How long should a girl be on birth control before?
Ah, birth control. The medical world’s way of letting us have our cake and eat it too. But how long should you remain on it? Is there an expiration date? Will your reproductive organs hate you if you’re on it for too long? These are the questions that I hope to answer in this informative and comical piece.
Brief Overview
Before we delve into the meaty bits, let’s take a quick look at what birth control actually does. It basically stops women from ovulating or releasing eggs that could potentially lead to pregnancy. There are various types of birth control options out there like pills, patches, rings, IUDs (intrauterine devices) etc., all with different effectiveness rates.
The question at hand is: how long can one stay on these birth control methods without harming their health?
But first… let me ask Siri because honestly who am I kidding; She knows everything.
3 Reasons To Consider When Thinking Of The Duration For Taking Birth Control
There isn’t really a straight answer when it comes to this topic – which is frustrating but hilarious (depending on my mood). However, we’ve narrowed down three main reasons why some girls may decide not to continue being under hormonal contraception effectively taking themselves off these magical mini-pills:
Reason 1: Wanting Children
Whether you want children right now or in twenty years’ time (God bless), staying on certain forms of contraceptives long-term may mess with your fertility game later.
Reason 2: Bad Side Effects
For some ladies the side effects from hormonal contraception can range from unpleasant cramps to weight gain or other undesirable changes.
Reason 3: Cost
The price of birth control can make you rethink your plan to stay on it indefinitely. Especially if you have no health insurance coverage for birth control.
How Long Can You Be On Birth Control?
Now that we’ve highlighted some main reasons for not staying on the pill forever, let’s chat about how long is too long when it comes to hormonal contraceptives.
The short answer…
“There is no definitive answer.”
Yup, Ain’t life funny?
Some women can be on hormonal contraception from their teen years until they hit menopause with very little side effects. At the same time there are those who may experience adversities and decide quickly enough that one missed day feels like a punishment from Midas himself—and I completely understand this sentiment by the way.
It really all depends on how well your body adapts and reacts to the type of contraceptive chosen (everyone surely differs). Distinct consumptions could lead to periods where you feel great vs times where everything seems off balance.
But wait! don’t despair; We do have more concrete answers below:
Prolonged Use Of Pills
First up — pills. It’s safe for most women take them continuously without any breaks (however… always check in with your doctor) but considering these factors might help says medical experts :
- Taking breaks every three months at most.
- No later than five years before taking a break.
On A Side Note To This — There are several benefits in addition to contraception when using oral contraceptives;
– Reduced risk of endometrial cancer
– Reduced ovarian cysts incidence
– Lower iron deficiency anemia risk
Ain’t that some cherries?
Depo-Provera Shot
Depo Provera shots usually last around twelve weeks which requires scheduling regular visits as advised by doctors. If you’re using this method and would like to stop taking it, just skip the most recent appointment. The effectiveness will likely wear off around 14 weeks after your last shot resulting in menstruation; Awesome right?
IUDs
Now let’s talk a bit about IUDs (for those ladies who don’t know what that means: It is said that the ‘I’ stands for “intra” and the “U” stands for ‘uterine”). In other words, it’s a plastic or copper device placed into a woman’s uterus, which has no adverse effect on pregnancy despite its presence there.
With regard to how long you should leave an intrauterine device inserted within;
- When talking about copper/non-hormonal IUD (ParaGard), medical experts recommends leaving between three to ten years.
- On hormonal forms such as levonorgestrel (Mirena) seven years is considered safe but research puts safe timing at five years maximum Liletta devices respectively.
So… there you have it! Some stay on birth control pills forever without any side effects while others experience various issues after twelve months of use; though thanks to modern advancements in medicine we’ve got varied options available suited according everyone’s preferences.
Factors Influencing Hormonal Contraceptive Choice & Use Duration
To help guide better contraceptive methods and improve life quality considering these factors below may prove helpful:
Age Factor
As young women develop their menstrual cycles they are prone toward irregularities associated with puberty until ages between sixteen through eighteen. For fifteen-year-olds girls requiring protection from unwanted pregnancies because of sexually active status using long acting reversible contraceptives alongside condoms could reduce health risks attributed with early childbearing
Medical History
Premenstrual syndrome affectively manages when one considers choosing birth control. It helps alleviate symptoms related excessive bleeding during menses, osteoporosis etc.
Clotting Risks
Particular birth control methods may lead to clot formation which can have severe consequences. Generally women who are at risk of developing blood clots or have had history of similar conditions in the past should shift toward non-hormonal IUDs like copper or take a more cautious approach with hormone medications
Prescription Medication Compatibility
Some medicines that girls use could fail contraceptive hormones by reducing their effectiveness, so it’s best to always talk to your healthcare provider prior combining medication intake.
Conclusion
All things considered– there really isn’t any ‘one’ answer regarding how long one needs to be on hormonal contraception safely (talk about being vague). Every girl is different and so therefore will react differently depending on age, health conditions and medication pre-existing before using contraceptives. Bottom line? It’s crucial to talk with professionals in this field.
While modern day medicine advocates for gradual discontinuation; it doesn’t necessarily mean that most ladies require complete resignation from all forms of birth controls due to risks associated with lifelong usage .
Therefore sister queens! If you would like the convenience of just popping a pill without panicking every time period passes without conception then go ahead — keep taking those pills until you achieve your desired results because no option beats prevention.
Having weighed up all factors discussed above I’m convinced you’ll make an informed decision going forward.
In case my informational spew didn’t satisfy your curiosity hunger towards question “How Long Should A Girl Be On Birth Control Before?” then well…too bad! (smile)
Disclaimer:
This article does not serve as medical advice but rather informative writing piece – specific discussions discussing more regarding individual cases must be made alongside qualified professionals