Should I Use the Patch Or the Pill? Posted: 03-12-07 00:22am
I became just became sexually active this
month, so i went to get the Pill and the
patch. I actually have both, and i'm in a
dilemna. I seriously feel guilt, I think
it is a morality problem that I am
experiencing. I feel like I should be
using these things before marriage.
Though, of course -_-' it's too late. I
know I SHOULD go on birth control, but now
I"m kind of lost. I wanted to use the
patch tonight (since it is Sunday and I
finished my period just friday). However,
I'm reading so many negative side effects
of the Patch that I'm jut considering
using the Pill tonight.
However, my boyfriend has my pills at his
apartment, which i have no access to until
tomorrow. Is it possible to skip the
"first sunday" pill and take the monday
pill?? and just start from there?
Do you advise me to use the patch? or
should i use the pill?
THe reason why i wanted the patch is
because i live in a very strict household,
i am a college student, i live with my
brother, so i thought that it would be
difficult to take the pill cuase he's
always around and we live in a studio.
but after reading all the side effects of
th patch....it just scares me to use it.
Can someone please give me advice.
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Llewellyn
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 1743 Location: NY
Posted: 03-12-07 00:55am
The pill has negative side effects too.
All hormonal methods of birth control do.
The side effects for the pill and the
patch are pretty similar though. You
could sit down with your ob-gyn, talk
about the side effects, and see which one
is better for you. Although serious side
effects are rare, your doctor may suggest
one over the other depending on if you
have any health issues or if anything runs
in your family. Only you and your doctor
can decide for sure what is right for you.
Many women like the pill, many like the
patch. We can't make that decision for
you since we don't know you well enough.
There are certainly pros and cons to both
the pill and the patch.
It will depend on a lot of things other
than side effects and possible health
issues too. Your doctor would also be
able to help with you that part as well.
For example, sometimes other medications
can interfere with the pill and make it
less effective. Also, you would have to
make sure that you can take the pill every
day, if you do decide to go with it, and
at roughly the same time every day. So
there are a few points to consider.
Don't forget to use something in the
meantime. Condoms and spermicide are
cheap and easy enough to get and would not
interfere with your cycle in any way.
You could make a checklist like this:
-Do I know the side effects of both?
-Did my doctor say that both are safe for
me?
-Am I on any other medications that could
interfere with either one?
-Do I tend to forget things?
-Do I have enough privacy to wear a patch,
change it as needed, or take the pill as
needed?
If you are young, do not smoke, and do not
have a history of blood clots or strokes,
then there is a good chance (never a
certainty) that you will do all right with
the patch. You could always just go on it
for a year, or two, or however long it
takes for you to get more privacy if you
think the patch would be a lot more
convenient for you at the moment.
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forever16
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 76
Posted: 03-12-07 03:02am
I just started becoming sexually active
and I knew that I was going to need some
sort of contraception and basically went
though the same thing as you. I was ready
to go on the pill then I hit a dry spell
and didn't see the point of taking the
pill when I didnt need to. Eventually, I
did... I know the risks and side effects
and basically I'm just monitering them.
I'm getting checked before the end of my
third month (the doctor gave me three
months worth of birth control pills).
I am also in a similar situation as you,
living arrangement wise. I live with my
parents and my older sister and none of
them know that I am sexually active nor do
they kow that I am seeing a guy. Since I
was given three packs I had to hide them.
They are currently underneath my mattress
(I know.. not the best hiding place but
its working so far). The one that I'm
using right now.. I take it with me
EVERYWHERE. So if I'm at home.. I'll leave
it in my backpack or wallet then when its
time for me to take them I'll take it out
and keep itin my pocket or just pretend
that I'm taking a mint/tic tac or
something.
But in the end, its your choice. I'm going
by what I want.. which is sex and what I
don't want at the moment... which is a
child. Sounds horrible but what can you do
right?
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Ti89
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 21
Thanks Forever16 Posted: 03-12-07 10:01am
thanks, i think it really hits me when
someone else is giong thorugh the exact
same situation. seriously, i have that
feeling that i dont need to go on the pill
cause my bf and i woudl always use a
condom. but at the same time, i just
freaks me out each time when we have sex,
that i might get pregnant.
At the same time, i realized that my
phobia of doing all this is that, i feel
like i betrayed myself. I actually told
myself that i'll save my first for the guy
ill be with forever. I really thought
that the guy i'm seeing now is the person
i'll eventually marry. however, he's
going to leave this year in the fall to
attend med school. And i'm pretty sure
that he would find someone else within
these 4 years. i wish i could have kept
to my promise that i'll save myself for
someone i'll be wth forever, i'm
disappointed that i wasn't able to do
that...despite how much i love my bf.
okay that was just emotional
gibberish....srry.
but yeah i started the pill last night.
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Llewellyn
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 1743 Location: NY
Posted: 03-12-07 12:01pm
Marriage does not mean forever. Keep that
in mind. Over half of all couples in the
US end up getting divorced. When you
think about it, what is marriage anyway?
To me it is nothing but a piece of paper.
Marriage works for some people, and that's
great. I am not saying there is anything
wrong with marriage. The way that I see
it though, you can have a relationship
that lasts your whole life, that is
loving, and that is fully committed
without having that piece of paper. I
suggest that people live their life based
on their feelings rather than on papers.
If you love him and feel ready to show it
physically, so be it. Once again, I am
not saying that no one should get married.
I am just saying that I feel too many
people use that as a way to define their
relationship, when in reality, if you get
married, your relationship should be
defined before that. It should be strong
enough to stand on its own.
So what if you two don't last forever?
That's ok. That will not mean that you
made a mistake, or that you didn't love
him, or that you wasted your time.
Sometimes even good relationships don't
last forever, and that's ok. You can
love more than one person in your
lifetime.
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forever16
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 76
Re: Thanks Forever16 Posted: 03-12-07 18:15pm
Ti89
wrote:
thanks, i think it really
hits me when someone else is giong thorugh
the exact same situation. seriously, i
have that feeling that i dont need to go
on the pill cause my bf and i woudl always
use a condom. but at the same time, i
just freaks me out each time when we have
sex, that i might get pregnant.
At the same time, i realized that my
phobia of doing all this is that, i feel
like i betrayed myself. I actually told
myself that i'll save my first for the guy
ill be with forever. I really thought
that the guy i'm seeing now is the person
i'll eventually marry. however, he's
going to leave this year in the fall to
attend med school. And i'm pretty sure
that he would find someone else within
these 4 years. i wish i could have kept
to my promise that i'll save myself for
someone i'll be wth forever, i'm
disappointed that i wasn't able to do
that...despite how much i love my bf.
okay that was just emotional
gibberish....srry.
but yeah i started the pill last
night.
I've never been the one to say that I'd
save myself for marriage or for that
person that I'll be with forever. So I
don't really know what to say to that but
you have to stop blaming and being
disappointed in yourself. Things happen
and change and like what Llewellyn said
nothing really stays... forever. Just take
this as a life experience and if you and
your current boyfriend do break up you can
choose not have sex anymore if that will
somewhat make you feel better?
