T O P I C R E V I E W
PandaYoghurt
Member # 96436
posted 08-05-2012 07:27 AM
I am on the combined pill and take it at about the same time every day (within an hour). I know with this I am pretty well protected from pregnancy but my boyfriend and I use condoms every time we have sex too. However, we would like to stop using condoms at least for a while to see if there's a difference in sensation for him and/or myself (as neither of us have ever had sex without a condom with any partner before and we have heard that condomless sex 'feels better'). However, I am unwilling to solely use the pill for pregnancy protection. Which secondary methods would suit the pill best? Spermicide sounds good but I think using that with the pill is slightly less effective than using male condoms with the pill. Also, I have read that it causes extra lubrication which I definitely do not need. Am I correct in saying these things about spermicide? I was wondering what other options there were for secondary methods that I could use alongside the pill? We are in a monogomous relationship and neither of us has an STI (we have been tested). Thanks.
Redskies
Member # 79774
posted 08-05-2012 08:42 AM
Hi PandaYoghurt and welcome to Scarleteen! You could have a look at this article, which has lots of information about different contraceptive methods http://www.scarleteen.com/article/sexuality/birth_control_bingo If you have any questions, do feel very free to ask. As a bit of an aside, nearly all physical sensations around sex are very individual. There's a general belief that condomless sex feels "better" - plenty of people find there's not a huge difference, or that there's a difference but they don't have a strong preference; some people will prefer the feeling of sex without a condom, others will prefer it with. Different condoms feel different for some people, too, for example, using a different brand, thinner condoms, or ribbed/dotted/otherwise patterned ones.
PandaYoghurt
Member # 96436
posted 08-05-2012 09:40 AM
I suppose my question was just relating to which two are suitable to be used together or something. For example, I know that the implant shouldn't be used with the pill. I presume two hormonal methods should never be used together? Thanks very much for linking me to that article, it was very helpful. Just as added confirmation, could you tell me whether the combined pill in conjunction with spermicide is a safe method of birth control? (Probably just being paranoid here, but I want to be absolutely sure). I may also look into the Lea's Shield that was mentioned in the article, which I hadn't known about up until now, so thanks again, and I will bear what you said about condom sensation in mind.
copper86
Member # 95710
posted 08-05-2012 11:06 AM
Hi! Redskies has given you a ton of great info! One article I use all the time is the following: "The Buddy System: Backing Up Your Birth Control With Another Method." If you go to the "Repo Depo" link at the top of any Scarleteen webpage, you'll find that article with some other helpful ones. It gives you combined effectiveness ratings of using olots of different combination methods (for example, with perfect use, the combined pill and withdrawal, used together in perfect use, are over 99 percent effective). They also show effectiveness stats for one method alone (the pill is about 92 percent effective with typical use; and 99.7 percent effective with perfect use). It has spermicide ratings, too. Good luck, and good for you for using an extra method of contraception!
Redskies
Member # 79774
posted 08-05-2012 06:21 PM
PandaYoghurt, here's the link to the article Copper mentions: http://www.scarleteen.com/article/reproduction/the_buddy_system_effectiveness_rates_for_backing_up_your_birth_control_with_a_s The pill by itself, used correctly, is a reliable method of contraception; if we don't want to become pregnant, it's a great idea to use a backup method too. From that article, the effectiveness rates for the pill by itself are 92% typical use, 99.7% perfect use; the pill and spermicide together is 97.68% effective typical use, 99.94% perfect use. As you can see from those figures, using the pill and spermicide together gives a very, very low risk of pregnancy (no method can be certain to be effective). When you're using two reliable forms of contraception together, all combinations are very effective with only very small differences in effectiveness, so at that point it's really about choosing the backup method that suits you best. Two hormonal methods of contraception shouldn't be used together unless they are (very rarely) prescribed in order to address other medical issues, or unless you have a reason to think that you haven't used your main hormonal method correctly, in which case it's reasonable to take emergency contraception.
PandaYoghurt
Member # 96436
posted 08-06-2012 10:17 AM
Ok, that's great, thanks very much to both of you for your help!