menstruation.
The most common side effects of NSAIDs are stomach problems, nausea, vomiting, headaches and drowsiness. The women who took NSAIDs for heavy periods in studies didn’t experience many more side effects than women who took a placebo for comparison.
Another medication that can help in the treatment of heavy periods is tranexamic acid. It affects blood clotting and reduces the tendency to bleed. Studies have shown it to be more effective than NSAIDs. Tranexamic acid may cause headaches, tiredness and muscle cramps. But these side effects are not more common than with NSAIDs.
There is no good-quality research on whether herbal products can relieve heavy periods.
If excessive loss of blood is causing extreme tiredness, iron deficiency anemia is probably the reason. It is normally treated by taking iron tablets. Iron supplements may have side effects such as stomach ache and constipation, and can cause your stool to turn black.
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How Much Does It Cost
The cost of the shot depends on where you get it and if you have insurance.
At Planned Parenthood, you might pay up to $150 for the shot itself, and up to $250 if your clinician recommends an exam first. But thats if you dont have insurance.
Health insurance or Medicaid might completely cover the cost of the shot, so you could pay nothing at all.
Planned Parenthood also offers sliding scale fees. If you dont have insurance, you may be able to get lower cost birth control services, depending on your income.
If youre ordering the shot online to inject it yourself, youll pay $15 for a medical consult and $75 for each dose. Again, thats if you dont have insurance. Many insurance plans completely cover the cost of birth control.
What Are No Period Birth Control Pills
Combination birth control pills are often the most common way to stop periods.
Thats because the schedule you use to take them can result in fewer periods or no periods at all.
For example, you may continually take a pill containing estrogen and progestin every day until you decide not to.
Or you might take so-called active pills for a few months straight before having a break. During your break, you might take inactive pills that contain no hormones for a week.
Other forms of birth control can have no period effects but theres often less of a guarantee.
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Types Of Nonhormonal Birth Control
Your chances of getting pregnant in a given year vary widely depending on the birth control method, from less than 1 in 100 for copper T IUDs to more than 1 in 4 for spermicides.
Barrier methods
- What is it? A saucer-shaped silicone cup that you put into your vagina to block semen from entering your womb. You must be fitted for a diaphragm at first by your doctor.
- How well does it work? If you use the diaphragm correctly and add spermicide, you have a 6% chance of getting pregnant after a yearâs use. But the odds double if you donât always use it or donât use it exactly right, the way a typical person does.
- Pros and cons. You can carry your diaphragm and put it in just before you have sex. Itâs reusable for 12 months. If you decide you want to start a family, stop using it. A diaphragm wonât protect you from STDs. You have to leave it in for at least 8 hours after sex. You also may be more likely to get vaginal or urinary tract infections. Learn about the best ways to prevent a UTI.
Cervical cap
Sponge
Copper IUD
Spermicide
Vaginal gel
Male condom
Female condom
Surgical methods
Sterilization
Behavioral methods
Outercourse and the pull-out method
Natural family planning
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