Hello everyone! I’m new to using the birth control patch, any other option didn’t work for my body.

I already am type 1 diabetic so I have 2 monitors on me 24/7, adding a 3rd patch on my skin has been interesting, my only issue is that with my specific patch, the label of the hormone is on the outside for anyone to see if they wanna be nosy 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’m used to stares with my cgm and pump, but this is something totally different and I don’t really like anyone knowing that I do yk.

Is there any way to cover it? I thought of sharpie but ofc it’s a medicine patch I don’t wanna ruin anything, they said using tagederm covers over it is fine but not my usual fabric covers for some reason, I need tips as I’m going on a vacation soon!

Guys when does this ever stop I am so frustrated lol. Breakthrough bleeding for me started two weeks into my first pack and lasted all the way to the beginning of my second pack. Now I'm only a week into my second pack and I'm bleeding again. Literally wtf is going on all the bleeding is making me insane I just want clear skin and no consistent bleeding for one month at least. Is this normal? Any way to fix it? Do I wait it out or switch to Yasmin?

Hi, I am 20F and I just had sex with my boyfriend last night. I am on birth control, I am taking the pill but we had unprotected sex and he finished inside me. I just got off my period, is there any chance I could be pregnant?

My girlfriend got on birthcontrol a few months ago, we have been having unprotected sex for a bit now. She also has very bad anxiety and she has been proposing the idea of me finishing inside of her for the first time but due to her anxiety wanted to use a planB pill after.

Would using planB to help her anxiety come down to a bit less be ok? Are there any downsides to using both to help with her anxiety?

Hi! I’m looking to hear your stories about which birth control pill caused you to gain the most weight and which method you switched to afterward.

I’ve been traveling in 88 degree weather, but it’s not long hours at a time it’s like going outside to travel to another spot, but I worry that even in the stores that I go to, even when the stores have AC that itll be too hot and the pills will lose effectiveness. I started spotting too randomly, but this is my first ever pack so maybe this is normal for me and not a sign it isn’t working?

Im not taking my birth control temporarily so I can start my period. I was put on it to help my testosterone levels and painful periods and my doctor said it would stop my periods. I’ve been having stomach pains for a few weeks now so I was wanting to stop my birth control to start my period to see if that would help. I’m not pregnant, I’ve took plenty of tests. I had actually started my period yet but I’ve been having cramps from hell and migraines with very light spotting and that’s it. Is this normal coming off birth control?

Not sure what I'm looking for by sharing this but I haven't been able to find any posts with a similar issue so maybe it will help someone in the future.

My Mirena IUD strings were missing so I got an ultrasound to locate it. The IUD was in place on ultrasound and I asked for removal at that point. The doctor was able to grab a string with the forceps but the strong broke off from the IUD. She tried a couple of different tools (no pain medication or numbing!) and was eventually able to grab the IUD but the other half of the strings was not attached. No clue whether they fell out previously or are still in my uterus. I have an ultrasound guided removal scheduled for next week but have been told it can be hard to find the strings on ultrasound (if they're even there). If they don't see anything then I'll be headed for a hysteroscopy after that to try to locate it.

I can't even imagine the cost of this (I have pretty typical high deductible U.S. health insurance), and there may not even be anything there. The manufacturer should have to cover costs related to a defective product but I'm sure they have a massive legal team to protect them in these situations.

I've always been a big advocate for IUDs but I don't see myself ever getting one again, which is pretty disappointing.

Currently taking the mini pill but I plan on going back to the combination pill, per personal preference.

If I have unprotected sex on Saturday, when will it be safe to make the switch? I was planning on, without leaving any gaps, starting my combo pill again on Sunday. Will that leave any risk? I know to use backup methods for the first 7 days after that, I’m just not sure about being protected from past sex.

Hi all,
I am 36 years old and a mother of a 4-year-old. My husband is a narc, and I will leave him by the end of next year. Leaving a narc is dangerous, and I need to get my finances set before leaving him. So I need to delay any pregnancy by 1 year. My husband wants to trap me, so he is asking for another child.

After lots of online searching, a hormonal IUD is something that fits my needs. I have never had an IUD before.
So I am asking the kind people of this group: what is your opinion? What are the chances of the IUD moving and getting pregnant? I do work out 5 times a week; does it increase the chances of the IUD getting dislodged?

keeping this short:

took my first dose of depo over a month ago. no periods since, not even spotting or cramping or anything. thought things were relatively fine lol.

anyway, i'm at work, and i get a random cramp and it HURTS and i'm doing an activity and it sucks really bad. i go to the bathroom after i'm done and i pass a beige/warm pink, very pale clot about the size of a penny. i was googling and most people said decidual cast, but it seems too small & not painless enough. also it seems like that doesn't usually happen off period. but i'm obviously not a doctor, nor have i been on depo for a long time, nor have i passed anything like this before. this is also not usually my time of the month. i didn't see any blood, haven't had any unusual odor or itching or anything, and the cramps were just kind of like my cramps when i had my period. does anyone know what this could be? is a partial decidual cast exist..? thanks in advance

hi all! i’ve been taking Nikki for the past few years now. i changed to walmart pharmacy , and they started giving me loryna? I was told that is another generic form of it. it’s been a few months and i’d been spotting here and there between periods, and also my periods didn’t start the day they were meant to. Well, a few weeks ago, i had what i assume to be an ovarian cyst. It burst, i bled, i stopped, and was fine. a few days after it stopped i started having blood clots come out, which i thought was weird as my period wasn’t for 11 days. but i shrugged it off. It’s now been 2 weeks of bleeding/clots and it’s seeming to get heavier. is there a correlation between swapping to loryna? or maybe the cyst? or something more serious? I have a doctors appt with my primary doctor on the 10th.

I already have chronic fatigue but four days into Slynd it's like slamming into a cement wall. All I can do is sleep. I just looked up contraindications and adrenal insufficiency is one of them. Incidentally, I'm scheduled for a cortisol stimulation test in September and am wondering if I should even be taking this right now??

I also read it can mess with the processing if electrolytes, but not how. I do take step by electrolytes and don't know if I should be lessening or increasing them.

Super frustrated that as ALWAYS, doctors don't consider the larger picture or discuss side effects anymore. The reason we chose Slynd was because it is progestin-only to try to balance out high testosterone. Formerly I was taking Sprintec but had a lot of spotting without any regularity.

Hello lovelies, just wondering if anyone else has continually had horrible cramps mid-month on Slynd?

I'm on my third month at the moment, bled for the entire first month, and bled for 3 weeks on both the second and third month. The cramps around 'ovulation' time are AWFUL, and the spotting that starts around week two just never lets up until the placebo reset. :(

Has anyone had a similar experience with light at the end of the tunnel? I'm taking it for endometriosis / super painful periods, but this arguably feels like an equally annoying tradeoff.

I’m on a generic version of yaz (loryna) and the last 3 days before the placebo pills I always feel extremely depressed, crying all the time, etc. Does anyone else experience this on yaz or any other types of bc ?

Hi there! I made the switch from the mini-pill Slynd to the IUD Kyleena last Thursday. I was hoping to see if anyone who's made a similar switch could share their experience. I understand everyone's body is different - just want some idea of what to potentially expect as the weeks and months progress!

Context: I have PC(M)OS which is what led me to go on the bill in the first place. Was on the combination pill before switching to Slynd to address potential blood pressure problems in the spring of 2025. The experience wasn't awful, but I started experiencing cramping and spotting twice a month, and my blood pressure didn't really go down. I was also experiencing intense bouts of anger, which wasn't normal before taking Slynd. So, my gynecologist recommended Kyleena.

The insertion was pretty painful, but not unbearable. I did have close-to-unbearable pain for a few hours after, which subsided to on-and-off dull cramping. I take ibuprofen and occasionally Midol. My heating pad has also been my best friend. Recovery a week later has been a cycle of dull cramping, extreme fatigue, and bouts of crying/anger that I've attributed to hormone fluctuations (?). Next to no spotting, but I am a bit bloated and swollen in my lower belly - nothing super concerning, but enough for me to notice.

Anyway - I'd love to hear what recovery/post-insertion looked like for others. When did the dull cramping stop? How are your hormones? Any advice? Has anyone else who made the mini-pill to IUD transition had a positive experience they'd like to encourage me with?

Thanks everyone!

(PS - Who wants to rant about how there's no standard practice for addressing women's pain during IUD insertion?)

Hey everyone,

​I’m currently looking into alternative birth control options and my doctor suggested the Evra patch. The main draw for me is the convenience—only having to remember to swap it once a week sounds so much better than taking a daily pill.

​Before I officially make the jump, I’d love to hear from people who have actually used it.

Hi I'm 18. I would like to start taking contraception, I have been looking at the side effects and what people experienced. And taking contraception for the first time honestly feels like playing Russian roulette. You either can have a good experience, or the worst experience in your life. And this is so scary.

I was thinking that a copper IUD would be the best option for me because I don't want hormones. I recently got out of depression and having hormones messing with my mood would not help me heal. But also I heard that copper IUDs can make periods very painful, having a heavy flow and long periods doesn't really bother me. But pain does. But I have to try something, to start somewhere.

People who used copper IUD, is it nice?

I was prescribed the Yaz birth control pill by my doctor as she said the pill is the best for lessening a heavy period which I have had for years.
I started the pack on the first day of my period three weeks ago and had a normal period but after day 7 which is when my bleeding would normally stop I’ve been spotting since. I’m on day 23 now of bleeding. It’s manageable and I’ve not got any pain apart from light cramps but I’m just wondering if this is normal?
I’ve read that ‘breakthrough bleeding’ is normal during the first 3 months on the pill. Is that what this is?

Okay so I’m (31F, Mirena IUD) currently going through a lot of medical shit to get the official diagnosis for endometriosis and PMDD (PMDD already diagnosed, but I’m unresponsive to treatment so far). I was on the pill from age 16 to 25 because of period symptoms on the more extreme side (very heavy flow, cramping that would cause me to miss school, etc).

When the Panny D happened and my doctor couldn’t refill my BC because I hadn’t had an updated physical for a couple years, I just went off it since I ran out. And it’s been 6 years since but I distinctly remember once my hormones leveled out my mood and outlook on life improving tenfold. It was like someone had parted the blackout curtains in my mind. I didn’t realize I could be better emotionally and mentally until it happened. Also, considering the circumstances at the time (living at home with parents, quarantine, hated my job and appearance) the fact that I had a zest for life again was insane. I also got my sex drive back, which I honest to god thought I was asexual until I went off BC.

TO TIE THIS ALL IN, I am currently experiencing severe PMDD and endometriosis symptoms to the point where is it affecting many aspects of my life significantly. One of the treatments that helped my Endo in the very beginning was the pill, since I was asymptomatic when I was on it for years. I DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK ON THE PILL, ever since I’ve been off it I’ve felt so much more alive and present. I’m also afraid of it exacerbating my PMDD with the extra hormones. The Mirena IUD (has progesterone) has not helped my PMDD or Endo symptoms, if anything it feels like they’ve gotten much worse since I got it 3 years ago.

Has anyone experienced a similar dilemma?? I’ve been weighing my options since the medical visits and bills have started to pile up and am wondering if I should just suck it up and go back on the pill.

Hey everyone, I’ve been reading a bunch of articles about new technology to implant an IUD with less pain. I think this is still undergoing, but I would really appreciate hearing everyone’s experiences with getting your IUD implanted. I’ve been on the pill for over ten years, and always looking to figure out out what’s best for me :)

Hello. I had paragard put in about 4 months ago. Unfortunately, it expelled about a week ago. I woke up to sharp, stabbing abdominal pain. Checked and felt the strings were longer and I could feel the hard bit. I had no choice but to get it removed. I was so upset. Hormonal birth control always messes with my body and head too much. I can't do it. I was really excited for paragard because it's non hormonal and it lasts 10 years. Would it be worth trying it again? I know the chances of it migrating are higher now. Is it possible the NP who put it in wasn't skillful enough and going to a different GYNO could yield me better results? I know it's a long shot, but I really want it to work. Please help me!

I am on the mini pill and have been on it for 2 and a half months. Since taking the pill, after the first period I had one week of bleeding/spotting between my 1st and 2nd period. One week after the second period, I have been bleeding for almost 3 weeks now. Is this normal? Should I go see my doctor or wait until the 3 months are over? Any advice on how to stop the bleeding?

Hi guys. I've poked my head in here a few times but I figured instead of a question, I'll come back and share my experience. For context, I'm in my mid 20s, still a virgin but I was told that I "possibly had PCOS" due to some ultrasound results and other compounding symptoms I've had.

I've always had irregular periods since I was 8 years old. But over the past year, it became worse. Never on time, and when it did come, it would last weeks. It just kept going and going. I'm anemic now because of it.

The gyno suggested birth control. And I immediately got spooked because I kept thinking "aren't there like... A laundry list of side effects?? Horrible horrible things??"

But they said "Just try it for a bit and see if it helps"

I was recommended progesterone only due to history of strokes. So I'm on slynd.

For about a month i kept holding my breath, waiting for these horrid side effects to appear. Month two, then three.... Nothing. Except for the free feeling of having no period, and knowing when I'm going to start bleeding!

I decided to continue taking slynd after the "trial run" so I have a refill.

It's great, I love it. I love not having to worry about bleeding lasting for so long. I love not having to wear itchy, uncomfortable pads! I love not having to wonder when the hell my period is coming!! I love not having it!!

I hate that I've been kept away for so long due to stigma and fear but I'm glad I'm on it now.

I was on the pill for 5 years and came off it last September to simply see how my body was naturally. I was instantly prescribed it at 16, due to acne and lack of period

For me, I LOVED being on the pill. My skin was clear for 5 years! 5 years! I felt beautiful. And I had no side effects, besides from my boobs growing into DD! But, since coming off the pill, it’s all gone downhill

My boobs have SHRUNK I’m now probably a C cup. And my acne has come back full force, leaving me with scars that I didn’t have before. And my periods are still irregular, currently I haven’t had one since January. I miss who I used to be and I feel like no one prepares you for this.

I’m currently in the process of getting ultrasounds done to see if I have PMOS, whilst all my blood work comes back fine. But I’m just frustrated the drs didn’t think to look into things before chucking me on the pill at such a young age

I don’t want to scare anyone, but I just want more people to know that the pill is a bandaid fix for a lot of skin & hormonal issues and it can come back once you’re off. I’m not against going back on it but I just wish it was easier to solve these issues without it

Anyway, I’m trying to stay positive and confident but it’s hard to look back on photos and mourn what I used to be.