It's not for everyone
Written: Jan 18 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: long term health benefits from the pill
Cons: side effects for me were horrible but everyone is different
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| darkgoddess997's Full Review: Birth Control |
Trying to be a responsible young woman I decided that birth control was the right choice for me. I felt that I had too much going for me at the time and I couldn't afford a pregnancy at such an early age because I wasn't financially or emotionally ready for it. So I decided to go on Alesse which is a commonly used pill. I did my research online and from magazines to find what I thought would be the best choice for me. Being a smoker, I wanted something that was a lose dose pill. Alesse is 20 mcg of estrogen and 100 mcg of progestin. The lower dose of estrogen would protect me against having too many annoying side effects...or so the doctor said.
Before I get into what happened to me I just wanted to make a few statements. Just because the pill is out there doesn't mean it is always the woman's "complete" responsibility to provide birth control. If the man doesn't want to wear a condom (which are about 90% effective) then it shouldn't have to be up to the women to take the pill if she doesn't want to. It's her body and I have heard too many couples argue over the years on this one issue. I mean, this is something the man puts on himself obviously, but the pill has synthetic hormones that are put into the woman's body and depending on the person and the dose can cause dramatic changes in her. Things like this are supposed to be equal and couples need to listen to each other on how they feel, not fight.
Pills are claimed to be 99% effective in preventing pregnancy by not allowing an egg to be released but this is only "effective" when used correctly each and every day at the same time and when pills are not skipped. If you miss a pill you better make sure you use a backup method for birth control.
As far as my experience goes...it wasn't a positive one and has completely turned me off to the pill forever. The most traumatizing aspect of this for me was that I went from a size three to a size nine within two months. I had worked very hard to get into shape and the pill destroyed that. Migraines migraines migraines! A week before that time of the month I would get brutal migraines so bad I couldn't walk, eat, or sleep. That happened because my body was off hormones for seven days. (Mircette is also a low dose pill and women prone to migraines from the pill have used this to help with that b/c Mircette only has two days off hormones) It completely took away my life for a few days. The pill is claimed to help reduce cramps. It had the opposite affect for me. They used to be bad for me, that was one of the reasons I chose the pill, and I couldn't do anything when they attacked me.
My moods consisted of having "PMS" twenty four hours, seven days a week. One minute I would be happy as can be, the next minute I'd want to start shooting. I became very anxious and paranoid about every little thing in life. A small amount of stress, such as I would have a lot to do the next day, would turn into an earthshattering event. I was very bloated all the time and felt very very unnatural.
There are supposed health benefits to the pill. You are supposed to get your period around the same time every month with a lighter flow. You are "supposed" to have less cramps. There are lower risks for certain reproductive diseases and may help preserve a woman's fertility past the age of thirty and build stronger bones. And there are more.
Now, my experience with the pill doesn't necessarily reflect that all women will react the same. Some do, some don't. It all depends on the person. I didn't write this to scare any women or deter them from using this choice of contraception. I am merely writing to you my experience as a guide for women so they know what could "possibly" but not "definitely" happen.
One last piece of advice...always always always do your research. Don't always trust what your doctor says (that is the mistake I made). Your doctor may tell you that a certain type of pill won't affect you but he/she won't be able to tell exactly. And if one doesn't work for you then there are plenty out there to try, low does estrogen, progestin only mini pills, and normal dose estrogen/progestin. If you smoke please be careful...it's not recommended on the pill, especially high dose pills. Take your time picking out a pill that you feel is right for you. Always remember to take it the same time every day. An easy way for me was to take it right after my lunch and I would have my beeper set on alarm.
Don't forget to read up on the side effects before taking any pill. Doing all of this will keep you aware of anything that could happen so you're not caught off guard.
For all you women that took responsibility for this issue and protected yourself more power to you!!! Last but not least...be safe.
I hope this helped...please review my opinion if you'd like...I really want to know what you guys think. If I was of any help lemme know! : )
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
darkgoddess997
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Location: somewhere in jersey
Reviews written: 84
Trusted by: 99 members
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