When to give up contraception?

[msmiggins]

Is there a safe age to give up contraception?
I am 51, no signs of menopause, I am very fit and healthy-exercise very regulary, menstrual cycles regular and normal and still feel young. Late menopause runs in my family ( my Mum was 60)
I have never heard of anyone conceiving at my age but my OH feels differently. He is worried that I still may become pregnant.
Any views?

Also, if I had known I would have been stuck in this contraception no-mans land for this long, I would have sent OH to be sorted years ago. I was told I could stay on the pill until meno, then use hrt. However 'things changed' and suddenly it was no longer acceptable to prescribe the pill any longer. And now I am stuck with condoms and pregnancy testing kits.

Hope you get fitted out with a diaphragm ok msmiggins. Might try that myself if I can get somewhere to fit one :)

Have you thought about the Mirena summertime?
It's very effective, can help with heavy periods, and if you ever take HRT then it acts as the progestigen part of it.
Might be worth asking your dr about it?

Yes, I have already had mirena pushed at me. I don't want one as it is too intrusive and I know too many people who have had it pushed through their uterus (I know it is supposed to be vanishingly rare). I am afraid I would probably be one of those people who pull their own mirena out when they get frustrated with it, so probably best not to go there.

It contains progestogen which relaxes smooth muscle and gives me constipation. I don't want this as I have recently had a rectocele repair. I have tried 3 sorts of progestogen only pill (including one with the same progestogen as mirena), which I was given as an alternative to combined pill. They are all the same.

If you have to have hrt, it is probably the best way to get the lowest dose of progestogen to protect your uterus, but I am not on hrt yet so will have to rethink it if that becomes necessary.

However, the upside of all this is that, in coming off COC, I have rediscovered what libido is, and it is really nice. :) So, diaphragm might be a good plan.

Hmmm. I don't have one but I do know of other women who love theirs and have no side effects. I honestly don't know if it gets into the blood stream and causes side effects like oral tablets because I understood it simply worked in the uterus without affecting other organs. But can understand if you don't want to risk it.

Condoms are 98% effective if they are used correctly. I know they are passion killers but their success rate does depend on how they are used. Many failures ( if you believe the research) are down to careless use such as not wearing them straight away or every single time.

Not sure how old you are but condoms for someone in their late 40s early 50s should be pretty safe.

sorry- see you are 50.
I'd think the diaphram was more risky- at least with condoms you can see if they have split and take the morning after pill- with diaphrams they have to a) fit properly b) be inserted properly and c) left in place for long enough the next day.
I had one for years but got fed up with it in the end.

Oh dear - forgot the leaving it in part. :(

I have a brother and a nephew and a neice who are the result of using condoms as contraception [hmmm] (and a brother who is the result of the old fashioned copper coil).

My grandmothers were 50 and 51 at menopause and there are no late babies in my family tree, so I am hopeful.

Yes I think diaphragm carries some risk, but for women like me over 50 our fertility won't be at it's peak- so perhaps good enough.

we used condoms during my early 50s. I didn't find the diaphram comfortable at that time, my coil partially expelled itself though with hindsight I might have tried the mini pill.

I think the thing with condoms is- and excuse this if it's tmi- some couples have a certain amount of foreplay including penetration without using them, and pop one on at the very last minute, or they only use them when they think they are ovulating- often with disastrous outcomes.