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missroseroseCaution: Frank talk about girly bits ahead. I'm not putting this under a cut because I think it's ridiculous and frankly sexist that much of the population has been socialized to be squicked out by discussion of the perfectly normal biological functioning of bits that half the population owns. However, if you're a victim of such conditioning, or a lawmaker from Michigan, you may want to skip the following. (And if any of said MI lawmakers drop by and want to protest that they weren't being sexist, name me one instance of a dude making a flippant comment about his penis that got him barred from speaking in a debate relating to penile health. Just one. I'm waiting.)
I woke up this morning with a brief ache in my upper left arm, where my Implanon birth control implant sits. Nothing serious, but enough to make me palpate the area and make sure nothing was amiss. When I pressed it, however, and didn't feel the implant there, I realized that the ache was where the implant had been placed when I first got it nearly three years ago, and not where it's migrated to (further down the arm) since then. Definitely a relief that nothing was wrong, but perhaps also a psychosomatic indication of my increasing distrust of its stability.
For two and a half years it's been great, but the past six months or so have been mood-swing city (on and off rather than continual, fortunately, or else I probably would've got rid of it far earlier). I'm due for removal in October, although I'm probably going to go in sooner than that; mostly I'm just waiting for our insurance cards. And while I could get another implant if I wanted to, I don't think I'm going to go that route, especially since there's an IUD with the same hormonal aspects that only costs a little more and lasts for five years instead of three.
I'm feeling kind of ambivalent about hormones in general, though. Unlike many women I know, I've had a pretty positive relationship with hormonal birth control in the past. My periods tend to be on the heavier side with a goodly dose of cramping; not enough to be disabling or anything, but definitely in the "moderately miserable" category. However, since discovering that low-dose birth control pills reduced them to occasional spotting (when it didn't stop them altogether), I've been on one form or another of the stuff pretty much continually for nearly a decade. And this is the first time I've ever had mood swings like this, which leads me to believe it's probably a function of the implant nearing the end of its life cycle.
Thing is, it has been nearly a decade, and I'm not the same person physically that I was then. I'm probably pretty similar, but there have definitely been hormonal changes in the interim - multiple orgasms, anyone? So I'm a little hesitant to immediately jump on board with another hormonal birth control method; it seems like it would be better to give it a few months and see if I feel better or worse without the constant dosage of chemicals.
On the other hand, I really, really like the convenience of the implant - no pills to take or barriers to futz with, just set it and go. There's a nonhormonal IUD that I could try, but [a] it's expensive enough that I'd rather not get it unless I was planning to stick with it, and [b] it's been known to cause heavier bleeding and cramps in some women; not exactly a resounding recommendation. Sterilization's an option, but for women it's expensive enough that I'd ultimately rather go with an IUD, especially if I decide I still want the hormones. (Plus, while I've never had a bad reaction to anesthesia that I know of, something about it just freaks me out a bit.) So that leaves the usual suspects for the proposed interim - condoms, diaphragm, sponges, et al. I might look into a diaphragm; it sounds like a bit of a pain, but it's inexpensive enough to work as a temporary nonhormonal option, and I've never minded mucking about with my vagina. (See above re: multiple orgasms. :)
So now I'm opening the floor - is there another option I'm not considering? What's your history with birth control (from either sex's perspective)? I'm well aware that no one method is perfect for everyone, but I'm interested in hearing about other folks' experiences.
I woke up this morning with a brief ache in my upper left arm, where my Implanon birth control implant sits. Nothing serious, but enough to make me palpate the area and make sure nothing was amiss. When I pressed it, however, and didn't feel the implant there, I realized that the ache was where the implant had been placed when I first got it nearly three years ago, and not where it's migrated to (further down the arm) since then. Definitely a relief that nothing was wrong, but perhaps also a psychosomatic indication of my increasing distrust of its stability.
For two and a half years it's been great, but the past six months or so have been mood-swing city (on and off rather than continual, fortunately, or else I probably would've got rid of it far earlier). I'm due for removal in October, although I'm probably going to go in sooner than that; mostly I'm just waiting for our insurance cards. And while I could get another implant if I wanted to, I don't think I'm going to go that route, especially since there's an IUD with the same hormonal aspects that only costs a little more and lasts for five years instead of three.
I'm feeling kind of ambivalent about hormones in general, though. Unlike many women I know, I've had a pretty positive relationship with hormonal birth control in the past. My periods tend to be on the heavier side with a goodly dose of cramping; not enough to be disabling or anything, but definitely in the "moderately miserable" category. However, since discovering that low-dose birth control pills reduced them to occasional spotting (when it didn't stop them altogether), I've been on one form or another of the stuff pretty much continually for nearly a decade. And this is the first time I've ever had mood swings like this, which leads me to believe it's probably a function of the implant nearing the end of its life cycle.
Thing is, it has been nearly a decade, and I'm not the same person physically that I was then. I'm probably pretty similar, but there have definitely been hormonal changes in the interim - multiple orgasms, anyone? So I'm a little hesitant to immediately jump on board with another hormonal birth control method; it seems like it would be better to give it a few months and see if I feel better or worse without the constant dosage of chemicals.
On the other hand, I really, really like the convenience of the implant - no pills to take or barriers to futz with, just set it and go. There's a nonhormonal IUD that I could try, but [a] it's expensive enough that I'd rather not get it unless I was planning to stick with it, and [b] it's been known to cause heavier bleeding and cramps in some women; not exactly a resounding recommendation. Sterilization's an option, but for women it's expensive enough that I'd ultimately rather go with an IUD, especially if I decide I still want the hormones. (Plus, while I've never had a bad reaction to anesthesia that I know of, something about it just freaks me out a bit.) So that leaves the usual suspects for the proposed interim - condoms, diaphragm, sponges, et al. I might look into a diaphragm; it sounds like a bit of a pain, but it's inexpensive enough to work as a temporary nonhormonal option, and I've never minded mucking about with my vagina. (See above re: multiple orgasms. :)
So now I'm opening the floor - is there another option I'm not considering? What's your history with birth control (from either sex's perspective)? I'm well aware that no one method is perfect for everyone, but I'm interested in hearing about other folks' experiences.
