Contraception

[PAdreamer]

OKAY! This is probably a stupid question, but what the heck! Alright, I am moving in two weeks to be with my fiance. I no longer have a health plan, which means for the time being I will not be able to get prescription birth control. He is allergic to latex, and I hate condoms anyway, so if I can avoid non-latex condoms, that would be preferable. I was thinking of something like spermacide or something else along those lines. The problem there is that we are really into oral sex, and I don't think it would be great for him to get a mouthful of spermacide. But I've never used it so I really know nothing about it.

 

SO! The question is this: does anyone know of anything we can use that isn't a condom, latex, or harmful during oral sex?

[moonunit]

Go to your local Planned Parenthood - they can provide to you birth control for free if your income falls below the required amount...somewhere around 12k.... ;-) OR for a very very very small fee.

 

OH YEAH...get health insurance!!! blue cross has really really really cheap insurance. it's just incase you know? just incase there's an accident, you get hurt, medical/dental. you can get their insurance for maybe 40 bucks a month. (but like i said above, PP can take care of all your female issues so that's a good place to start)

[PAdreamer]

Ahhh! I always forget about them! Thanks!

[RayKay]

Besides Planned Parenthood, there are other women's clinics too whom can provide low cost birth control. The clinic I used to go too when I first started on the pill had a minimum charge per pack of pills of $3, which is even $6 below cost...though whatever you could pay was acceptable be it less or more to help fund them.

 

The only thing is you MAY have to change your brand if they don't carry it as some brands are more expensive then others or they have arrangements with some drug makers.

[SimoneTiger]

Hmm, the fact that you won't have health insurance might be a problem, but here is something you might want to look into:

 

The Intrauterine Device, otherwise known as IUD.

 

Pros:

1) As effective as sterilization: no more home pregnancy tests, ever!

2) Hormone-free: no more worries about random mood-swings, effects on your sex-drive, etc.

3) No need to worry about birth control again for up to 10 years.

4) Lower risk of side effects than hormonal birth control; generally safer since no foreign hormones are introduced to your body. If you have noticed that your pills affect you in any way, this might be the birth control for you.

5) Immediately & easily reversible with a 10 min doctor's visit at any point.

6) 100% hassle-free: no need to worry about whether you remembered to take your pill, breaking condoms, etc, and you won't even know it's there. Woohoo, welcome spontaneous love life...

 

Cons:

1) Occasional spotting the first three-four weeks (that's been my only side effect so far, and I've had it for a while).

2) Expensive without insurance. The IUD is $400, but there is a payment plan available, and on the long run (even after an year!) it's much much cheaper than pills... Through my insurance, I paid only $30.

3) You need to find a reputable gynecologist. Complications (the most common one is pelvic inflammatory disease in the first month after insertion of the IUD) can be safely and easily prevented in the first place.

4) You have to be absolutely sure that you will be in a monogamous relationship (is that a Con?): STDs can have much more serious implications when you have an IUD, but that shouldn't be a problem since you are engaged.

5) If you have an irregular period, the IUD won't help with that

 

Feel free to ask me any questions... I'm a third-generation IUD advocate in my family.

 

link removed

[Mun]

Once you go to PP or the womans clinic you might want to ask about the link removed. My friend keeps insisting that it's a great option because you insert it once a month and then remove it to get your period.