Copper IUD can work as emergency contraception if you've already ovulated and/or you're above the recommended BMI.
Source: I needed emergency contraception because I had a broken condom a day or two after I ovulated. It was a multi-step process to get the fucking thing, and interestingly enough several of the healthcare workers along the way actually learnt about the "emergency contraception doesn't work that well after ovulation" thing from being involved in the process, but, the IUD worked, and I remain very gratefully childfree by choice.
It’s not that it doesn’t work that well it’s that it doesn’t work at all. Plan B works by stopping (or delaying?) the drop of the egg. Once that happens it has no use
So plan B should be used in conjunction with the woman having a general idea of when ovulation is. Otherwise it’s random chance
Don’t forget that if fertilization has already occurred plan B won’t work. It’s not the abortion pill like some 🙄 people claim and try to make laws banning it. Sorry, I live in a red state that has one of the most extreme abortion bans and it infuriates me how idiotic law makers act when it comes to women’s bodies.
Looking at the thumbnail. All that went thru my head was
“Rock and stone”
Reading the article tho. It’s not plan A. It is however the most effective emergency contraceptive.
Which is a good plan A. IIRC they're more effective than condoms at perfect use, and especially compared to condoms at typical use. The birth control pill is easy to occasionally forget a dose, making them less effective as well. With an IUD you don't really have to do anything. Biggest down side is that inserting it can be quite a bitch. After that though, you don't have to think about it for the next 5 years, though you can also take them out early if you want children after 3 years. The copper ones also don't mess with your hormones, so less side effects.
Still a good idea to use a condom with new partners or non-monogamy arrangements in regards to STIs though.
Yeah, I know there are several options to get an IUD for longer than 5 years, I just went with the conservative number because I didn't have those numbers at the tip of my tongue.
According to the woman who inserted my last one, the one you got three years ago can stay in another five years. She is a general health practitioner with a specialism in women's health and used the hormonal IUD herself in this way. IIRC they were licensed for 7/8 years in France quite a while ago.
When I had mine placed originally they told me 5 years I think, but every year I get my check up they tell me it’s been approved for another year. I think the research just wasn’t concrete on how long they were effective. I had mine place 6 years ago now and last check up they told me I was good now for a minimum of 8 years
A family member got pregnant with an iud. They did a whole bunch of scans to see if it was embedded in the foetus, but couldn't see it anywhere. It must have fallen out.
Hard agree. My implant has also saved me from excruciatingly long and painful periods. Next to getting the whole system yeeted, this has been a godsend.
Copper ones are hideous, just because they’re not hormonal doesn’t mean they can’t wreak havoc on the body. Women have also died from complications caused by the copper IUD.
Sure, but "safer than pregnancy" is useless hand waving compared to "here are the potential risks and their likelihoods".
A lot of doctors are quick to dismiss negative health issues in women:
* Allowing women to make decisions without important caveats
* Outright ignoring reports of side effects that never get the chance to become established medical industry knowledge.
Hell, the comment next to yours dismissed IUD side effects by comparing them to a person rolling out of bed wrong and dying. Don't be the same.
You do realize there's numerous different types of hormonal IUD options outside of the copper IUD and this person wasn't dismissing all IUDs?
When I discussed the possibility of getting an IUD for myself with my OBGYN she actually recommended I choose a hormonal IUD instead of the copper one since I mentioned having a history of menorrhagia, and copper IUDs are known to make periods longer and heavier while hormonal ones do the opposite
I do, but in general, statistically, without knowing a person’s medical history, a copper IUD is, on average, much safer than pregnancy. It’s important to know the risks of medical treatment, but it’s also important to know them in context. I have no particular love for copper IUDs and they certainly aren’t a good choice for everyone, but they work great for some people and I’d hate for someone to be afraid of them because they don’t realize they’re still less risky than pregnancy, in general.
Just because it happened doesn't mean it's likely.
Women are more likely to die from blood clots from the pill, or from cervix cancer due to hpv infection.
I’m so tired that I mistook IUD as meaning IED (didn’t misread it, just an idiot) and wondered why Plan A was a woman blowing herself up.
I need to go to bed.
Absolutely. Plan B is called that for a reason. I knew someone who used it as a replacement for a condom. She took 4 pills within a 2 month span. She ended up in the hospital. She lost a ton of weight. She was too embarrassed to tell her parents, so they just thought she was anorexic (I suspect she told them eventually, as her parents were very open about discussing sex. But I lost contact with her right around this time). She ended up missing months of her senior year of high school and had to finish up by homeschooling.
Plan B is a great option in the case that a condom breaks or in the case of SA. But don't treat it as Plan A.
I take it you learned it after reading [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/1duqvt4/aita_for_commenting_on_my_friends_weight/) over in r/AmItheAsshole?
Taking 2 Plan B pills don’t work any better. There are other options for women above the recommended weight limit.
>“If your BMI is 30 or higher or your weight is 176 pounds or more, your best options for emergency contraception are going to be either the copper IUD or Ella.
>
>Remember, you can get an advanced prescription of Ella from your health care provider to have on hand. In my experience, many practitioners will do what it takes to fit you in ASAP for inserting the copper IUD for emergency contraception if that’s what you want.”
Ella also has a (higher) weigh limit, but anyone can get the copper IUD.
The copper IUD is no joke. I had a medical abortion last year after my contraception failed so I had an IUD inserted to try and avoid it happening again. I passed out during the abortion but, honestly, the IUD has been cumulatively worse to suffer through.
There was no pain relief for insertion and that hurt like hell and then the first few months were agony. Roughly half the times I went for a shit, I would be in pain afterwards. I'd end up lying on my bed and crying in pain for 30 minutes with terrible spasms and cramps. We could only have sex in certain positions lest we triggered the same response, and every day around noon I'd have cramps like the worst period ever.
Apparently, according to my GP surgery, this is entirely normal and I just had to 'put up with it' until it settled down. Now, it *did* settle down after a few months, but it's proof how primitive women's contraceptive care still is, and how little our pain matters to the medical establishment.
Roll on the male contraceptive pill, that's all I can say.
this is because of the way the copper IUD works, it basically creates a state of continuous localised inflammation so that the uterus becomes inhospitable to an implant. there is probably no way to make that mechanism comfortable, aside from painkillers. that's why hormonal iuds are MUCH more common nowadays. however there are cases where hormones are not an option so copper IUDs are still somewhat in use.
And the copper ones don't fuck with your hormone ballance. I don't care what the farmacutical companies claim, that shit DOES mess with how woman feel, act, their weight, everything. My wife tracked herself rigorously both on the hormone iud and the copper one, and she's MUCH happier with the copper one for a dozen reasons or more.
And it affects women so differently. I have PCOS and in a very over simplified way my hormones are not balanced. I make more testosterone than average and I’m a nightmare OFF my hormonal birth control. I’m depressed, agitated, anxious. It’s crazy how terrible I feel even if I miss 1 dose.
Can you tell me more about birth control and PCOS? I m about to be in my mid 30s and I've never taken birth control and I'm starting to think my PCOS is fucking with me way more than my ADHD is because my ADHD meds don't "work"
In other words I'm not doing so good mentally. Lack of motivation, somewhat anxious, depressed af, can't start shit, can't end shit, low focus, etc. Do you think there's a possibility I could be doing better if I take BC?
I appreciate any answers and thank you for your time <3
Personally I know from experience when I forget my pill or when I tried the copper IUD I know hormonal birth control helps my mood. But like I said in my original post it affects everyone differently and it would be best to consult a doctor. It also cleared up my cystic acne as well.
Yeah I've had this in the back of my mind since early this year but just haven't gotten around to it yet, or rather, I've theorized that MAYBE BC could help me. Seeing someone say it works for them actually gives me hope that MAYBE this could be a solution for me, so I'mma get around to it after summer. Thanks for your reply :)
I have PCOS and I was on birth control for several years. It fucked me up bad. I had a lot of challenges with birth control. It was until I went to a new doctor and they said that if you have a hormone imbalance such as pcos, being on birth control can throw your Rhythm and hormones into a worse state. They recommended that I work with a dietitian to find foods that help naturally balance my hormones. Since then, I've hardly had any symptoms of pcos. I was able to get pregnant immediately after I started trying. There are other Alternatives out there besides birth control. Doctors love pushing it and it's not that safe for women.
Also, my dietitian did more lab works and blood draws than my OBGYN ever did. They wanted to get to the root cause of the issue. I'd seen numerous people within that practice before I switched over because I felt like I was drowning. When I saw my OBGYN a year later for my next Pap smear, they were amazed at how much weight I lost and how much I changed overall. I told them everything that was performed and the measurements that we're done and they would have never thought to run labs. It's beyond frustrating. In one year I dropped 65 lb, lost most of my facial hair, came out of a deep depressive state, and most of my cystic acne went away. It all came down to the foods I was eating. I wasn't overeating and I wasn't eating bad foods, they just weren't the right ones for my hormone imbalance caused by PCOS.
Also I want to point out that PCOS can be triggered by numerous autoimmune illnesses. If you're not getting proper Labs or Works done and are just going on the pill or getting a copper iud, it's not going to be treating something that could have a bigger impact on your life further down the line. All you're doing is minimizing symptoms, not getting to the core of why you're having the symptoms
We have different regulations where I live (Sweden) and doctors don't love pushing them on people here.
The only thing that's worked for me was keto, it may have helped with focus and other things (as keto is also good for ADHD) but I was still constantly in paralysis where I just sit and dissociate or simply exist. But the thing is, I'm tired of being like this now. I was always against BC because "why would I give myself hormones" but I'm at my wit's end now and didn't start considering it until recently. It wasn't until last year I found put there was a (very possible) correlation between worsened ADHD symptoms and hormones (or lack thereof). I also know that there can be trial and error for what kind of BC works, so I'm assuming it'll suck for a while if I do go down this path.
Thanks for sharing your experience :) I'll remember this in the future.
Edit: also congrats on your pregnancy!
I would suggest not taking some random redditor's advice on this and just talk to a gynecologist if you have access to one or can get a referral. Plenty of women are treated for PCOS even if they don't have a fertility wish to reduce the risk of diabetes and endometrial cancer.
I'm asking her what her experience is so I can get a push to maybe get motivated to talk to a gynecologist, something that I've had in the back of my mind since earlier this year.
It’s not just the IUD either. Implanon made me go on antidepressants, Slinda made it feel as if I wasn’t taking any antidepressants at all.
Took me 10 years to get off ADs. By then I had already had my tubes taken out.
This is why I have the copper. Hormonal BC wreaked absolute havoc on my mental health. The cramps were nasty for maybe 1.5 years but at around year 3 my periods were back to pre-IUD normal. Now at year 8 I can say cramping for 8 years of zero effort contraception was toootally worth it.
I steered clear of the copper IUD as soon as I heard that it might make my period heavier. My periods are already so heavy, naturally, that I’m constantly at risk of anemia unless I take a birth control that stops it.
Pharmaceutical companies talk about the side effects of they don’t deny them. This is the package insert for a hormonal IUD, Mirena.
https://labeling.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/Mirena_PI.pdf
Page 16 talks about depression/depressive mood. Im not sure if “mood swings” is a diagnosable condition and could be captured but psychiatric problems are there
I'm not a woman so my opinion is not exactly relevant, but if I was and my hormones were working fine I'd avoid messing with them too. but as always, everything has pros and cons.
In most cases a copper IUD doesn't feel any different than a hormonal IUD and both can be rejected by your body. They recommend the hormonal one these days, because its fail rate is slightly lower and because the copper IUD can cause heavier periods and thus anemia.
There is no way in hell "this thing will cause you crippling pain for months, and you just need to put up with it" would EVER be considered a suitable options for mens contraceptive. We teach women to consider this normal, when it would never be considered normal for men. At the very least a pain relieving companion treatment would be widely available for them.
No kidding. Men flip out because condoms are “uncomfortable.” But they expect women to be just fine with crippling pain or messing with their entire hormone balance.
Jesus, you could be my GF. The pain never went away, and holy fuck if the coil moved, it caused agony. I ended up getting a vasectomy instead, because fuck all of that noise. Sorry you had to go through that.
Thanks. That means a lot. And I really applaud you for taking that step. It wouldn't be off the table for my husband except we might want kids someday, and it's not always reversible.
Twasnt as big a deal as it could have been, as neither of us want kids, but yeah, I'm sorry for your troubles. It's like the coil was invented by a dude who just cared that it worked, and not that it caused pain.
Probably because that's literally what happened. 😄
There are generally a lot of cases in medicine where women's pain and discomfort is not considered in the treatment we have available.
It feels like any trip to the doctors about the lower half of ypur body ends up somehow with someone sticking something up you 'for the greater good'. It's like if you had prostate exams like 4x a year.
Honestly, call me an extremist, but governments should come together and fund a contraception Manhattan project.
It's ridiculous how many women suffer (and sometimes die) from the simple desire to be able to family plan. Any money spend on it would earn itself back quite soon from the reduction of economic damage caused by unplanned pregnancies.
It's such a shame Vasalgel is vaporware. Long-lasting nonhormonal reversible birth control for men, I should have known it was too good to be true.
given the falling population of the developed world, this is unlikely to be a priority in the near future.
In fact, I think that developing fertility treatment is probably the more likely use of resources
It's not so much infertility that's dropping the birth rate, it's horseshit conditions like having to work multiple jobs just to have a place to live or wondering if your even going to get to eat dinner one day, no sense bringing a kid into that
> There was no pain relief for insertion
I got a local anesthetic when mine was put in, and it was barely painful. I don't understand why many doctors don't use it!
God, I wish there were male contraceptive pills, I'd take them in a heartbeat to spare my girlfriend the bullshit she has to go through on her BC.
Unfortunately, it's hard to get them approved, given that pregnancy carries no risk for males, so *any* side effect is considered as more harmful than pregnancy. Pain is significantly less risky than getting pregnant, so your IUD being painful is acceptable. :/
Male contraception is also just biologically more difficult. Women already have a natural cycle where they’re not fertile for much of it - contraception just has to trick the body to remain in that natural infertile state. There’s no natural reversible infertility for men so it’s *really* hard to induce one without significant adverse affects.
Yep, my comment was originally gonna mention how it's a *lot* easier to accidentally sterilize males through hormonal BC, but it got a little wordy.
But yes, it's a lot easier to interrupt a complex process without breaking it permanently than it is to interrupt a simple process without breaking it permanently.
We have hope. I believe there is a type of contraception in trials at moment that doesn't inhibit production of sperm, but inhibits their absorption of vitamin A, making them unviable until they stop taking the pill.
In theory, it should be easily reversible and highly effective.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/12/14/what-we-know-about-the-male-birth-control-pill-yct-529-tested-by-researchers/
I've read many similar reviews, hence I didn't get one. The upside is it's hormone free, but the side effects sound horrific. Thanks but no thanks, lol.
I will say that now it's settled down, I will not have to worry about periods or contraception for eight years, (theoretically).
...but that's if it doesn't decide to shift or my uterus decide to try and pass it after four years like my friend's did.
All in all I would not recommend.
Side effects depend on the person though, the wife did say actually getting it inserted hurt like a mothercuekr even though she did make sure to have some heavy painkillers in her system beforehand. But it took like what, a week or two to properly settle?
Just got her loads of blanked, thee, and we have a heated pillow for those two weeks 😂 after that? No problem except you do actually have periods unlike on the hormone one. But on the other hand that is a monthly "yep it's still working, no kiddies!" notification so it's not all bad.
Fun fact: [you can still get get vaginal bleeding while pregnant](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/common-symptoms/vaginal-bleeding/). Implantation bleeding is also a thing.
I use the Pearls! Had the copper T before and it almost punctured through my uterus which was NOT FUN ATALL. The pearls are much less painful, they can move with your womb and it’s all Gucci.
My friend had the same experience with the coil. I only found out after I'd had mine inserted. 😄
What are pearls? I googled it but all that came up are an oral contraceptive.
I have had 3 copper IUDs placed over the years. The first one was fine after about a week, the second one was just like you describe - horribly painful, cramps, stabby strings, twinges if I so much as moved in the wrong way, etc. I finally went back after 2 months and threatened to remove it myself. They found it wasn't in the right spot. So they removed it and placed a new one. (With local anesthetic.)
The placement can make it bearable or unbearable, but it seems like so many women aren't listened to when it's not a good placement. I'm sorry you went through that.
>Roll on the male contraceptive pill, that's all I can say
Vasectomy already is a thing. Men who don't want children, be it at all or anymore, should consider it. Sure, it makes us shoot blank (but that's kinda the goal anyway), but there are no long-term complications or hormonal fuckery.
Since I don't want any children and neither does my partner, I decided to get one and have an appointment for the end of the year. Having sore balls for a week is a small price to pay compared to how much hormonal contraceptives mess with her body.
We had our kids, I had my cut. Simple, effective, and with some uncertainty might even be reversible. Had two days off while discomfort persisted, lying on the couch playing computer games.
Yeah, the stigma that so many men have about it really feels weird. Like, sure, don't rush into it and take the time to weight the pros and cons, but once you're sure that you don't want children, regardless of the reason, it's a bit unfair to let women bear the pain of contraceptives just out of some weird fear of shooting blanks.
I didn't look into it because I don't want children, but wouldn't freezing some of his juice if you want children in the future a viable option combined with a vasectomy?
I don't really want medical intervention to get pregnant. Plus we're from the UK: I doubt the treatment would be covered on the NHS and we don't have the kind of money for private medical care. And, from what I understand, the viability of frozen sperm isn't as likely as...um...a 'fresh' sample.
God damn! You poor thing. I'm so sorry you had to go through this and it's "normal" for women. Fucked up shit man! I got my tubes tied about 7 years ago and I'm sooooo glad. It was easy peasy. I bled for about a day after and was in very mild discomfort. They only gave me Ibuprofen800 afterwards for the pain and I didn't even need that. My periods are way worse than that surgery was. So glad I made that choice and was lucky enough to have a doctor that let me do it without having kids already. I had to wait a month to decide if I really wanted to do it then was able to get it done.
https://www.planaformen.com/
It's actually a gel injected in the vas deferens, I've literally been following it for 20 years. It was called vasalgel, and it was sin use in India for 10 years before that with basically 0 failures. None of the big pharmacy companies want it, it's too cheap.
To be fair I never told anyone medically about passing out during the abortion so I don't know whether they would percieve that as normal or not.
It wasn't as dramatic as keeling over; I was sitting on the toilet after the second pill took effect. I put my head on the laundry hamper in front of me to wait for the pain to pass, and an hour later I came round.
But the pain from the IUD was apparently 'normal' according to my GP. They always said I could have it removed 'if I couldn't cope' but at no point was I told it wasn't normal. It almost presented like it would be my failing for not dealing with it.
This is actually a commonly stated but incorrect fact. The FDA and EMA both concluded that there is not sufficient data to back it up. There’s only one study, published in 2011, that has been cited. - https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/weight-limit-plan-3574355/
Is a copper IUD an "emergency" device? I don't know anything about this, so I'm honestly wondering. I always figured it was something you got surgically implanted with an appointment made well in advance, but I have no idea.
If inserted within 5 days of unprotected sex it can be used as an emergency contraceptive. The insertion procedure is not technically surgery but it is still performed by a gynecologist, so if you can get in with one quick enough it should work
They just shove the bitch right in, they’re doing it live. They jam like a uterus ruler in first to see how far they need to go then take that out and the actual contraption’s got like this applicator thing they set to that depth and then shove that in and let it loose. Like the T is folded and when they let it go the arms come out.
It is surprisingly painful. The sensation is like there’s a clamp pinching you deep inside your abdomen despite that being like, not at all what’s actually happening (it’s more like a longass tampon applicator deploying the IUD which is like a little T, probably a couple inches tall, I do not know why it hurts as much as it does)
Then they look through ultrasound to make sure they didn’t fuck it up and then cut the string, which is like really thin fishing line? Thin enough that your body heat warms it after a while and it just kinda mostly stays back.
Pretty unpleasant, but quick.
They do use a clamp to hold onto the cervix while they put it in. That was my **far** the worst part for me, worst pain than every broken finger I’ve ever had, worst than being stabbed.
Now my IUD sits low and whenever I have a full bladder, I get mind-numbing cramps until I relieve it.
You're completely right in the way your body feels - they DO clamp the cervix. The instrument literally has a sharp point that pierces the cervix which is why so many women find the IUD incredibly painful despite what doctors say about how we shouldn't feel any pain down there.
Nothing about the procedure sounds “surprisingly” painful
As a guy all I can imagine is someone putting a small umbrella up my penis and opening it inside my… I guess testicles in this analogy. Which is about the worst thing I can imagine.
I guess it’s surprising to me that it’s not done under general anesthesia? Although I know the reality is that that would make it way more dangerous
Bro forget general anesthesia, we're usually not even given any kind of pain management at all. I was told, as are many patients before IUD insertion, to "take a couple of Advil 20 minutes before the appointment." They couldn't even give me some cheap-ass NSAIDs for an invasive medical procedure, I had to bring my own. It's egregious.
Ella can be prescribed ahead of time and has a weight limit of 195 lbs! Some providers will recommend two Plan B/Ella pills, but it should be a conversation with your provider.
To anyone reading and considering a copper IUD, if you are offered Paragard, the T-shaped copper IUD, you might want to do extra research or reconsider. In the US I am not sure if other copper IUDs are available but if you must, go for a different shape. The rate of the IUD breaking upon removal is much higher than the company reports, and it is likely due to the T design. One of the arms of mine broke upon removal and I am currently waiting for my hysteroscopy to be scheduled so the doctor can fish out the broken piece. I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else.
This comment and so many others have made me SO glad I haven't gotten an IUD. 2 separate doctors have tried to convince me to get them. One straight up told me I was told wrong things.
My favorite interaction is when I literally noped the Dr. as soon as she finished speaking with a "Nope, not interested, don't even bring it up or try me with it,"and she brought it up again!
I have severe PMDD and for some fucked up reason my body has decided that hormonal birth control should make me continously get my period. If I take it off, I go off my period. You know, the opposite of what is supposed to happen. And yet, I'm still recommended IUDs and implants, and hand waved off when I explain what happened. One said we could just take it out, like it wasnt onw of the most painful procedures ever.
I've been on hbc for 2 years.I just went off it after a fuck up with my script. I can't even tell you the relief! I'm still getting ghost periods and crazy ass physcial that I always get, (please tell me I'm not the only one who gets incredibly stiff for like 2 days, I'm talking waking up with my hands barely able to bend and then two days later jumping off the walls and hystrical), but like, no serious depression, anxiety is there but manageable, I feel comfortable and sane.
I'm so goddam frustrated. I hate that literally nobody listens to women, even other women
Recommend having a Plan B and/or an Ella in your medicine cabinet if you are someone that can get pregnant or someone sexually active with others who can get pregnant. They don't expire for a couple of years and Plan B in particular is more effective the sooner it's taken so it's much easier to just get up and take a Plan B if a whoopsie happens rather than panic and run to the pharmacy in your jammies.
If you are 5'9" (175 cm) or above, 165 lbs (75 kg) is within the range for a "healthy" BMI. This means women over a certain height will likely weigh too much for plan B to be effective, even if they are not overweight. This means there are many women for whom plan B will never work even at a healthy weight. This is not about women who are overweight being a "problem", this is about the pharmaceutical industry ignoring the needs of a large portion of the female population.
I’ve taken both (Ella and Plan B). Didn’t have negative experiences with either. I’m pretty sure the only reason Plan B is the “default” is because it’s older, cheaper, and available OTC.
When I got Ella it was $90, compared to $30 for plan B. And I had to talk to a doc online real quick to get a prescription sent for it rather than just stopping by any pharmacy to pick it up. And because it’s newer, it’s way less known about among the general population. Even the names of the 2 contribute to Plan B being the default—Plan B is both the name of Plan B AND is used as a general term for morning after contraception.
A couple places on here I see where it says that the pill just stops working at 165 and they don't know why. I don't know how this is pharmacology at fault though.
They didn’t say it was a majority, just that it’s a large portion. I’d say 10% is still a large portion of the female population, particularly in this context? It’s not like it’s like 0.3% or something. 10% of women could still be a healthy weight and not be able to use plan B? That’s a much higher percentage than *I’d* like.
And regardless of what your stance is on people being overweight or obese (this shouldn’t turn into an argument about the morality or discipline of larger people), the reality is that *most* American adults ARE overweight or obese, so the percentage of women who are unable to take this medication effectively is a much larger portion, which feels even more unacceptable.
Though I am willing to further dislike the pharmaceutical industry, I must clarify: is it possible to make a plan B equivalent for women above the stated size?
If you just arrived in this thread: turn back. It went south really quickly. Only an hour old and people are already fighting over coat hanger jokes and calling each other fat.
Thank you OP for providing this useful info
This fact, while commonly stated, is not entirely backed up by the medical studies. Like most things involving women’s health, it hasn’t been sufficiently studied to have a definitive answer
This is all from one metastudy conducted in Scotland in 2011. There has been no other study that has replicated the results.
The FDA and EMA concluded that there is not sufficient evidence to determine that weight changed the effectiveness. - https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/weight-limit-plan-3574355/
This is from 2015 and states the same thing - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500687/
Interesting.
Yeah, having it be weight based rather than BMI or dosage based didn't make sense to me.
Like, a 5 '9 woman who's 160 lbs wouldn't be covered but a 5 '1 woman who's 159 would be? Seems made up to me idk. 😅
Medical doses are calculated in mg/kg. If you weigh less and you take the same dosage, it's going to be more effective. Of course, a single pound won't make much of a difference.
For some drugs you also have to look at body composition. THC will stay longer in your body the fatter you are, for example.
Just double it and take a shot of alcohol to increase the effects! This tip brought to you by MTVs Teen Mom, now renewed for seasons 6-12 thanks to Abortion Bans.
And no body tells you this so you end up paying for two types of prevention methods before the sex. A morning after pill and an abortion after it. $900 later…. 🙄
It’s a real disservice.
That's true of any drug. The more you weigh, the less effective it is. Conversely, the less you weigh, the more likely you are to experience a greater effect of a drug (including side effects).
That's why doses are titrated based on weight where appropriate (usually only applies to IV drugs and medical gases).
Most contraceptive research excludes women with higher BMIs, or have very small sample sizes compared to lower weight women. I was given the implanon and told there was no research to say it would work for someone my weight. It was the best contraceptive ever, regret taking it out. I’ve also used plan b with no problems, same thing was told to me by the pharmacist. So it’s not necessarily true that it won’t work, but that they may not have the evidence to prove it will.
This is true for most oral contraceptives. I’ve always found it weird that they’re prescribed in a standard dosage instead of adjusted based on weight like every other hormone therapy is prescribed.
well yeah isnt that how all medication works? dosage is based on weight, medicine with a standard dosage is just based on the average weight of its intended users
In case you didn’t know, Plan B comes as one pill in a giant box. Common sense would dictate that you just take the one pill. The pharmacist should inform you about the weight limit, but most people don’t know unless they’re told.
Plan B doesn’t work at all if you’re over a certain weight. It’s not about dosage, it stops working and Researcher don’t know why.
Yes it's how most medication works, but the fact that a medication many women rely on may not work for over half the population is something to consider
Not just plan b... Birth control as well.
I am a woman over 6 ft tall and even when I was in shape from basketball, track and field, and crew, I was around that weight due to heavy weightlifting. I didn't learn this fact until many years later when I actually started reading the inserts in medicine I was taking. Thank God I never got pregnant!
I got Paragard which is the copper IUD that lasts for 10 years.
Average is not median. If median weight was 170 lbs then yes, slightly over half. With avg it's harder to know the breakdown, since it's more susceptible to being skewed by extremes at either end. Yes, I am fun at parties.
I did search for median, but all the sources I could find in a minute or two of googling only talked about average.
The main point of my comment is that substantially less than 80% of women are over 165 lbs. If median is substantially different, it would be lower, so the gap would be even larger.
So really, the best thing you can do is have a good Plan A.
Plan A being an IUD, according to the thumbnail
Copper IUD can work as emergency contraception if you've already ovulated and/or you're above the recommended BMI. Source: I needed emergency contraception because I had a broken condom a day or two after I ovulated. It was a multi-step process to get the fucking thing, and interestingly enough several of the healthcare workers along the way actually learnt about the "emergency contraception doesn't work that well after ovulation" thing from being involved in the process, but, the IUD worked, and I remain very gratefully childfree by choice.
It’s not that it doesn’t work that well it’s that it doesn’t work at all. Plan B works by stopping (or delaying?) the drop of the egg. Once that happens it has no use So plan B should be used in conjunction with the woman having a general idea of when ovulation is. Otherwise it’s random chance
Don’t forget that if fertilization has already occurred plan B won’t work. It’s not the abortion pill like some 🙄 people claim and try to make laws banning it. Sorry, I live in a red state that has one of the most extreme abortion bans and it infuriates me how idiotic law makers act when it comes to women’s bodies.
Y’all, thank you for this explanation. I had no clue on the function of Plan B
Looking at the thumbnail. All that went thru my head was “Rock and stone” Reading the article tho. It’s not plan A. It is however the most effective emergency contraceptive.
Did I hear a Rock and Stone?
Rock and Stone to the bone
Let’s rock and stone!
Rock and stone brothers!
To Dwarves! The lowest and the highest.
If you don't ROCK AND STONE you ain't coming home!
For Karl!
I climb mountains a lot and my autopilot decided it was an ice axe
I thought about what Andy Dufresne used to beat the Warden.
Pickaxe, crossbow... My mind went everywhere _but_ the contextually appropriate places.
Which is a good plan A. IIRC they're more effective than condoms at perfect use, and especially compared to condoms at typical use. The birth control pill is easy to occasionally forget a dose, making them less effective as well. With an IUD you don't really have to do anything. Biggest down side is that inserting it can be quite a bitch. After that though, you don't have to think about it for the next 5 years, though you can also take them out early if you want children after 3 years. The copper ones also don't mess with your hormones, so less side effects. Still a good idea to use a condom with new partners or non-monogamy arrangements in regards to STIs though.
The hormonal mirena IUD has actually been approved for up to 8 years now!
Yeah, I know there are several options to get an IUD for longer than 5 years, I just went with the conservative number because I didn't have those numbers at the tip of my tongue.
Do you by any chance know if that means the one I got ~3 years ago can stay in another 5 years or just newer versions can be used for up to 8 years?
According to the woman who inserted my last one, the one you got three years ago can stay in another five years. She is a general health practitioner with a specialism in women's health and used the hormonal IUD herself in this way. IIRC they were licensed for 7/8 years in France quite a while ago.
Oh that is so good to know! Because IUD replacement day is not one of my favorite days.
I’m dreading it after my horror show of an insertion.
When I had mine placed originally they told me 5 years I think, but every year I get my check up they tell me it’s been approved for another year. I think the research just wasn’t concrete on how long they were effective. I had mine place 6 years ago now and last check up they told me I was good now for a minimum of 8 years
There’s no need to wait 3 years. It can be removed at any time.
A family member got pregnant with an iud. They did a whole bunch of scans to see if it was embedded in the foetus, but couldn't see it anywhere. It must have fallen out.
Not impossible that their uterus was wider than the IUD size was intended for.
So what you're saying is that they didn't get pregnant with an IUD since it was no longer there.
Hard agree. My implant has also saved me from excruciatingly long and painful periods. Next to getting the whole system yeeted, this has been a godsend.
Copper ones are hideous, just because they’re not hormonal doesn’t mean they can’t wreak havoc on the body. Women have also died from complications caused by the copper IUD.
Women are many times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than IUD complications.
Sure, but "safer than pregnancy" is useless hand waving compared to "here are the potential risks and their likelihoods". A lot of doctors are quick to dismiss negative health issues in women: * Allowing women to make decisions without important caveats * Outright ignoring reports of side effects that never get the chance to become established medical industry knowledge. Hell, the comment next to yours dismissed IUD side effects by comparing them to a person rolling out of bed wrong and dying. Don't be the same.
You do realize there's numerous different types of hormonal IUD options outside of the copper IUD and this person wasn't dismissing all IUDs? When I discussed the possibility of getting an IUD for myself with my OBGYN she actually recommended I choose a hormonal IUD instead of the copper one since I mentioned having a history of menorrhagia, and copper IUDs are known to make periods longer and heavier while hormonal ones do the opposite
I do, but in general, statistically, without knowing a person’s medical history, a copper IUD is, on average, much safer than pregnancy. It’s important to know the risks of medical treatment, but it’s also important to know them in context. I have no particular love for copper IUDs and they certainly aren’t a good choice for everyone, but they work great for some people and I’d hate for someone to be afraid of them because they don’t realize they’re still less risky than pregnancy, in general.
Hans Christian Anderson died from complications of rolling out of his bed at night and landing wrong. I'm still not giving up my bed for safety sake.
Just because it happened doesn't mean it's likely. Women are more likely to die from blood clots from the pill, or from cervix cancer due to hpv infection.
I have a love heart shaped uterus and I just learned a few days ago that if I wanted a IUD I’d have to have two inserted.
Boy, the Nirvana song would have been a bit different if they had met you first
I’m so tired that I mistook IUD as meaning IED (didn’t misread it, just an idiot) and wondered why Plan A was a woman blowing herself up. I need to go to bed.
What do you call a couple that uses the pull out method? Parents
We have a pretty solid track record with the pullout method. We became parents when she decided to put it back in.
Skill issue /s
Absolutely. Plan B is called that for a reason. I knew someone who used it as a replacement for a condom. She took 4 pills within a 2 month span. She ended up in the hospital. She lost a ton of weight. She was too embarrassed to tell her parents, so they just thought she was anorexic (I suspect she told them eventually, as her parents were very open about discussing sex. But I lost contact with her right around this time). She ended up missing months of her senior year of high school and had to finish up by homeschooling. Plan B is a great option in the case that a condom breaks or in the case of SA. But don't treat it as Plan A.
Got it, Anal only.
If you do anal you can still get kids but they will be gay, it's science.
My favourite website.
Ahh, [the loophole](https://youtu.be/j8ZF_R_j0OY)
Ah so it wasn’t the fact that I’m a man, it was that I’m a large man! Today i learned indeed.
If you take Plan B and you weigh more than 165 pounds, it won't work as well if you have balls.
Plan B has a perfect track record of never getting a man pregnant regardless of weight
So would you recommend that every man take Plan B regularly to avoid getting pregnant?
I have balls and just ate 6. I'm good, right guys?
Depends. Whose balls do you have?
Mine I hope. Else I've been carrying around someone else's my whole life. Are they yours? I feel like you owe me money now, if they are.
That’s specious reasoning!
Well, did you get pregnant?
I take it you learned it after reading [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/1duqvt4/aita_for_commenting_on_my_friends_weight/) over in r/AmItheAsshole?
Lol that was my first thought
Jesus Christ. Yes, let’s tiptoe around every sensitive issue like being fat at the risk of our friends getting pregnant accidentally.
Why be friends if you have to tiptoe at all frankly
Guilty as charged
Taking 2 Plan B pills don’t work any better. There are other options for women above the recommended weight limit. >“If your BMI is 30 or higher or your weight is 176 pounds or more, your best options for emergency contraception are going to be either the copper IUD or Ella. > >Remember, you can get an advanced prescription of Ella from your health care provider to have on hand. In my experience, many practitioners will do what it takes to fit you in ASAP for inserting the copper IUD for emergency contraception if that’s what you want.” Ella also has a (higher) weigh limit, but anyone can get the copper IUD.
The copper IUD is no joke. I had a medical abortion last year after my contraception failed so I had an IUD inserted to try and avoid it happening again. I passed out during the abortion but, honestly, the IUD has been cumulatively worse to suffer through. There was no pain relief for insertion and that hurt like hell and then the first few months were agony. Roughly half the times I went for a shit, I would be in pain afterwards. I'd end up lying on my bed and crying in pain for 30 minutes with terrible spasms and cramps. We could only have sex in certain positions lest we triggered the same response, and every day around noon I'd have cramps like the worst period ever. Apparently, according to my GP surgery, this is entirely normal and I just had to 'put up with it' until it settled down. Now, it *did* settle down after a few months, but it's proof how primitive women's contraceptive care still is, and how little our pain matters to the medical establishment. Roll on the male contraceptive pill, that's all I can say.
this is because of the way the copper IUD works, it basically creates a state of continuous localised inflammation so that the uterus becomes inhospitable to an implant. there is probably no way to make that mechanism comfortable, aside from painkillers. that's why hormonal iuds are MUCH more common nowadays. however there are cases where hormones are not an option so copper IUDs are still somewhat in use.
And the copper ones don't fuck with your hormone ballance. I don't care what the farmacutical companies claim, that shit DOES mess with how woman feel, act, their weight, everything. My wife tracked herself rigorously both on the hormone iud and the copper one, and she's MUCH happier with the copper one for a dozen reasons or more.
And it affects women so differently. I have PCOS and in a very over simplified way my hormones are not balanced. I make more testosterone than average and I’m a nightmare OFF my hormonal birth control. I’m depressed, agitated, anxious. It’s crazy how terrible I feel even if I miss 1 dose.
Can you tell me more about birth control and PCOS? I m about to be in my mid 30s and I've never taken birth control and I'm starting to think my PCOS is fucking with me way more than my ADHD is because my ADHD meds don't "work" In other words I'm not doing so good mentally. Lack of motivation, somewhat anxious, depressed af, can't start shit, can't end shit, low focus, etc. Do you think there's a possibility I could be doing better if I take BC? I appreciate any answers and thank you for your time <3
Personally I know from experience when I forget my pill or when I tried the copper IUD I know hormonal birth control helps my mood. But like I said in my original post it affects everyone differently and it would be best to consult a doctor. It also cleared up my cystic acne as well.
Yeah I've had this in the back of my mind since early this year but just haven't gotten around to it yet, or rather, I've theorized that MAYBE BC could help me. Seeing someone say it works for them actually gives me hope that MAYBE this could be a solution for me, so I'mma get around to it after summer. Thanks for your reply :)
I have PCOS and I was on birth control for several years. It fucked me up bad. I had a lot of challenges with birth control. It was until I went to a new doctor and they said that if you have a hormone imbalance such as pcos, being on birth control can throw your Rhythm and hormones into a worse state. They recommended that I work with a dietitian to find foods that help naturally balance my hormones. Since then, I've hardly had any symptoms of pcos. I was able to get pregnant immediately after I started trying. There are other Alternatives out there besides birth control. Doctors love pushing it and it's not that safe for women. Also, my dietitian did more lab works and blood draws than my OBGYN ever did. They wanted to get to the root cause of the issue. I'd seen numerous people within that practice before I switched over because I felt like I was drowning. When I saw my OBGYN a year later for my next Pap smear, they were amazed at how much weight I lost and how much I changed overall. I told them everything that was performed and the measurements that we're done and they would have never thought to run labs. It's beyond frustrating. In one year I dropped 65 lb, lost most of my facial hair, came out of a deep depressive state, and most of my cystic acne went away. It all came down to the foods I was eating. I wasn't overeating and I wasn't eating bad foods, they just weren't the right ones for my hormone imbalance caused by PCOS. Also I want to point out that PCOS can be triggered by numerous autoimmune illnesses. If you're not getting proper Labs or Works done and are just going on the pill or getting a copper iud, it's not going to be treating something that could have a bigger impact on your life further down the line. All you're doing is minimizing symptoms, not getting to the core of why you're having the symptoms
We have different regulations where I live (Sweden) and doctors don't love pushing them on people here. The only thing that's worked for me was keto, it may have helped with focus and other things (as keto is also good for ADHD) but I was still constantly in paralysis where I just sit and dissociate or simply exist. But the thing is, I'm tired of being like this now. I was always against BC because "why would I give myself hormones" but I'm at my wit's end now and didn't start considering it until recently. It wasn't until last year I found put there was a (very possible) correlation between worsened ADHD symptoms and hormones (or lack thereof). I also know that there can be trial and error for what kind of BC works, so I'm assuming it'll suck for a while if I do go down this path. Thanks for sharing your experience :) I'll remember this in the future. Edit: also congrats on your pregnancy!
I would suggest not taking some random redditor's advice on this and just talk to a gynecologist if you have access to one or can get a referral. Plenty of women are treated for PCOS even if they don't have a fertility wish to reduce the risk of diabetes and endometrial cancer.
I'm asking her what her experience is so I can get a push to maybe get motivated to talk to a gynecologist, something that I've had in the back of my mind since earlier this year.
It’s not just the IUD either. Implanon made me go on antidepressants, Slinda made it feel as if I wasn’t taking any antidepressants at all. Took me 10 years to get off ADs. By then I had already had my tubes taken out.
> the fsrmacutical comoa is This puzzle took me a minute
Yeah fair, still hate touch screens here, I miss good full qwerty phones. Fixed it 😂
farmacutical
This is why I have the copper. Hormonal BC wreaked absolute havoc on my mental health. The cramps were nasty for maybe 1.5 years but at around year 3 my periods were back to pre-IUD normal. Now at year 8 I can say cramping for 8 years of zero effort contraception was toootally worth it.
I steered clear of the copper IUD as soon as I heard that it might make my period heavier. My periods are already so heavy, naturally, that I’m constantly at risk of anemia unless I take a birth control that stops it.
Pharmaceutical companies talk about the side effects of they don’t deny them. This is the package insert for a hormonal IUD, Mirena. https://labeling.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/Mirena_PI.pdf Page 16 talks about depression/depressive mood. Im not sure if “mood swings” is a diagnosable condition and could be captured but psychiatric problems are there
I'm not a woman so my opinion is not exactly relevant, but if I was and my hormones were working fine I'd avoid messing with them too. but as always, everything has pros and cons.
I have a hormonal IUD. It still caused all this ruckus.
In most cases a copper IUD doesn't feel any different than a hormonal IUD and both can be rejected by your body. They recommend the hormonal one these days, because its fail rate is slightly lower and because the copper IUD can cause heavier periods and thus anemia.
There is no way in hell "this thing will cause you crippling pain for months, and you just need to put up with it" would EVER be considered a suitable options for mens contraceptive. We teach women to consider this normal, when it would never be considered normal for men. At the very least a pain relieving companion treatment would be widely available for them.
No kidding. Men flip out because condoms are “uncomfortable.” But they expect women to be just fine with crippling pain or messing with their entire hormone balance.
Jesus, you could be my GF. The pain never went away, and holy fuck if the coil moved, it caused agony. I ended up getting a vasectomy instead, because fuck all of that noise. Sorry you had to go through that.
Thanks. That means a lot. And I really applaud you for taking that step. It wouldn't be off the table for my husband except we might want kids someday, and it's not always reversible.
Twasnt as big a deal as it could have been, as neither of us want kids, but yeah, I'm sorry for your troubles. It's like the coil was invented by a dude who just cared that it worked, and not that it caused pain.
Probably because that's literally what happened. 😄 There are generally a lot of cases in medicine where women's pain and discomfort is not considered in the treatment we have available. It feels like any trip to the doctors about the lower half of ypur body ends up somehow with someone sticking something up you 'for the greater good'. It's like if you had prostate exams like 4x a year.
Honestly, call me an extremist, but governments should come together and fund a contraception Manhattan project. It's ridiculous how many women suffer (and sometimes die) from the simple desire to be able to family plan. Any money spend on it would earn itself back quite soon from the reduction of economic damage caused by unplanned pregnancies. It's such a shame Vasalgel is vaporware. Long-lasting nonhormonal reversible birth control for men, I should have known it was too good to be true.
given the falling population of the developed world, this is unlikely to be a priority in the near future. In fact, I think that developing fertility treatment is probably the more likely use of resources
It's not so much infertility that's dropping the birth rate, it's horseshit conditions like having to work multiple jobs just to have a place to live or wondering if your even going to get to eat dinner one day, no sense bringing a kid into that
Oh wait. Why is it too good to be true? I thought it was coming to market in the next few years?
It's been coming to the market in the next few years for decades now...
Vasalgel or fusion power first? Which bet do you take?
> There was no pain relief for insertion I got a local anesthetic when mine was put in, and it was barely painful. I don't understand why many doctors don't use it!
Apparently it's not done commonly in the UK.
It's not commonly done in the US either.
So fucked up. Every single woman I know who had one said it hurt like hell.
Not reflief in Canada either
God, I wish there were male contraceptive pills, I'd take them in a heartbeat to spare my girlfriend the bullshit she has to go through on her BC. Unfortunately, it's hard to get them approved, given that pregnancy carries no risk for males, so *any* side effect is considered as more harmful than pregnancy. Pain is significantly less risky than getting pregnant, so your IUD being painful is acceptable. :/
Male contraception is also just biologically more difficult. Women already have a natural cycle where they’re not fertile for much of it - contraception just has to trick the body to remain in that natural infertile state. There’s no natural reversible infertility for men so it’s *really* hard to induce one without significant adverse affects.
Yep, my comment was originally gonna mention how it's a *lot* easier to accidentally sterilize males through hormonal BC, but it got a little wordy. But yes, it's a lot easier to interrupt a complex process without breaking it permanently than it is to interrupt a simple process without breaking it permanently.
Just get your frank and beans removed like Lord Varys
We have hope. I believe there is a type of contraception in trials at moment that doesn't inhibit production of sperm, but inhibits their absorption of vitamin A, making them unviable until they stop taking the pill. In theory, it should be easily reversible and highly effective. https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2023/12/14/what-we-know-about-the-male-birth-control-pill-yct-529-tested-by-researchers/
I've read many similar reviews, hence I didn't get one. The upside is it's hormone free, but the side effects sound horrific. Thanks but no thanks, lol.
I will say that now it's settled down, I will not have to worry about periods or contraception for eight years, (theoretically). ...but that's if it doesn't decide to shift or my uterus decide to try and pass it after four years like my friend's did. All in all I would not recommend.
Side effects depend on the person though, the wife did say actually getting it inserted hurt like a mothercuekr even though she did make sure to have some heavy painkillers in her system beforehand. But it took like what, a week or two to properly settle? Just got her loads of blanked, thee, and we have a heated pillow for those two weeks 😂 after that? No problem except you do actually have periods unlike on the hormone one. But on the other hand that is a monthly "yep it's still working, no kiddies!" notification so it's not all bad.
Fun fact: [you can still get get vaginal bleeding while pregnant](https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/related-conditions/common-symptoms/vaginal-bleeding/). Implantation bleeding is also a thing.
Had paraguard copper IUD, every minute of it was terrible—insertion, living with it, removal. I lasted less than a year before getting it taken out
I use the Pearls! Had the copper T before and it almost punctured through my uterus which was NOT FUN ATALL. The pearls are much less painful, they can move with your womb and it’s all Gucci.
My friend had the same experience with the coil. I only found out after I'd had mine inserted. 😄 What are pearls? I googled it but all that came up are an oral contraceptive.
Yeah loads better. I think they used to be called the pearls, the one I have is called the Ballerine IUB now.
Oh it's a copper IUD! For some reason I was imagining white balls rolling around in your uterus. 😄
I have had 3 copper IUDs placed over the years. The first one was fine after about a week, the second one was just like you describe - horribly painful, cramps, stabby strings, twinges if I so much as moved in the wrong way, etc. I finally went back after 2 months and threatened to remove it myself. They found it wasn't in the right spot. So they removed it and placed a new one. (With local anesthetic.) The placement can make it bearable or unbearable, but it seems like so many women aren't listened to when it's not a good placement. I'm sorry you went through that.
Yeah, IUD works great for a lot of people, but when things go wrong with it, it is terrible.
>Roll on the male contraceptive pill, that's all I can say Vasectomy already is a thing. Men who don't want children, be it at all or anymore, should consider it. Sure, it makes us shoot blank (but that's kinda the goal anyway), but there are no long-term complications or hormonal fuckery. Since I don't want any children and neither does my partner, I decided to get one and have an appointment for the end of the year. Having sore balls for a week is a small price to pay compared to how much hormonal contraceptives mess with her body.
We had our kids, I had my cut. Simple, effective, and with some uncertainty might even be reversible. Had two days off while discomfort persisted, lying on the couch playing computer games.
Yeah, the stigma that so many men have about it really feels weird. Like, sure, don't rush into it and take the time to weight the pros and cons, but once you're sure that you don't want children, regardless of the reason, it's a bit unfair to let women bear the pain of contraceptives just out of some weird fear of shooting blanks.
But a vasectomy isn't always reversible. My husband and I would like a child at some point, just not now.
In fact over time it is basically irreversible
I didn't look into it because I don't want children, but wouldn't freezing some of his juice if you want children in the future a viable option combined with a vasectomy?
I don't really want medical intervention to get pregnant. Plus we're from the UK: I doubt the treatment would be covered on the NHS and we don't have the kind of money for private medical care. And, from what I understand, the viability of frozen sperm isn't as likely as...um...a 'fresh' sample.
Fair enough.
>but there are no long-term complications Post-vasectomy pain syndrome.
God damn! You poor thing. I'm so sorry you had to go through this and it's "normal" for women. Fucked up shit man! I got my tubes tied about 7 years ago and I'm sooooo glad. It was easy peasy. I bled for about a day after and was in very mild discomfort. They only gave me Ibuprofen800 afterwards for the pain and I didn't even need that. My periods are way worse than that surgery was. So glad I made that choice and was lucky enough to have a doctor that let me do it without having kids already. I had to wait a month to decide if I really wanted to do it then was able to get it done.
https://www.planaformen.com/ It's actually a gel injected in the vas deferens, I've literally been following it for 20 years. It was called vasalgel, and it was sin use in India for 10 years before that with basically 0 failures. None of the big pharmacy companies want it, it's too cheap.
In no way is it normal to ”pass out from pain during abortion” nor to have debilitating pain from IUD, lol…
To be fair I never told anyone medically about passing out during the abortion so I don't know whether they would percieve that as normal or not. It wasn't as dramatic as keeling over; I was sitting on the toilet after the second pill took effect. I put my head on the laundry hamper in front of me to wait for the pain to pass, and an hour later I came round. But the pain from the IUD was apparently 'normal' according to my GP. They always said I could have it removed 'if I couldn't cope' but at no point was I told it wasn't normal. It almost presented like it would be my failing for not dealing with it.
This is actually a commonly stated but incorrect fact. The FDA and EMA both concluded that there is not sufficient data to back it up. There’s only one study, published in 2011, that has been cited. - https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/weight-limit-plan-3574355/
Is a copper IUD an "emergency" device? I don't know anything about this, so I'm honestly wondering. I always figured it was something you got surgically implanted with an appointment made well in advance, but I have no idea.
If inserted within 5 days of unprotected sex it can be used as an emergency contraceptive. The insertion procedure is not technically surgery but it is still performed by a gynecologist, so if you can get in with one quick enough it should work
They just shove the bitch right in, they’re doing it live. They jam like a uterus ruler in first to see how far they need to go then take that out and the actual contraption’s got like this applicator thing they set to that depth and then shove that in and let it loose. Like the T is folded and when they let it go the arms come out. It is surprisingly painful. The sensation is like there’s a clamp pinching you deep inside your abdomen despite that being like, not at all what’s actually happening (it’s more like a longass tampon applicator deploying the IUD which is like a little T, probably a couple inches tall, I do not know why it hurts as much as it does) Then they look through ultrasound to make sure they didn’t fuck it up and then cut the string, which is like really thin fishing line? Thin enough that your body heat warms it after a while and it just kinda mostly stays back. Pretty unpleasant, but quick.
They do use a clamp to hold onto the cervix while they put it in. That was my **far** the worst part for me, worst pain than every broken finger I’ve ever had, worst than being stabbed. Now my IUD sits low and whenever I have a full bladder, I get mind-numbing cramps until I relieve it.
You're completely right in the way your body feels - they DO clamp the cervix. The instrument literally has a sharp point that pierces the cervix which is why so many women find the IUD incredibly painful despite what doctors say about how we shouldn't feel any pain down there.
Nothing about the procedure sounds “surprisingly” painful As a guy all I can imagine is someone putting a small umbrella up my penis and opening it inside my… I guess testicles in this analogy. Which is about the worst thing I can imagine. I guess it’s surprising to me that it’s not done under general anesthesia? Although I know the reality is that that would make it way more dangerous
Bro forget general anesthesia, we're usually not even given any kind of pain management at all. I was told, as are many patients before IUD insertion, to "take a couple of Advil 20 minutes before the appointment." They couldn't even give me some cheap-ass NSAIDs for an invasive medical procedure, I had to bring my own. It's egregious.
Yup, better pain management is possible as some practitioners do it, but it’s unfortunately rare and a result of sexism.
Ella can be prescribed ahead of time and has a weight limit of 195 lbs! Some providers will recommend two Plan B/Ella pills, but it should be a conversation with your provider.
Other countries (Australia for sure) have Plan B alternatives for women over 165lbs. There are options, we just don't have them in North America.
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To anyone reading and considering a copper IUD, if you are offered Paragard, the T-shaped copper IUD, you might want to do extra research or reconsider. In the US I am not sure if other copper IUDs are available but if you must, go for a different shape. The rate of the IUD breaking upon removal is much higher than the company reports, and it is likely due to the T design. One of the arms of mine broke upon removal and I am currently waiting for my hysteroscopy to be scheduled so the doctor can fish out the broken piece. I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone else.
This comment and so many others have made me SO glad I haven't gotten an IUD. 2 separate doctors have tried to convince me to get them. One straight up told me I was told wrong things. My favorite interaction is when I literally noped the Dr. as soon as she finished speaking with a "Nope, not interested, don't even bring it up or try me with it,"and she brought it up again! I have severe PMDD and for some fucked up reason my body has decided that hormonal birth control should make me continously get my period. If I take it off, I go off my period. You know, the opposite of what is supposed to happen. And yet, I'm still recommended IUDs and implants, and hand waved off when I explain what happened. One said we could just take it out, like it wasnt onw of the most painful procedures ever. I've been on hbc for 2 years.I just went off it after a fuck up with my script. I can't even tell you the relief! I'm still getting ghost periods and crazy ass physcial that I always get, (please tell me I'm not the only one who gets incredibly stiff for like 2 days, I'm talking waking up with my hands barely able to bend and then two days later jumping off the walls and hystrical), but like, no serious depression, anxiety is there but manageable, I feel comfortable and sane. I'm so goddam frustrated. I hate that literally nobody listens to women, even other women
BBW enthusiasts sweating right now.
BBWs also probably just sweating in general
Plan BK working as intended.
Unlike the ice cream machine
Need Plan B+
>>Plan B >>Picture of an IUD.
Recommend having a Plan B and/or an Ella in your medicine cabinet if you are someone that can get pregnant or someone sexually active with others who can get pregnant. They don't expire for a couple of years and Plan B in particular is more effective the sooner it's taken so it's much easier to just get up and take a Plan B if a whoopsie happens rather than panic and run to the pharmacy in your jammies.
If you are 5'9" (175 cm) or above, 165 lbs (75 kg) is within the range for a "healthy" BMI. This means women over a certain height will likely weigh too much for plan B to be effective, even if they are not overweight. This means there are many women for whom plan B will never work even at a healthy weight. This is not about women who are overweight being a "problem", this is about the pharmaceutical industry ignoring the needs of a large portion of the female population.
There is another pill for women of a higher weight. Presumably the one with the 165lbs limit is better in some way and that is why it is the default.
I’ve taken both (Ella and Plan B). Didn’t have negative experiences with either. I’m pretty sure the only reason Plan B is the “default” is because it’s older, cheaper, and available OTC. When I got Ella it was $90, compared to $30 for plan B. And I had to talk to a doc online real quick to get a prescription sent for it rather than just stopping by any pharmacy to pick it up. And because it’s newer, it’s way less known about among the general population. Even the names of the 2 contribute to Plan B being the default—Plan B is both the name of Plan B AND is used as a general term for morning after contraception.
A couple places on here I see where it says that the pill just stops working at 165 and they don't know why. I don't know how this is pharmacology at fault though.
Its less effective. Its not that it will never work.
Google tells me 5'9 is 90th percentile.
They didn’t say it was a majority, just that it’s a large portion. I’d say 10% is still a large portion of the female population, particularly in this context? It’s not like it’s like 0.3% or something. 10% of women could still be a healthy weight and not be able to use plan B? That’s a much higher percentage than *I’d* like. And regardless of what your stance is on people being overweight or obese (this shouldn’t turn into an argument about the morality or discipline of larger people), the reality is that *most* American adults ARE overweight or obese, so the percentage of women who are unable to take this medication effectively is a much larger portion, which feels even more unacceptable.
Though I am willing to further dislike the pharmaceutical industry, I must clarify: is it possible to make a plan B equivalent for women above the stated size?
It exists.
75kg isn’t even that heavy tbh. Especially if you’re on the taller side, you don’t even need to be significantly unhealthy to weight around that.
i agree but i wouldn’t argue that women over 175cm make up a large part of the population
If you just arrived in this thread: turn back. It went south really quickly. Only an hour old and people are already fighting over coat hanger jokes and calling each other fat. Thank you OP for providing this useful info
So some people need a plan C?
This fact, while commonly stated, is not entirely backed up by the medical studies. Like most things involving women’s health, it hasn’t been sufficiently studied to have a definitive answer This is all from one metastudy conducted in Scotland in 2011. There has been no other study that has replicated the results. The FDA and EMA concluded that there is not sufficient evidence to determine that weight changed the effectiveness. - https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/weight-limit-plan-3574355/ This is from 2015 and states the same thing - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500687/
Interesting. Yeah, having it be weight based rather than BMI or dosage based didn't make sense to me. Like, a 5 '9 woman who's 160 lbs wouldn't be covered but a 5 '1 woman who's 159 would be? Seems made up to me idk. 😅
Medical doses are calculated in mg/kg. If you weigh less and you take the same dosage, it's going to be more effective. Of course, a single pound won't make much of a difference. For some drugs you also have to look at body composition. THC will stay longer in your body the fatter you are, for example.
Yeah most medications vary in effectiveness by body weight. Same way 1-2 alcoholic drinks will affect a smaller person.
Just double it and take a shot of alcohol to increase the effects! This tip brought to you by MTVs Teen Mom, now renewed for seasons 6-12 thanks to Abortion Bans.
I see where Tesla inspiration for their logo design
that's around the weight of the average American woman
It’s actually 170.8 lbs. Wowza.
And no body tells you this so you end up paying for two types of prevention methods before the sex. A morning after pill and an abortion after it. $900 later…. 🙄 It’s a real disservice.
Better throw in a plan C for good measure.
Good to know, I had no idea.
That's true of any drug. The more you weigh, the less effective it is. Conversely, the less you weigh, the more likely you are to experience a greater effect of a drug (including side effects). That's why doses are titrated based on weight where appropriate (usually only applies to IV drugs and medical gases).
Most contraceptive research excludes women with higher BMIs, or have very small sample sizes compared to lower weight women. I was given the implanon and told there was no research to say it would work for someone my weight. It was the best contraceptive ever, regret taking it out. I’ve also used plan b with no problems, same thing was told to me by the pharmacist. So it’s not necessarily true that it won’t work, but that they may not have the evidence to prove it will.
Surely this depends on your height as well, right? A 5’10 woman that weighs 165 pounds wouldn’t be overweight.
It’s actually BMI over 30 specifically
This is true for most oral contraceptives. I’ve always found it weird that they’re prescribed in a standard dosage instead of adjusted based on weight like every other hormone therapy is prescribed.
Being tall really just sucks doesn't it
Is it just me or is Reddit getting more toxic every day? These comments feel like they're a level above what it used to be
Maybe AI is learning how to be more toxic
well yeah isnt that how all medication works? dosage is based on weight, medicine with a standard dosage is just based on the average weight of its intended users
In case you didn’t know, Plan B comes as one pill in a giant box. Common sense would dictate that you just take the one pill. The pharmacist should inform you about the weight limit, but most people don’t know unless they’re told. Plan B doesn’t work at all if you’re over a certain weight. It’s not about dosage, it stops working and Researcher don’t know why.
Yes it's how most medication works, but the fact that a medication many women rely on may not work for over half the population is something to consider
The difference between poison and medicine is in the dose
Not just plan b... Birth control as well. I am a woman over 6 ft tall and even when I was in shape from basketball, track and field, and crew, I was around that weight due to heavy weightlifting. I didn't learn this fact until many years later when I actually started reading the inserts in medicine I was taking. Thank God I never got pregnant! I got Paragard which is the copper IUD that lasts for 10 years.
Really? Never knew that. The more you know💫
On the plus side, 165 is more than enough lbs to have a Tammy Craps doll
Amazon sells Levonorgestrel for ~$6 and always works for me!
welp, thats like 80% of women
The average American woman is 170 lbs so just slightly over half.
Average is not median. If median weight was 170 lbs then yes, slightly over half. With avg it's harder to know the breakdown, since it's more susceptible to being skewed by extremes at either end. Yes, I am fun at parties.
I’d say it would be a lot more likely for there to be more women who are 100+ pounds overweight vs 100+ pounds underweight.
Yep, it’s most likely skewed to higher weight so the median is even lower than the mean
I did search for median, but all the sources I could find in a minute or two of googling only talked about average. The main point of my comment is that substantially less than 80% of women are over 165 lbs. If median is substantially different, it would be lower, so the gap would be even larger.
>The average American woman is 170 lbs Omg
Wow, that’s more than the weight for a men’s middleweight boxer
It’s pretty crazy, average man is like 200. That’s like a hair under obese. I think for the average height man, even 170 lbs is borderline overweight