Ladida

[summer_sparrow]

I have read lots of websites, but they are less than helpful. Do/have any of you use/used FAM for birth control? I can't do hormonal stuff anymore. It's unpleasant and uncomfortable and I hate the person it turns me into. STDs are not an issue and condoms are extremely uncomfortable for me, so I'm looking for alternatives.

Thanks you guys!

Now I scurry back to work (from whence I am not actually supposed to be posting to "blogs" but oh well.)

Comments

[noveldevice.livejournal.com]

IUDs are fine. Get a copper one and not Mirena, which is plastic and has hormones in it. IUDs are fine for nulliparous women and they don't cause complications if you want to have kids later, you just have to take them out before you start trying. :)

FAM works great for getting pregnant. The problem with using it for not getting pregnant is that your ovulation can easily vary by a few days one way or the other every month based on factors you can't predict and can't control, which reduces your "safe zone" for having sex. And I don't know about you, but I am not that keen on going without for two weeks a month. Also, spermicides don't work particularly well, according to much of what I've read--if they're mild enough not to give your mucus membranes problems, they're mild enough to have a failure rate.

Condoms: use more lube, and your partner needs a slightly smaller condom. :) Also make sure that you're not using textured condoms, which I find rather abrasive.

[sparrowinsky.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I thought it was IUDs in general-- that puts a new spin on things.

I'll have to look into that... thanks, Cat. :)

[noveldevice.livejournal.com]

No problem. Seriously, though, the condom thing is going to matter sooner or later, so you should get it worked out now. It sounds like right now you have the freedom to play around a little bit with things like lambskin condoms etc (these are a bad idea if you're, well, me) which while not great at STD prevention work fine at preventing pregnancy. Also, experiment with different brands, sizes, textures, lubed and unlubed, add your own lube, etc.

Keep in mind that none of this stuff is standardised across brands. An XL in one brand can be an M in another. Condoms do come in different sizes, it's not just for vanity. I really like Kimonos, they have worked well for me and a lot of people I know. I will have to find out what other brand I've been using lately (I didn't buy them) are called and you can give them a try too. I am unimpressed with Durex, and done with Lifestyles, and I think Trojans are kind of thick, so I can only imagine how they feel to guys.

Shape is important too, as is lubrication. A little inside and a little outside is generally the rule. Apply the inside to the condom, and the outside to yourself.