Contraception for my teenage daughter

[GT1901]

My daughter is 17 and has had a boyfriend for over a year. They are sexually active and have been using condoms, she has asked to go on the pill, to which I’ve agreed.

The difficulty is, she’s at boarding school and thus needs to get all her meds from the school doctor. She’s need advised to take the standard pill, is this what you’ve done with your daughters or did you put her on something else.

It’s a long time since I took the pill and I’m at a loss as to which is the beat method for her. Advice gratefully received.

In our area the clinic which would do the implantation isn't running due to COVID 19. So my daughter chose the patch. She seems very happy with it. Just change it once a week. 3 weeks on, one week off.

@Moooooooooooooooooo

Jeez, some of these responses! I doubt many of them have had a close relationship with a daughter in their late teens who confides in their mother asking for advice on contraception!

I know what you mean OP. Take no notice of these holier than thou posters. Take comfort your daughter confides in you, a mark of good friendship for the coming years!

She didn't ask for advice, she asked for permission which is not necessarily the sign of a close relationship with their mother. She doesn't need the OP's permission to do anything, and the OP has no entitlement to "put her" on a medication of her choosing (having taken sage advice from strangers on the internet).

Well it's her choice, you're not really putting her on anything, she's 17.

At her age I got the arm implant, definitely would not recommend the coil for a young girl. I had the mini pill before we tried for current baby, best out of the lot for me.

Really though, she needs to research what's available to her and choose what she wants and you need to encourage her to take control of her own medical needs.

she has asked to go on the pill, to which I’ve agreed

This is so weird.

She goes and sees her doctor (without you) and discusses her options.

She's 17, she can have the pill whether you agree or not, however she is far more likely to choose another option as times have moved on.

I was at school in the early 90s and we didn't ask our parents if we could go on the pill then, we just got on with it. It wasn't the 1960s then and it certainly isn't now.

Your wording is odd. A 17-year-old doesn’t need your agreement to go on the pill. She should make whatever choice she feels happiest with after discussing it with her doctor.

Also a school doctor in a boarding school will have a lot of experience with teenage girls looking for contraceptive advice.

Nobody can start a girl on anything without advice and a prescription from a qualified medical Dr who knows or has access to her medical history.

@Wickerbaskets

Yeah, course she does!! Do parents actually believe their kids use condoms as well?!

Why not? I always did as a teenager. Couldn’t be bothered with dealing with the cleanup otherwise. I’ve now been married for 6 years and (except when TTC) still prefer to use condoms.

Not everyone has the same views on contraceptive choices...

Snap

I went on the pill at 16, I never discussed it with my mother. It was my choice, and even if your daughter has asked your opinion I think your answer should be “probably best to talk to the doctor about your options”.

It’s trial and error in my opinion. I tried a few types in my younger years. Some give me terrible headaches, some gave me nausea etc etc. She just needs to find the right one for herself! The pill wasn’t for me after all. Now after having two dc I use the mirena but I’ve also tried the implant etc. Everyone is different with everything 😃

My dd went for the implant as no risk of forgetting. Seems to all be OK and she's happy with her choice

Sexual health clinics are best, the nurses and doctors there generally have a far better knowledge of contraception than GPS (unless the GP has a better interest). They can explain the pros and cons of each method.

My daughter wants to talk to me about her choices of contraception, I was asking advice so I can give her the best choices for her body.

Thanks Chenin

@GT1901

My daughter is 17 and has had a boyfriend for over a year. They are sexually active and have been using condoms, she has asked to go on the pill, to which I’ve agreed.

The difficulty is, she’s at boarding school and thus needs to get all her meds from the school doctor. She’s need advised to take the standard pill, is this what you’ve done with your daughters or did you put her on something else.

It’s a long time since I took the pill and I’m at a loss as to which is the beat method for her. Advice gratefully received.

Why would you think your advice would be better than that of her GP?

Thank you ladies for your advice, I’ll speak to my daughter with these options.

This is an uncomfortable thread.

I think this is up to your DD and her GP. Her body, her choices.

If there are sexual health clinics near her can she arrange an appointment to discuss? They can take her through all her options (which are vastly varied to the pill) which she may not be able to secure from her GP.

Long term contraception like implant or injection for me is preferable but she can discuss and decide.

She may need to try a few before she’s happy, everyone’s so different in how they react to each contraception.

Good grief she's 17, why are you making contraception decisions for her.

I would advise against the injection, it interfered with moods a lot and cannot be reversed, you're stuck for 6 months! I used different kinds of pills and settled for the coil in the end, but the implant could be just as good

Some of these responses are ridiculous.

It sounds like her DD asked advice about the pill and OP agreed it sounded like a good idea.

The pill is a great place to start as there are many to try and you know pretty quickly whether it suits or not.

The injection doesn't agree with a lot of women and takes longer to get out of your system. The implant isn't for everyone either, personally is creeps me out as you can feel it under the skin.

I certainly wouldn't go for the coil as method of contraception when she is so young.

Also, I've taken the pill since I was 14 and I've never forgotten to take it. Just because others on here are forgetful it doesn't mean your DD is.

As long as your daughter knows the risks of not using condoms and that if the pill she is given doesn't suit there are many options of pill and other contraception to try she will give fine. As pp said it is often trial and error until you find what suits you.

Risk of troll thread fishing for stories of sexually active teenage daughters.

@WoolieLiberal

Risk of troll thread fishing for stories of sexually active teenage daughters.

Glad I'm not the only one who got that vibe.

Presumably she comes home often enough that she could go to a sexual health clinic near your home to discuss and get repeat prescriptions 3-monthly. They probably know more about the specifics of each option since they are specialists in that area.

Your daughter and her boyfriend should go TOGETHER to a sexual health clinic and discuss their options with health care staff.

Many clinics have special sessions for teenagers.

Walk in sessions might be closed or appointment only during lockdown - they need to phone and check.