To wonder why the pill is still the most popular contraceptive?

[westernnurse]

With all the other methods out there now like the injection/implant/coils which are all far more reliable than the pill and don't require the user to remember to take a pill every day.

I'm a CASH nurse and it always amazes me how so many women flat out refuse to even try any of the alternative methods. One woman who had been on the pill for a few years but had to stop taking it due to health issues outright refused to try out any of the alternatives because they sounded "horrible" and decided to just stick to condoms.

I think there's a lot of myths and misconceptions surrounding these methods and people believe them and this puts people off.

Because it's about personal choices, because other methods don't always suit people. DD1 is having her implant removed, it affects her mood, her weight and unfortunately her narcolepsy. DD2 is on the pill because she's needle phobic.

I'm put off as:

Coil - 3 people I know have fallen pregnant with it

Implant - many I know have had constant bleeding for months on end

Injection - lasts years, so can't just decide to have another baby a year on.

Pill = convient. And can take packs back to back if needed

For Me it's the fact your fertility is pretty much right there where as both implant and injection took over a year to leave my system by which point I was starting to worry. Also I wouldnt have the coil heard too many bad things it getting lost people still falling pregnant heavy bleeding etc

Because the other methods can bugger up your periods and aren't as easily reversible.

I had the injection and gained three stone. I don't want to have bits of metal poked under my skin permanently or in my uterus the thought makes me I'll. Also when we decided to start ttc I iust stopped pill didn't have to get bits of things removed from my body. If someone is happy on the pill and has no health worries then that's up to them.

Surely it's better that women are using contraception, no matter what it is?

I'd be mighty put out if I went to get my pill and received a lecture the alternatives? I will assume the OP raises the issue in a non pushy way?

I am a grown woman and yet I am not keen on 'trying out' alternative contraception well I am 40w pregnant so it's been a moot point for a while

I know I am not great with hormonal contraception so I am loathe to have something hormonal placed in my body {so no mirena coil and no implant}. I am contemplating the copper coil after this baby butso far my research hasn't helped me 100% decide this is the way to go.

So it will be a combination of condoms and two kids that keeps me from getting pregnant again.

The thought of the implant makes me feel queasy and I would hate to have an Injection in my bottom every 3 months.

With the pill I am in complete control. I can stop whenever I wish and don't have to wait around for doctors to remove it/ until it runs out.

Because if you want to stop taking the pill, you can just stop taking. With the others you have to get a medical professional to agree to remove them, and from what I gather, that's not always easy. The injection takes ages to wear off , so if it disagrees with you, there's nothing you can do.

All hormonal contraceptives can have horrendous side effects, so I think many women prefer to have ultimate control of whether they want them in their body or not.

Because I could stop taking it whenever I wanted without the need for a medical appointment. So my fertility remains within my own control.

Sorry, terrible grammar!

I vaguely considered the implant one because of heavy periods. The potential side effects sounded horrendous but the killer for me was the obvious reluctance on the part of the Well Woman consultant to say it could be removed if it didn't suit.

The other methods aren't "far more" reliable than the pill; the pill is 99% effective and all the ones you mentioned are more than 99% effective, so there isn't that much in it.

Time and time again I am asked if I want the other methods. I always say no. It's not hard to remember to take a pill at the same tim everyday, and I know the pill works well with my body and is easily stopped.

I don't like injections, I would hate something under my skin and the coil, along with the other two, isn't easily reversed if something goes tits up.

So YABU. The pill is the right choice for me, just as it is for millions of others.

I stick to the pill as I can control it more. I had to try a few different brands of pill to find one that didn't give me horrendous mood swings and/or constant bleeding. With the injection you can't remove it if it gives awful side effects and with the coil and implant it's very difficult to get the gp to remove it before six months.

Given that one pill I was one made me bleed heavily for four weeks out of six which stopped me going too far from home and left me exhausted, and another gave me really bad mood swings which nearly cost me my marriage and sanity I'm in no rush to try something that can't be out of my system within a day or two.

Reversibility. I can't bear the idea of a foreign body being left inside me. Have had friends who have gained lots of weight on the depot.

Is that enough?

Also, the coil/implant/injection all require medical treatment (for want of a better word) to fit. If you don't like being poked and prodded around by your GP then it's far easier just to answer a few questions and get handed a prescription.

Pill is great for my PMT

Because the other options are so invasive! Many people dont want to have an injection or a 'procedure' to prevent pregnancy. Although the we use the withdrawal method as I can't tolerate hormonal contraception, we got lazy with condoms and the thought of having a coil fitted makes me want to sew up my fandango.

I think that yabu to wonder. It's an individual choice.

I don't want the coil because I do t want a metal or any other coil living inside my body. I don't want the implant for the same reason. The injection is too long term.

I found a pill which cleared my skin up, it made my hair look beautiful and I can stop taking it at any time I wish.

Because I can run packets of the pill together and have about 3 or 4 periods a year. I had the implant for almost 3 years, the last six months I was bleeding loads. If you could guarantee me no periods EVER I'd bite your arm off.

Although tbh*

I could get pregnant prior to having the contraceptive injection. After having it I couldn't and was subsequently diagnosed with PCOS and could no longer get pregnant. I blame it entirely on the contraceptive injection and have met several other people the same thing has happened to.

Aside from my own personal experiences with the injection/implant you are putting a massive dose of hormones into your body in one go and can't change your mind if circumstances change. It allows you more control about how long you take contraception for and you can stop taking it as soon as you decide you no longer want contraception.

I'm actually quite concerned that a CASH nurse has so little insight into the reason why women choose the contraception they do and so little respect for their decisions.

Lovethelifeyoulive - the failure rate of the minipill with perfect use is greater than one in one hundred - and with normal use it's at least double that, maybe more depending on your lifestyle/memory. The failure rate on the implant is less than one in one thousand. That's more than twenty times as many women will have an unwanted pregnancy with all that goes with it if they take the mini-pill rather than having an implant. I'd say that counts as "far more" reliable.

I went on microgynon 30 due to debilitating period pains and fainting, 15 years ago. Repeatedly I have been given POP to try to get me on a hormone coil or implant and have constant bleeding and acne all over my body. The non hormonal cool (I have been told) could exacerbate my pain.

I use the pill as it is, as far as I have been told, the only contraception that fits my needs. If you know otherwise please feel free to suggest something.

Doling story short - because it's best for them probably.