00:00I'm obsessed with my IUD.
00:02It's just there, living its like best T-shaped life.
00:05Everyone uses birth control for different reasons, whether it's as a contraceptive,
00:08to avoid pregnancy, to reduce cramps, to regulate your period, to clear your skin.
00:13Everyone should have birth control accessible to them and have a right to be educated about
00:17it.
00:17So I asked my fellow R29ers why they went on birth control and what their experience has
00:21been like.
00:22I have an IUD.
00:23I used to be on the NuvaRing, but now I have an IUD.
00:26I go off and on birth control all the time.
00:28I love being on the pill.
00:30I take Nexaplanon, which is the arm implant.
00:33I'm on the IUD.
00:35I've never taken any birth control.
00:37I take a low hormone pill called Sprintec because I have endometriosis.
00:42I went on birth control when I was 17 because of mood swings and cravings.
00:47I was crying a lot and I was eating a lot.
00:49My parents found out I was having sex and my stepmom was like, stop everything.
00:54We're going to a GYN and you're getting birth control.
00:57I wanted to kind of one, be safe, but also two, be able to regulate my period.
01:03I found out that I had this disorder called endometriosis.
01:07Part of the cure was birth control.
01:09And so I said, yes, let's do it.
01:11Let's go on it.
01:12It's detrimental to my health and avoiding scary things like cancer.
01:16So I can't take birth control because I have a gene mutation called MTHFR.
01:21And if you were to take oral contraceptives, it can cause stroke, it can cause brain deficiencies.
01:26So it's not a good idea.
01:28My name is Dr. Glenmarie Matthews.
01:30I'm an OBGYN in the Bronx, New York.
01:32Birth controls are normally explained in terms of tiers, meaning which one is the most effective
01:38for the patient.
01:39The least effective birth control would be withdrawal.
01:42Tier three would be like condoms.
01:44The next tier up would include birth control pills, maneuvering, and the patch.
01:48These are all hormonal form of contraception.
01:51And then slightly above that, you would have the injectable contraception, which is called
01:55Depo-Povera.
01:56And that's also hormonal.
01:57And above that are the most effective, which include non-hormonal copper IUD, hormonal marina
02:03IUD, and then the implant.
02:05Every birth control is different.
02:07Every patient is different.
02:08So your body will react uniquely to each contraception.
02:11I've had such a great experience with the pill.
02:13Before I was on it, I had such intense emotions and irregularities with my period that it really
02:20helped me get in control of my body.
02:22Since I can't take oral contraceptives, I always carry condoms with me.
02:26If you're not wearing a raincoat, then you shouldn't be having sex.
02:29I have had Nexaplanon for two years.
02:33It's a very simple procedure.
02:35A nurse just comes in, she first calms your muscle down, and that way she can easily insert
02:40the little plastic inside your muscle tissue.
02:43This is a very safe way to make sure that I have my birth control in control.
02:49Finding the right birth control can be a tricky experience.
02:52I've tried four.
02:53But just because you don't get the right one on the first try doesn't mean you should
02:56stop looking for the best one that works for you.
02:58For the first three months, it was fine.
03:00Basically, it's this little ring that you insert into your vagina.
03:04It sits there for three weeks, and then you take it out for a week so that you could have
03:08your period.
03:09I was super moody, just depressed.
03:11I did not know what was going on with me.
03:13The NuvaRing was horrible for me, so I decided to get the IUD in the end.
03:18It's this one.
03:19This is currently sitting inside of me.
03:21I liked the fact that it had limited hormones, that it was localized, that it would just sit
03:26inside of me.
03:26I didn't have to think about it or worry about it.
03:28It was just there for three years.
03:30When you're trying anything new, you should start for three to six months to see how your
03:35body is reacting to it.
03:36And if it's something that you don't like, you can always come back.
03:39We have lots of different options.
03:41The biggest thing is just to get the contraception that's going to work best for you and that
03:44fits you in the long run.
03:45When the people and institutions meant to educate you about birth control aren't giving you all
03:49the information you need, remember, you can educate yourself.
03:52My birth control education came from magazines.
03:56I didn't really have a sex education.
03:58My family's very conservative, so talking about birth control meant also talking about sex.
04:03My mom terrified me.
04:06She told me that if I took any extra hormones, I would have a hormone imbalance or I would
04:10end up getting a ton of weight.
04:12My mom was a nurse and she actually worked for Planned Parenthood in the 80s, so sex was
04:17very important to her, but at the same time I had girlfriends whose parents weren't talking
04:20to them, so once I was spoken to about it, I felt like I could talk to my girlfriends about
04:26it too.
04:27So if there's a point where you have questions, there's an aunt, there's a grandma, there's
04:31a teacher.
04:32If you're afraid to talk to your parents about contraception, there's no problem with that.
04:37When you come to the doctor, anything that you say within the doctor's office should be
04:41between you and the doctor.
04:42While you should always have a plan A, there's no shame in a plan B.
04:56Plan B is called Plan B, but it really should be called Plan Z.
05:00Plan B is basically like this really shameful insurance.
05:03There's this idea that you're like, you fucked up some way and that it's your fault that
05:06you fucked up.
05:07My first time buying Plan B with my boyfriend, I went to the checkout counter and the woman
05:12at CVS was like, are you sure you would make a beautiful child right now?
05:16I think a lot of the issues that people have with Plan B are societal.
05:19I mean, I think it's just, if that's something you need, if you need it, just go get it.
05:23More than 85% of adults agree that birth control is an essential part of healthcare.
05:27So then why are we cutting funding for it?
05:29I think it is absolutely ridiculous to not have access to birth control.
05:33People shouldn't really just think of birth control as specifically only for birth control.
05:37We maybe need a rebrand for birth control.
05:39All women should have access to protecting their bodies and living the type of sexual
05:44lifestyle they want to live.
05:45A lot of people don't have the luxury of someone like me who is able to go to a doctor,
05:50pay for
05:51that service, pay for my birth control.
05:53Part of getting rid of these products is getting rid of an honesty where girls just are saying,
05:59well, you know, if the government thinks it's bad, then I shouldn't talk about it.
06:04If you're thinking about going on birth control, I think you should have a conversation with
06:08your gynecologist.
06:09It's nothing to be embarrassed about.
06:11Maybe the first one's not going to work for you and that's okay to happen to me.
06:15It's not a magical cure-all though.
06:17There are probably going to be some symptoms.
06:21It is not weird or shameful or gross for you to try it or take it or do it.
06:26These are decisions that you should be making for yourself and based on everything that you
06:30want for your body.
06:31If you need more information on contraception, check out bedsider.org or contact your doctor
06:36about contraception questions that may be unique to you.
06:39And remember, practice safe sex.
06:42See you next time.
