Regretting an abortion

[Portia]

Don't the hormonal versions of birth control decrease your libido and possibly cause weight gain and moodiness? I know there's a lower-hormone IUD, but even then, I would be hesitant.

[Imogen]

Don't the hormonal versions of birth control decrease your libido and possibly cause weight gain and moodiness? I know there's a lower-hormone IUD, but even then, I would be hesitant.

This has never been my experience on any type of hormonal birth control, but the Mirena IUD did cause me to have WICKED cramps during the time my period would have normally shown up. I put up with it because it was only $20 (yay good health insurance!), but they became so awful that I finally just had it removed and went back on the pill.

[TheBlackSheep]

My antidepressants have caused WAY more side effects than my birth control pills (not the lower hormone kind). I've been on them for years without side effects related to weight, sex drive, or mood (and everything impacts my mood). Other women's mileage definitely varies but I haven't had any troubles other than more intense cramps than I had before I was on the pill.

[TheBlackSheep]

Not that I am, or anyone with depression is, a basketcase. I just mean if you look the wrong way at, say, my vitamin D levels I'm going to be in a world of hurt.

[Zedability]

I can't tell if it's the birth control or the depression that made me gain 20 pounds but I do know the birth control didn't really affect my libido.

It did change my bra size to an even more difficult to find size so there's that.

[Emiliana]

Don't the hormonal versions of birth control decrease your libido and possibly cause weight gain and moodiness? I know there's a lower-hormone IUD, but even then, I would be hesitant.

There's a type of IUD that has no hormones at all, and the Mirena has only a small amount compared to the pill.

But yeah, it's hard to generalize about side effects with either one. For me, the pill did cause me to gain weight. I didn't notice any mood-related side effects, except for the positive effect of less worry about pregnancy compared to condoms. My periods were also lighter, more predictable, and less painful. But, as previously mentioned, within a couple of months they started triggering PMS migraines, which then became more and more frequent during the 2 1/2 years I was on the pill.

With the Mirena, I quit having migraines almost right away. Then I lost a few pounds. Then I quit having periods. Seriously, best decision EVER.

[Portia]

I think I'm happy sticking with condoms for now, but thanks for the advice, everyone!

If/when we actually start cohabitating full-time and/or get married, I'll see what our insurance will cover. I've been slapped with some unhappy bills lately, but the three-year low-hormone one might be worth a shot if I keep going to the gym.

[NerdGirl]

Modern IUDs actually don't increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Some older IUDs did because of how were they designed, but those aren't used anymore. Having multiple partners with an IUD is no more risky than having multiple partners without one. There's possibly a slight risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease if you have an active infection when the IUD is inserted (depending on which papers you read), but this is why people are screen for chlamydia and gonorrhea and treated before having the IUD inserted. But that risk goes away a couple of weeks (at most) after the IUD is in - and this is why you aren't supposed to have sex or insert anything vaginally for the first two weeks. And most of the side effects of hormonal contraception come from estrogen, and hormonal IUDs only contain progesterone, not estrogen, so they generally have way fewer side effects than the pill and they also don't have the increased risk of blood clots that the pill has (which is a small risk anyway, and your risk of getting a blood clot while pregnant is much higher).

https://www.arhp.org/Publications-and-R ... /IUC-Myths

Also, unrelated to that, the majority of women in the US who have abortions (61%) already have children.

https://www.guttmacher.org/media/pressk ... facts.html

[NerdGirl]

Also re: IUDs - I've never been pregnant or had sex, and I had an IUD put in last year to help control my periods. Best thing I ever did. I was on birth control pills for years to control my periods (I have really heavy, frequent periods that make me anemic) and all the pill did was cause a lot of spotting and give me headaches and awful mood issues. With my IUD I get about 3 days of very light spotting once a month instead of periods that lasted for weeks with cramps that made me throw up and miss work. And no side effects at all. And it was very easy to have it put in even though I've never had a baby. Best thing I ever did to take charge of my health.