birth control options for someone who’s picky?

[itsxafx]

hi, long time no see!

me and my partner have recently-ish managed to find a way around my previous painful PiV sex problems which i’m super proud of because i didn’t think i’d ever get here. in reference to one of my last posts: things between us are so much better now and i’m the happiest i’ve ever been!

i’ve recently reached one year on depo which means i probably should start reviewing my options because of the unfortunate bone density loss thing before i reach that second year in case it’s decided that it’s not safe for me to continue.

i’ve been on the mini pill before, but that gave me constant migraines so i’d say that’s ruled out. i asked for the combined pill and was refused because of my BMI despite it not actually being in obese.

i don’t particularly feel very favourable towards the implant because the idea of a plastic rod in my arm makes me feel queasy!

every single nurse or doctor i’ve ever seen has tried to push the IUD on me. which in theory, sounds great. in practise, i have a tilted uterus and i’ve heard many, many horror stories from people who have had them inserted about the process of having it inserted. pain relief is not offered here - it’s just “take a couple of paracetamol, you’ll survive!” now i’m not entirely ruling out the IUD but i’m not sure their routine insertion method would work for me, at all.

so i’m feeling a bit stuck.

any ideas for a birth control method i could look into or if there’s anything i could mention to my doctor to make a hypothetical IUD insertion easier on me?

[KierC]

Hi itsxafx, and welcome back to the boards! We’re so glad to see you again, and so happy to hear that your relationship is going well and that sex is not painful currently.

I hear you that you’re considering your options for another form of birth control in advance of the 2-year mark on Depo. There’s a few different ideas I have about this:

IUD: It is possible to have an IUD inserted with a tilted uterus. They will not insert the IUD without performing a pelvic exam first, so they’ll be able to see the position of the uterus before placing the IUD. It’s also possible to use an ultrasound to guide insertion!

If you’re concerned about pain associated with the IUD insertion, you can absolutely speak to the doctor or nurse about your concerns and ask for more robust pain management. We actually have an article on our site about this, too! How To Manage Pain With IUD Insertions

There are more birth control methods you may want to consider as well. Looking through our series Birth Control Bingo, does any other method seem like it might be something you’d want to look into more or try?