Question: Birth Control & Dysphoria
Tove asks…
I’m a non-binary AFAB person with an angry reproductive system. This week I was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, then referred to a gynecologist who thinks that I’m not responding well to the Nexplanon progestin implant I’ve been using for birth control for the past two years.
Taking the daily pill triggered my dysphoria, and I’m afraid of the side effects of copper IUDs and the Depo Provera injection. I’m in pain right now, but my quality of life has been better overall since moving from the pill to the implant.
Would any period-having folks mind sharing their experiences with birth control? What works best for you? How do you balance reproductive health and mental/emotional health?
Please post your response in the comments below.
» Ask Genderfork «
Category: questions 9 comments »
December 6th, 2015 at 8:12 am |
What about the mirena IUD? That seems to work well for a lot of people.
[Reply]
December 8th, 2015 at 5:10 pm |
I am personally someone who doesnt ever plan on getting pregnant, and have therefore looked into procedures that could stop my period. There is a pretty convenient laser-surgery (if you can even call it surgery) that stops the whole bleeding thing. However it is still possible to get pregnant, and in that case is super dangerous for both parent and kid. Idk if you take birth control so you can have sex without receiving a baby, or if your choice of using the implant is to stop the period (i’ve heard that thats part of what those things do). If you wanna read more just google “how to stop my period” and it should be the first thing that pops up. I cant remember the whole name but it’s called Nova-(something/or/other). But like i said, this is only to stop the bleeding, is not birth control, and NOT for anyone who wants to have kids of their own some day
[Reply]
Anonymous replied:
April 30th, 2017 at 8:26 am
somehow the whole ‘dysphoria’ topic goes over your head.
To OP: I’d say that the iud is a better option especially if the pills makes the dysphoria worse. A number of my trans friends have gotten it. The first month or two was tough but it gets better.
[Reply]
December 9th, 2015 at 11:41 am |
I get the depo-shot to stop my period and although i had some pretty bad cravings the first month after that it was magic. My body filters out the hormones quicker than normal so I have the shot every two months instead of three but it I really love it. I think for the first few months you can still get pregnant though, if that’s something you’re worried about. This is just my experience though, I hope you find something that works and that you’re comfortable with!
[Reply]
December 11th, 2015 at 3:44 pm |
Sorry to hear about your dysphoria with the Pill. Sometimes, synthetic hormonal birth control can make your reproductive system more unbalanced. If you have an ovarian cyst, I’d be worried about you taking any kind of synthetic hormones, because your reproductive system is already ‘angry’ (your word) and synthetic hormones don’t cure underlying issues; they only mask symptoms (and sometimes create new symptoms).
Did you know you can learn to chart your cycles as a 99.6% effective method of birth control? Or that there are natural ways to get your cycles feeling better, so that you can feel more mentally and emotionally healthy? Check out the Justisse website (www.justisse.ca) for more info, as well as links to practitioners who can help you explore these options. Also, Justisse practitioners are trained to respect diverse gender identities.
[Reply]
January 31st, 2016 at 3:06 pm |
If you’re already using hormonal stuff, why not mirena? I ultimately chose a copper iud because I react poorly to hormones but if I had already had good experiences with hormonal bc I’d have used mirena. Also, the copper iud really is a good option — most side effects stop after three cycles. My only side effects were increased cramps and heavier periods but those faded after 3 cycles and the peace of mind is worth it.
[Reply]
February 4th, 2016 at 12:52 pm |
Hi everyone! Question asker here, reporting back. Thank you all for your comments. <3
I submitted this in… July or August, I think? In September 2015, I had laparoscopic surgery to remove the cyst, and the surgeon performed a tubal ligation at the same time.
I still have periods, but they're much more predictable now than they ever were on hormonal BC. I am 1000% sure that I never want to have children, so this was the best option for me. I may look into endometrial ablation (the procedure that Joel mentioned above) as a way of reducing bleeding if my periods get worse in my 30s.
[Reply]
February 15th, 2018 at 10:07 am |
closest chemist to me. champix starter pack dosing instructions – anti depression drugs list,
[Reply]
May 30th, 2018 at 11:28 am |
how to eat mifepristone and misoprostol tablets. misoprostol dose for blighted ovum Mifepristone and misoprostol dosage abortion – misoprostol taken by mouth. how long does oral misoprostol take to work miscarriage, what is the use of gabapentin 300 mg, diabetic neuropathy gabapentin dose Gabapentin for depression and anxiety – can i od on gabapentin gabapentin dosage for dogs for pain,
[Reply]