Birth Control: Making It All About You

To pill or not to pill?

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Let’s get one thing straight right from the off:
there is no right birth control. 
Life would be easier if there was. Want birth control, for contraceptive reasons or to control your period? Here you go: here’s the perfect prescription for the perfect pill that’s going to help you cope. It’ll work instantly and your life is now fixed. Congratulations! 

That’s the dream. 

The reality is… well, it’s not straying into full blown “nightmare” territory, but it’s close. When it comes to finding a form of birth control that suits you, the one thing you have to prioritize in that is the word: you.

People We Know Can
Influence Our Choice Of Birth Control

It shouldn’t happen, but it does - we find ourselves having our opinion swayed on the people around us.

This isn’t necessarily from a pushy boyfriend, either. Forms of bad influence come in all kinds of people in our lives, including - but certainly not limited to - the following:

• Your friends. If your friends have found a birth control method that works for them, then they will likely enthuse about it. The same goes if they found a method that didn’t work for them; you could easily find yourself being put off by scare stories. These are not necessarily hard pitches for or against a certain method, but they will - even just subconsciously - influence your thinking.
• Your doctor. As with friends, a doctor can easily be convinced that there are some methods that are better than others. This tends to come through experience with their patients. This isn’t something to be dismissed, but bear in mind your doctor will have seen a relatively small sample size when it comes to the general populace - their experience might not measure up to what works for you.
• Yourself. If you decide beforehand you think one method is preferable or more convenient than the others, then you may not consider other factors in the decision.

It May Take Time To Find What Works For You

If you find yourself swayed into a decision on your family planning choices and you don’t get along with your choice, then it’s natural to wonder how long you have to give it. It’s not a good idea to go switching between methods if you decide one isn’t working for you, at least not instantly. You need to give your body time to adjust rather than expecting an instant match. It's always good to speak to your gynecologist about this. It's essential to build some communication with your doctor. It helps the situation. 

Depending on the severity of your side effects, anything between one to three months is an effective trial over whether you’re getting on with a certain choice or not. If 

the answer is not, then don’t be shy about telling your doctor you want to change. This might be awkward if they advocated strongly for that method, but you’re in control, and you have every right to say something isn’t working for you. Being this upfront can be sometimes tricky - especially for teenagers and women who otherwise avoid confrontation - but it is essential. 

At the end of the day, no one knows your body, its needs, or the choices you make better than you. Don’t be afraid to speak up; you have the right to ask for you need. 

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by Iconic Chica Contributors