TMI talk: contraception

This is going to be a blog post which covers a topic in detail: contraception. I’m going to blow you away with some life changing stuff. Contraception is super important, and is something I have changed recently due to going to travelling.

I had spent the ages of 17-21 on the pill. I had no problems with the pill, it gave me nice regular periods and I couldn’t complain. However, I felt like it had a great control over my emotions and that was something that I hated. I thought about changing it over the last year but never did because I was too afraid. But after deciding that I wanted to go travelling I decided to have the implant. There were a few reasons for this:

1. It goes in your arm and is good for 3 years, which means no alarm everyday reminding you to take the pill.
2. Travelling means that you are more likely to be sick or have an upset stomach and this lowers the effectiveness of the pill. The implant cannot be affected by anything like that.
3. I had spent so long on the pill and just wanted a change, I didn’t like how moody I was and definitely felt like there needed to be a change.

The only thing that worried me about the implant was the periods. The doctor said that 1/3 of people have no periods, 1/3 have regular periods and 1/3 have heavy, constant periods. I had spoke to friends who had periods for 2 weeks out of the month so this is something that worried me. (It is also the reason I decided to purchase a menstrual cup which I will post about in the future).

Having the implant put in was not bad at all, you had a local anesthetic and they use a weird machine to put it into your arm. It is a little uncomfortable but I found it was easier than giving blood! At first I had no periods, and then I had a light one for two weeks and that has been it. I got the implant in July, so I have had it for about 4 months and the doctor said it would take 6 months for my body to adjust. However, my body seems to have adapted to it very well. I do not have periods and I can assume that it is not because I am pregnant! Maybe this is because I came from the pill to the implant so my periods were already very regular, or maybe I am just lucky.

I have also noticed my moods are so so much more stable. I am a whole lot less moody and definitely feel like I am less depressed. I used to have a lot of dark days where life would be a struggle. Obviously, I am travelling at the moment so this is also a factor that could have changed my moods but I did notice I was perkier before I left the country as well.

The implant is something that I would highly recommend to everyone, especially if you are regularly having sex and don’t want an unplanned pregnancy (my worst nightmare). I know there are some horror stories out there but everything has its pros and cons. The implant has a 99% effectiveness rate and that is something you cannot fault, especially as it does not effect your moods as much as the pill can. I know this is to to the pill being a combined hormone but that is something you should research yourself, as I do not have much knowledge on that!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and maybe makes you look into switching up your birth control. I think it is super important to do your research and such important areas. Feel free to check out my previous TMI talk on sexuality.