Uterus Plush by Vulva Love Lovely

When I was in high-school I took free samples of the pill. And I made sure I took one everyday.  I had a friend who never seemed able to remember hers. She’d leave a whole weeks worth in the pack then spend hours throwing up, after taking them all at once. When college hit, I began to empathize with that old friend. I couldn’t even remember where I put my birth control pills, much less if I had taken them recently.

Finding the right birth control for you is crucial. Examine, find what is right for you and be an advocate for yourself.

In college, I opted for the ring.

I had been on the ring for two years, when I stumbled across some bewildering studies about hormonal birth control that got me thinking again, about different options and what might be right for me.

In Clause Wedekind’s study on MHC (a gene family) women were given t-shirts that had been worn by men and were asked to sniff the shirts to judge attraction. Clause found that women were attracted to the scent of a man with a different MHC level than their own, and repulsed by one too similar.The theory is that this delicate difference of pheromones are part of what ensures the healthiest offspring.

However, what was also found was women taking hormonal contraceptives lost this sense of attraction. Not only could she no longer sniff out her best match but she became actively attracted to men with a similar MHC level, closer to her own genes. A;so, a woman in a MHC-similar relationship is much more likely to cheat, according to research by Christine Garver at the University of New Mexico.

And of course, there is the famous “lap-dance study” found that strippers on hormonal birth control make less than strippers who aren’t on the pill. And further,  men tipped women who were ovulating significantly more than they did the same women when they weren’t.

Sure it interesting, but more than anything else, I knew I wasn’t keeping proper track of my ring. I was switching it out weeks after I should have, and I worried about this sloppiness. An IUD seemed so serious, but paired with the fact that ovulation might make me pretty was enough to make an appointment.

The OB GYN was very, very pregnant. She sat across from me, legs splayed, a hand on her lower back. “No I wouldn’t recommend an IUD–you haven’t had kids.” I took out my note-pad anyway and asked my questions. She shook her head, talking about patients who had seizures and women whose bodies rejected the device. I asked, with wide eyes, what the percentages were, she just shrugged.

“That health-care provider was uninformed” said Dr. Vanessa Collins, a VP from Planned Parenthood over the phone. “It is a myth that the woman who has never child should not have an IUD. That myth arises from the old IUDs which were larger and are no longer available.”

Okay, I don’t just call up Dr. Collins when I need advice. All of this got me thinking, and writing a piece on the topic.

Dr. Collins also had an idea as to why Americans only use IUDs at 2-3% “There is not enough talk about contraception in medical school, so medical providers are getting additional information while in practice from sales reps. IUDs have not been advertised and marketed the way hormonal methods have, you and I  have never seen a direct TV ad about an IUD . Yet an IUD is an extremely good and cost effective option.”

As I continued researching, I went off the ring. I decided to use condoms while I made my decision. I didn’t notice being off the hormones. Except, maybe there was one time. The husband and I were showering together (you know, to save time) and in between lathering up, we started kissing. I noticed that when we kissed I was inhaling deeply, taking in his scent. His smell and taste were intoxicating-ly sweet.

I sat in a large oak chair at a another OB-GYN office in the loop, a moleskin full of fresh questions in my lap. I weighed the risks and benefits, chewing on my pen. I decided the risks were considerable–a possibly painful procedure, possible cramping and heavier bleeding but so were the benefits–never missing my date on the ring, 99% effectiveness and not having to think about birth control again for 10 years!

As I laid back on the examining table with crinkly-paper draped over my lap, I tried to breathe deep; in through the nose, out through the mouth. It’s not the norm,  but I was one of the women who experienced more intense pain in the procedure. This is because of the anxiety I felt, causing my body to tense and close up. I won’t discount my experience, it hurt and was slightly traumatic. But after a night of resting on the couch with a carton of coffee-flavored ice cream, it’s over and the IUD is in.

I won’t argue that the IUD is the best form of birth control, or that anyone should get off the pill. The best form of birth control is the one that you feel comfortable with, the one that you can take properly and consistently. I took a risk, but it was so I could better take care of myself and my body. To me, those gains are worth it.