Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    see note 102 and replies

              It seems that a French liqueur might be effective...
        

        
                                Cointreauceptive.
        
        

    Is the question you are really asking what type of birth control
    or do I want to have another child?
    
    A friend of mine is thinking about the same thing and in my coversation
    with her she "avoided" the question of wanting to have another child
    or doing something permanent.  
    
    MAC
    

    RE.3
    
    What are you talking about?
    
    For those of us who have reached this decision age and know that
    we may still want children in the future the question is "What is
    the safest, most convenient, most reliable alternative."
    
    For those of us who have decided that we don't want any (more) children
    in the future but don't want surgery or a hospital stay either the
    question is still the same.
    
    This is a very good question one that I will be facing myself at my
    next doctors visit and I would like to see some discussion around
    answers to the question as well, being unfamiliar with any other
    method, (except one and I'm too young to give it up).
    
    
    jackie

    I'm certainly "avoiding" the question of whether I want to have
    another child.
    
    I'm 34, I have two healthy happy kids who I enjoy very much, and
    in all likelihood I'll be only 48 when the youngest leaves home,
    with plenty of time to enjoy the privacy and the rewards of
    maturity.  Right now I feel like, no, the last thing I want is
    another kid. 
    
    But right now is right now.  Ten years ago, when Kat was the same
    age Steven is now, the last thing I wanted was another kid and I
    seriously considered looking for a doctor who would perform a
    sterilization on a woman that young.  I'm not sure I would have
    regretted that course had I taken it, but I'm glad I opted for a
    less permanent solution that did allow me to change my mind if I
    wanted to.
    
    And I'm still using a solution that allows me to change my mind.
    (We use condoms faithfully.)  I only wish it was a more
    comfortable and less intrusive method, but I can't use the pill
    and the IUD was a pain.  Literally.  Constantly.
    
    --bonnie 
    

    Lo these many years ago, when my doctor took me off the pill, I
    challenged him with an "OK, fine, you won't prescribe the pill.  So
    what *will* you do?"  He countered with a recommendation for the UID,
    and I spent about 6 years with it -- the CU 7 I believe.  IUD's have
    recently started being marketed again in the U.S. 
    
    I had absolutely no trouble with the thing.  Getting it installed
    isn't exactly fun, but once it's done you're good for three years.
    Three years of freedom.
    
    It's not for everybody, but for women who can use them successfully,
    it's the next best thing to the pill as far as success rate, and
    affords even *more* freedom.  I'd highly recommend it.
    
    							Pat

    warning: if you've had Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), the IUD
    is not recommended. 
    
    liz

    Even though it didn't work for me, I'd agree with Pat -- if your
    doctor thinks it's safe for you, do try an IUD.
    
    One problem we had that the doctors don't warn you about:  my
    husband found that when he was in me, he could feel the little
    nylon strings poking the end of something I can't mention in a
    public notes file.
    
    It turns out this is not uncommon, but nobody at the clinic where
    I got it never mentioned it ahead of time.
    
    --bonnie 

    Bonnie - We had the same problem :-)
    
    I would also like to add to Liz's comment that people who
    are sexualy active, are discouraged from using the IUD because
    of the increased risk of PID.
    
    Bonnie

    
    Birth control was a real issue for me.  I cannot take the pill due
    to my epilepsy.  The estrogen contained in birth control pills is
    known to trigger seizures in epileptics.  At the same time, condoms
    are okay but are really inconvenient.
    
    My OB/GYN strongly advised me to try using the TODAY contraceptive
    sponge.  Its effectiveness is just as good as taking the pill, much
    more comfortable for both of you than condoms, etc.
    
    I suggest you look into these.  I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.      

Re: .10

>    My OB/GYN strongly advised me to try using the TODAY contraceptive
>    sponge.  Its effectiveness is just as good as taking the pill, much
    
"Mouse":  I am not making a judgement on your personal choices 
regarding birth control.  It may be that, in your individual 
case, the sponge is as effective as the pill. However, if your OB/GYN 
is telling you that the sponge is GENERICALLY as effective as the pill, 
you might want to consider getting a new doctor -- or at least 
finding out why your current one has this point of view.

Some years ago, I was a happy and CAREFUL sponge user. Until I got pregnant.  
At that time, I found out from several nurse practitioners and 
doctors that the sponge was apparantly not as effectivie in "real 
life" as in the (reported) clinical trails (NOW they tell me :-(.  
In reality, the effectiveness of the sponge is only about as high as using 
contraceptive foam, and, in some cases, is not even as effective 
as a diaphragm.

The lack of real contraceptive choices is something that has 
bothered me for a long time.  All the choices for heterosexual 
women are lousy.  For women who are not highly fertile, and are 
willing to risk the 15% chance that they might get pregnant, the 
sponge is an excellant, non-intrusive choice.  But those who 
don't want to take that risk shouldn't be lulled into thinking 
that the sponge is "as good as taking the pill" for pregnancy 
prevention.

Bobbi_who's_found_a_sure_fire_way_not_to_get_pregnant

    re: sponges
    
    My gynecologist tells me that the problem cited in .11 has
    recurred in repeated clinical trials -- the sponge tests out as
    far more effective during clinical trials than it proves to be in
    practice.  I don't think they have any idea why.
     
    Another reason for not using sponges, diaphragms, etc, is that
    many women develop itching or eve vaginitis from many the
    spermacides. 
    
    I'm very interested in this female condom that was mentioned
    somewhere else.  Not that I hold out a lot of hope, mind you,
    but it's something more to try :) :) :)
    
    --bonnie

    also - the great plus of having the sponge work for 24 hours
    is, for some, turned into a huge minus because the synthetic fiber
    network harbors and encourages yeast infections (if you're the type
    that is susceptible).  
    
    -Jody
    

Moved by moderator
    
                <<< COLORS::$2$DJA6:[NOTES$LIBRARY]WOMANNOTES.NOTE;1 >>>
                        -< Topics of Interest to Women >-
================================================================================
Note 821.0                        Birth Control                       No replies
COMET::DANIEL                                        11 lines  25-APR-1988 16:07
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    I hear that there's a new IUD out; one that is supposed to be much
    less problematic than the IUD's of the past.  I'd like to hear what
    anyone has to say about IUD's, especially if anyone knows about
    the new IUD.  Also, being very new to this file, if there are any
    pointers to other topics, I'd appreciate the nudge.
    
    I don't trust the diaphragm, and my body is getting tired of the
    pill; I want something with which I can feel relatively safe (don't
    we all!).
    
    Thanks.

    The new IUD is called a copper 5 and although it has beenpublicized,
    is not yet available. The company that is/will manufacture and
    distribute it is being set up separately from the copper 7 company
    so that there will be no assets to go after in case of lawsuits.
    
    In the meantime, my doctor recommends a quick trip to Canada where
    the copper 7 is still available. He has said that if it were still
    available here, he would have no qualms about inserting it.
    
    Maryan
    

    Interesting how people in this conference (and others I follow) talk
    about the sponge as an "effective" method of B.C.  In another
    conference they went on about an 85% effectiveness (and called it
    "very good):  I wouldn't call that particularly good (especially if
    you're on the 15% side of that statistic).
    
    I visited an old friend this weekend and forgot to bring anything with
    me and didn't arrive until late.  No problem.  Pathmark is open 24
    hours a day (in Delaware, at least).  I was able to find sponges and
    contraceptive jelly.  That's it.  And I absolutely refuse to use a
    sponge without a condom ... I don't trust them that much.  So we did
    without :^(.  I couldn't believe that they didn't have any condoms
    there!
    
    Of course, I'm also paranoid about becoming a daddy at this point in
    time.  When I was a frosh in college me and my SO started out with
    a Diaphragm (w/jelly, of course), but that was it.  I'd never use a
    diaphragm now without a condom as well.  The pill was the only thing
    I trusted by itself.  Even then, I occasionally had to stop myself from
    not trusting my partner to take it when I wasn't there.  Using the
    pill, from the male perspective, really gives meaning to the word
    "trust".  And fear.

        The baby we lost last year was conceived while we were using the
        Today sponge. Your 15% can come up pretty fast.
        
        JimB.

    Please note that the statistics often quoted for these various things
    are per woman-year.  That is, 85% effective per woman per year of
    sexual activity with proper use of the method cited.  I am not sure 
    how often is normal, in the eyes of the statisticians, though...
    
    ;-)
    -Jody
    

        Also notice that the the chance that you'll get pregnant using
        an 85% effective form of birth control over a period of several
        years gets pretty high. Using DECalc I calculated the following
        quick expansion of the probabilities of getting pregnant over
        various periods using methods of varying effectiveness.
        
        	       Cumulative Probability of Pregnancy 
        
        	             Percentage effectiveness
        
            Number of    99%    98%    97%    95%    90%    85%
        	Years
        	    1   1.0%   2.0%   3.0%   5.0%  10.0%  15.0%
        	    2   2.0%   4.0%   5.9%   9.8%  19.0%  27.8%
        	    5   4.9%   9.6%  14.1%  22.6%  41.0%  55.6%
        	   10   9.6%  18.3%  26.3%  40.1%  65.1%  80.3%
        	   15  14.0%  26.1%  36.7%  53.7%  79.4%  91.3%
        	   20  18.2%  33.2%  45.6%  64.2%  87.8%  96.1%
        
        Given that you're going to be sexually active and fertile for at
        least 20 years, if you really want to avoid pregnancy, using any
        method that is less than 97% effective gives you a less than
        50/50 chance at success. That's a bad bet.
        
        JimB.

    Re: .15
    
    Yes, they are still available in Canada... In Ottawa cost to install
    is 110.00 (Canadian)... anyone who would like the name of my GYN
    there, I'll be happy to send you mail...
    
    Its 450 miles to Ottawa, 5 minutes to install, and three years of
    not worrying....
    
    Oh yeah, the cost is as of this month...
    
    Gale