\*\Club Contraceptives/*/ Rants/Reviews/Etc. on safe-sex methods
Hiya, Vegwebbers!
With the helpful backing/suggesting from the Diva Club, I made this thread as a place where we can all discuss various modes of birth control and/or safe sex. Even as an animal-rights kinda place, I know lots of us are concerned about cruelty-free and/or natural lifestyles...So if you're not a fan of cow-exploiting, skin-scorching latex rubbers, or of the way hormonal b/c pills screw with your body and mind, HERE is where we can all help each other.
This can be a place for advice or general information on various methods/devices...like If you want to know what hormones in your pills are doing what, and how that will affect you, etc.; or if you want to know about materials used in different kinds of condoms (and which aren't vegan!); or just how effective such methods are statistically...HERE is where you can tell what you know, or find other reference sources. HERE we can help each other learn what works best for each of us in regards to our own needs/situation.
Sound fun? HELLS YES.
Condoms
Female Condoms
Dental Dams
Diaphragms
Spermicides
Pills
IUDs
Nuva Rings
Injections
Cycle-observation/timing
Herbal Solutions
...and other Good Resources for many/all of the above methods
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Feel free to suggest important links or resources,
and I'll add them to this post as a sort of reference library.
******
let's go!
Anybody ever used a Plan B? I did before, and it was pretty nice.
And I got it free from my reproductive health care center in town. I would suggest anyone who is not on birth control and does NOT want to get pregnant to keep one around.
I used Plan B once but it wasn't free. It cost $60 but luckily my sig other paid for half. I went to Planned Parenthood, they were very nice, gave me a pregnancy test first and explained everything about it clearly. I was happy that I didn't have to worry but I did go through some crazy "weight gain". I think it was water weight because it only lasted for about a week but it did prevent me from wearing a dress on New Year's Eve that year. My boobs got gigantic and my abdomen was at least an inch or two wider.
Has anyone here used a diaphragm before? I'd be interested to know any likes/complaints about it. If I can handle being off HBC I think a diaphragm would be my best option.
We did have amazingly low prices at our pharmacy, and I could get a month's worth of Portia (steady-dose HBC) for $20.......and I guess that the Atlanta Planned Parenthood's idea of "reduced cost" birth control (to eligible patients only, with a $50ish pelvic exam by one of their docs) is $23 for a pack.
Isn't it interesting here in the UK HBC are free on prescription. Other items are all a fixed price of £7.10, but HBC = £0. I;ve never really thought about it, but I wonder why.
:'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
because the US healthcare system is WACKED.
Aside from Canada, somewhere in England might be a future destination for me, seriously. Canada is just TOO cold, and while Atlanta is awesome in so many ways, their free/reduced services are overloaded with customers (lots of poverty here), and I'm....*ahem*.....white.*
the UK seems like it'd be cool in other ways, too, as far as legislation/lifestyle/education, etc....and I really mean to check it out someday.
* that's not a racist comment, it's true that other ethnicities are priority on many of those programs. 'sokay, though, now I know what it's like to be a minority in some places! that's actually kind of...perspective-expanding...for me.
On the subject of herbs/etc.:
Two methods I've recently employed include uterine contraction-inducers and creating an inhabitable environment for sperm/egg implantation.
High doses of Vitamin C (preferably without bioflavanoids), taken in smaller doses over the course of a day, limited to 6,000 to 10,000 milligrams, will make the Ph too acidic for egg implantation or fertilization....some people put a tablet up near the cervix like a spermicide, but it can irritate the skin just like spermicide Nonoxinol-9 tends to do. But taking the pills should be just as effective. it may cause loose stools and maaayybe upset stomach, but that's no big deal for those of us who need a little "help" now and then.
Dong Quai is an herb that, when taken correctly, can ease menstrual cramps OR induce muscle contractions, whichever you need, depending on the method of preparation. WARNING: this, as well as other muscle-stimulators (like below) can cause major cramping.
Fresh parsley, when made into a tincture or steeped as tea (but not boiled with the water) can also help the uterus contract and flush out tissue a little easier, also if you have a delayed period you want to get going. WARNING: you might just bleed like crazy for the first few days......but that can help clear it out faster (so I've read) so that you might have a shorter period. Just watch out for anemic-like symptoms and get plenty of fuel to keep your body working!*
*this method wiped me the fuck out at work today, and caused my diva to fail miserably and have to rely on a dishtowel (that I luckily had from lunch) stuffed in my pants as a pad for the whole afternoon. looked like I dumped in my pants. I was rather sluggish all day because of heavy bleeding and excruciating cramps, but at least my boss dude was totally understanding.
Well I tried to get my wife on here to describe our method but she is very busy right now starting up our home schooling for this year, so i will give it a shot. It is called Lady-Com and you can look that up on the internet. We have had it for about five years and have had no troubles. You use it once a day and it measures your body temperature and somehow tells you, well tells my wife, if she is fertile or not by giving her a red light. When the light is green, my favorite days, it is a safe day.This is a horrible job I am doing explaining this so just look it up. It is a little expensive but when you devide the cost over five years it is not so bad, and it is still going. The only thing is you have to obey the red light or find another method to use on those days. It was either this or a vasectemy for me, so, for me, it was an easy choice.
i have been using billings method for the past six years, which is basically a technique where you keep an eye on the changes in vaginal discharge to know when you're fertile. we just use condoms during the 4 days of each cycle where i'm fertile. it has been great, because it helps you to know sooner if there are any issues such as stds or even ovarian cysts, and is fantastically useful once you DO want to get pregnant (we got it first try when we decided to have lily).
i also have found it really constructive to tune in to the natural rhythms of my body rather than overriding them in order to enjoy my sexuality. i don't really have any ethical issue with other methods, i just love the freedom from interference that this method allows, and frankly, i lack the discipline to follow through on any plans of withdrawal!
Well I tried to get my wife on here to describe our method but she is very busy right now starting up our home schooling for this year, so i will give it a shot. It is called Lady-Com and you can look that up on the internet. We have had it for about five years and have had no troubles. You use it once a day and it measures your body temperature and somehow tells you, well tells my wife, if she is fertile or not by giving her a red light. When the light is green, my favorite days, it is a safe day.This is a horrible job I am doing explaining this so just look it up. It is a little expensive but when you devide the cost over five years it is not so bad, and it is still going. The only thing is you have to obey the red light or find another method to use on those days. It was either this or a vasectemy for me, so, for me, it was an easy choice.
thats like fam! i think a lot of fam users use lady comp to track their cycle. another one is fertilityfriend.com it doesnt have green or red lights, but its free!
i've been on HBC for 8 years now and i really want to go off them because i'm horribly and irrationally afraid that i am slowly becoming sterile. i know this probably isn't true, but i think for my own peace of mind that i might hafta quit em. bf and i are going to get married and have babies one day, but not within the next 2 years (is the plan, but who knows). so we'd have to find something else for that time span.
although now i'm nervous that i'm going to have crazy periods and acne all over my body, so i'm not sure. i never had bad acne on my face, but after a few years of HBC, the acne i'd had on my shoulders and chest since i was like 12 finally went away. i don't know if it's because i only wear cotton now, or if it's the HBC. i also like knowing when my period's going to start (always a tuesday before 10am) and the HBC keeps me aware of where i'm at in my cycle.
still... i wanna be fertile for when it's babytime. hey, anybody ever read 'still life with woodpecker' by tom robbins? i wonder if that lunar cycle thing works...
I'm reviving this for CW!
Ummmm. Let's see. I was on HBC for a while but overall it made me feel ick. I only started it to keep my cycle going, but even then it didn't work properly. I probably wouldn't use it again. But never say never.
I was using these latex free ones for a while because my ex was allergic...
Damn expensive... but damn awesome.
i've been on HBC for 8 years now and i really want to go off them because i'm horribly and irrationally afraid that i am slowly becoming sterile. i know this probably isn't true, but i think for my own peace of mind that i might hafta quit em. bf and i are going to get married and have babies one day, but not within the next 2 years (is the plan, but who knows). so we'd have to find something else for that time span.
although now i'm nervous that i'm going to have crazy periods and acne all over my body, so i'm not sure. i never had bad acne on my face, but after a few years of HBC, the acne i'd had on my shoulders and chest since i was like 12 finally went away. i don't know if it's because i only wear cotton now, or if it's the HBC. i also like knowing when my period's going to start (always a tuesday before 10am) and the HBC keeps me aware of where i'm at in my cycle.
still... i wanna be fertile for when it's babytime. hey, anybody ever read 'still life with woodpecker' by tom robbins? i wonder if that lunar cycle thing works...
I think that HBC made me sort of moody and depressed. I think I have read posts from you that talk about your moodiness, depression, right? just a thought. I felt so much better off of them. i sometimes think its a conspiracy and males have designed these pills for us gals to make us a little crazy and not thinking straight while were on them. that was my experience at least.
I was using these latex free ones for a while because my ex was allergic...
Damn expensive... but damn awesome.
I will have to try those. Latex condoms are really not doing it for me (WHY did I buy the big box?).
question are latex condoms vegan? weve tried using non latex but they are so expensive and they are to tight :( has anyone used the contraceptive sponges??
i think most latex condoms arent vegan. theyre processed with casein or casein is somehow involved. you can order vegan ones online though. ^-^
i think most latex condoms arent vegan. theyre processed with casein or casein is somehow involved. you can order vegan ones online though. ^-^
How did I not know this?
:(
honestly, i let it go. i dont have sex too often (especially now that i have no friends haha), and the boys are the ones providing them. also, i treat it like i do medicine: not vegan, but i value my health/not being pregnant more than i do the vegan-ness, unless theres a vegan alternative right next to it at the store.
next summer i might order a box of the vegan ones online to be prepared. ;)
"The processing of latex, used to make condoms, has involved the use of casein - a milk protein. As Lifestyles Condoms writes in their FAQ: Many condoms, including some of ours, also have a trace amount of casein, which originates from milk. "
i wonder if that means balloons arent vegan too since theyre latex.. :(
ahhhh ps: i dont sleep around. there have only been two boys. for some reason i felt the need to clarify that..
question are latex condoms vegan? weve tried using non latex but they are so expensive and they are to tight :( has anyone used the contraceptive sponges??
How does a contraceptive sponge work? I've never used one, but I've seen that episode of Seinfeld. ::)
question are latex condoms vegan? weve tried using non latex but they are so expensive and they are to tight :( has anyone used the contraceptive sponges??
How does a contraceptive sponge work? I've never used one, but I've seen that episode of Seinfeld. ::)
i'm pretty sure you put spermacide on it, shove it in and it has to stay there for a certain amount of time before and after you do it. thats why i dont like it. michael and i are to ... um.... last minute. we dont plan ahead for these things. haha.
question are latex condoms vegan? weve tried using non latex but they are so expensive and they are to tight :( has anyone used the contraceptive sponges??
How does a contraceptive sponge work? I've never used one, but I've seen that episode of Seinfeld. ::)
i'm pretty sure you put spermacide on it, shove it in and it has to stay there for a certain amount of time before and after you do it. thats why i dont like it. michael and i are to ... um.... last minute. we dont plan ahead for these things. haha.
Hmm, yeah, I don't think that would work too well with DH and me either, lol. I'm not that organized.
I once tried the "Today sponge"....and never will again...
I was super excited when they came back on the market and felt all empowered buying them... but I seriously thought I was gonna have to have that thing surgically removed! In theory, it is a good concept. It is basically like a disposable diaphragm with built in spermicide.
The problem is that you have to get it wet and squeeze it to activate the spermicide.And trust me, it gets super-duper soapy. Imagine shoving a large soapy sponge up your cooch....
Anyway, I got it in no problem. I then proceeded to um...ya know...test it out...
After some "activity" I got a little worried about my sponge and went to the bathroom to check it...but that thing was no where in sight! The thrusting(can I say thrusting?) had shoved it so far up I honestly didn't have fingers long enough to feel it. I finally reached way way way in and could feel it, but it was so so so slippery I absolutely could not get a hold of it.
Now, these things are designed with a string to grab to pull it out, but mine had somehow turned around backwards and I could not get it. I spent the next hour(I kid you not) in the bathroom up to my elbow in cooch trying to get that thing out! (this was way before my diva days so i didn't exactly know what I was dealing with. turns out that the vagina is actually quite short but elongates when aroused...so eventually my vagina shrunk down to normal...)
I would love to here from someone who has had a positive experience with this thing. My advice would be to only try it if you have really long fingers or an extra pair of salad tongs lying around to help with retrieval.
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