My Chaotic Contraception Timeline
11 years, 10 methods, 1 frustrated woman
Hello and welcome to the fifth edition of Hysterical Health!
My frustration navigating contraception is what first sparked my interest in women’s health. I know I’m not alone in this journey - so this week, I’m sharing my chaotic contraception timeline.
Embodied Experimentation
Contraception is all about personal choice - but often, these choices are more about compromise. You can read my thoughts on this in last week’s post.
Whether you’re willing to compromise on hormones, mental energy or painful procedures - no method offers an ideal solution.
The majority of us are taking a trial-and-error approach to our contraception. It can take decades of this embodied experimentation to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
It’s taken me 11 years to settle on a method and it was a bloody long journey to get here.
My Timeline
Condoms
Combined pill
Implant
Progesterone-only pill
Implant (again)
Copper IUD
Cycle tracking
Hormonal IUS
Condoms
Copper IUD (again)
1. Condoms
My mum left no doubt in my mind that we are a ‘very fertile’ family, so by the time my sexual debut came around at 16 - I was nothing if not terrified of pregnancy.
We used condoms but they were no match for the pure panic that descended when my period was 3 days late the following week.
That was the first time I became aware of my fertility as something I needed to control, something that could have a detrimental impact on my life if I wasn’t careful.
Condoms simply weren’t going to cut it.
2. Combined Pill
I went with a friend to a community health centre one afternoon. The doctor gave me a stack of leaflets explaining different contraceptive methods (in language so clinical I could barely read them).
He suggested I start with the combined pill and see how I get on.
I know this blanket recommendation is common for teenage girls. Irregular periods? Pill. Acne? Pill. Anxiety? Pill. With no real information on what it’s actually doing to your body.
Within a couple of weeks, I knew the pill wasn’t right for me.
I couldn’t for the life of me remember to take it at the same time each day. It became a source of stress, and I realised I needed something more long-term.
3. Implant
After studying my options, the implant seemed like the least invasive procedure with the longest protection.
The insertion was pretty straightforward apart from the intense bruising afterward. I had no noticeable side effects until I started spotting constantly for weeks at a time.
I remember the frustration - this thing was meant to stop my periods, not give me one non-stop bleed!
Back to the clinic we go.
4. Progesterone-Only Pill
To ease the spotting, the doctor prescribed me 3 months of the progesterone-only pill to take on top of my implant.
At this point in my life, I had no real knowledge of my hormones or menstrual cycle. And at 16, who am I to question the doctor?
So, I took the pills (as best I could) for the next couple of months and it did seem to help.
5. Implant (Again)
I had no real issues with my implant for the next 3 years. In fact, I remember it being a relief not having to worry about periods or pregnancy as a teenager.
So, when the time to replace it came around at 19, I didn’t hesitate to book my appointment. This is where it started to go downhill.
It’s difficult to know whether it was the fresh dose of hormones, my age, or other life factors at the time - but my mental health took a nosedive.
I felt flat, anxious, and unmotivated.
Yet, it took me another 2 years to consider my implant might be playing a role. It wasn’t until I was sat in a university lecture about hormonal contraception that things started to click into place.
I had my implant removed at 21 and the difference was like night and day.
It was like a grey veil had been lifted and the world was in colour again. Instead of running at a low-level emotional baseline, I could suddenly feel the highs and lows of my cycle. Friends commented on my positivity and humour, and I finally felt like myself again.
This was the turning point when I started to question what we know about the relationship between hormones and mental health - and more importantly, what we don’t know.
6. Copper IUD
The high of living contraception-free was short-lived. A couple of months later, I had the copper IUD fitted as emergency contraception.
I’d used the morning-after pill for the first time, only for a condom to break a week later. The pressure to find a long-term solution was back.
I managed to find a last-minute appointment and have the IUD fitted the same day. It was an incredibly painful (and poorly organised) procedure made worse by the fact I cycled to and from the clinic.
However, the real challenge was the impact the IUD had on my menstrual cycle.
Longer, heavier and more painful periods - with a hefty dose of ovulation pain in between.
I later learned that I have a retroverted uterus, meaning it tilts back towards my pelvis. This explains the nausea-inducing back and pelvic pain I’d never experienced before.
Despite the pain, I was adamant that I wanted to avoid synthetic hormones - so I put up with it for another two years.
This was also in part because the insertion had been so traumatic, I was afraid to get it removed. But I’m pleased to report removal is nowhere near as painful for anyone wondering.
7. Cycle Tracking
By this point, I was 23 and diving head-first into the world of women’s health. Cycle tracking changed my life, I became fascinated with understanding how my hormones impacted me throughout the month.
The biggest shock? My natural periods are relatively painless.
No more writhing in pain, cancelling plans and relying on daily doses of ibuprofen. I couldn’t believe I’d put up with the copper IUD for so long.
However, just as with the pill, I failed miserably at taking my temperature every morning. This meant I was mostly relying on calendar dates, which is a risky game when my cycle can be irregular.
The uncertainty was too much for me in the end and I was back to looking for a more reliable method.
8. Hormonal IUS
Despite wanting to avoid hormones, I was running out of options. I did my research and chose the Kyleena IUS because this was the method with the smallest dose of hormones.
The changes were subtle at first. But over the next 6 months, my mental health started to dip again.
There were a few other factors making life difficult at the time - but when I stopped getting my period and that familiar greyness started to creep in, I knew it wasn’t worth it.
I needed all the mental energy I could get and I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my well-being for my contraception.
9. Condoms
Feeling defeated, I returned to cycle tracking and using condoms as an extra precaution.
I’ll be honest, I‘m not a fan of condoms. Who is?
But I do want to give a shout-out to Hanx who make fantastic gynae-backed products. If you’re looking for condoms and lube designed with women in mind - Hanx is my go-to! They even have a subscription delivery service.
10. Copper IUD (Again)
When I moved to New Zealand at the start of this year, I had the copper IUD fitted again.
It was a difficult decision knowing it would probably make my periods more intense - but that’s the compromise I’ve had to make in exchange for long-term protection without hormones.
Thankfully, the insertion in New Zealand was far better on all levels, from information to pain relief, skill and support. I was pretty impressed.
The IUD has made my periods longer, heavier and more painful again - but surprisingly, I haven’t had the same excruciating back pain this time around. I’m not sure if this is down to the way the IUD was inserted, or the fact that my body may have changed in the last 5 years - either way, I’m not complaining.
The Takeaways
Contraception isn’t one-size-fits-all, most people are forced to experiment over years to find a method that works for them. Some never do.
We need to learn more about the impacts of hormonal contraception on mental health.
I’ll say it again: we need more long-acting AND non-hormonal contraceptive methods.
Anything else to add?
What’s Next?
I’m curious to hear about other’s contraceptive journeys. Leave a comment and share your experience here:
Enjoying Hysterical Health? Sharing is always appreciated. ❤️
Want to work together? I’m available for freelance writing gigs here:
That’s it for now!
Until next time,
Eleanor