All that Yaz: Should We Get Rid of Birth Control Pills?

They are actually extremely nice. It hurt for maybe 2 days but it is so nice for me to not have to remember a pill. Which for me was the only option that didn't make me ill because of the amount of hormones. But after I had my DD the doctor recommended it and I love it.

Amazing, post. Pharmaceutical drug companies use empowerment rhetoric to make women think the pill is "their best friend" rather than a drug. It IS a drug. It should be marketed as such -- probably should not advertised at all.

I will definitely subscribe to your blog.

I blog about my health and disability issues regularly at http://loveablehomebody.blogspot.com/

I had to get on birth control in high school to regulate my cycles, (I cannot remember what kind it was) but I never had a problem with it. After a year or so I was able to quit because my body was regulated. When I was getting married by doc prescribed Yaz and I was super excited because all of my friends had been on it and had said they had lost weight instead of gaining weight on it. While that would have been nice, I felt like I was on a roller coaster while using it. One moment I would be sitting in my office crying and the next minute feeling on top of the world. I finally decided enough was enough and got on the Nuva Ring. It was magical, I felt a million times better within a few days.

Then, a couple of months ago I ran out of my prescription and didn't refill it for about a week. I felt even more amazing. If only I could stay off of birth control completely. Truly, is it fair that I have to take the burden of making sure I don't get pregnant? Why not just keep condoms handy? 

www.einsteinonthebeach2.blogspot.com ( http://www.einsteinonthebeach2.blogspot.com )

I took Yaz as my first HBC back in 2006. Being ignorant and uninformed about HBC at the time, I didn't question my doctor about her choice for me and didn't question whether another pill might be better. To make a long story short, I switched HBC a mere 3 months later after horrible mood swings that I couldn't even try to control (never felt one coming on). Since then I've been on several different HBCs, and my favorite has been Apri, a generic substituted for Desogen. I'm currently on Seasonique (wanted to try it after pregnancy), but I've not been impressed (too much spotting?), and after I finish this pack, I'm comtemplating calling the doc and asking for a new Apri prescription :)

As for "inducing" a chemical cycle, I don't trust myself with the FAM method or any natural BC method, so this is why I take them.

The recent fear about the increased risk of clots on Yasmin and Yaz is based on a British Medical Journal study. This study was conducted on over 3000 women and concluded that the risk of clots in users of Yaz and Yasmin was higher compared with women not on birth control.  So far these results have not been duplicated in additional studies. All birth control pills carry a risk of developing clots as well as a risk of side effects. Often side effects subside after you're on it for a few months but remember, everyone is different. You may have a friend who loves X pill but you may try X and have side effects.  I know I always educate my patients about how to take the pill, the benefits, the risks and the side effects. I cannot do this in 5 minutes so if I don't have adequate time, I do make the patient come back for a follow up visit.

Thanks for letting me give a little input from the physician's side.

I've had some really negative experiences with hormonal birth control, too. Unfortunately I also have PCOS and extremely irregular periods. Yasmin has been helpful in regulating my cycles. If only my body could avoid a 60+ day cycle all on its own. Wouldn't that be something!

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All Bossy can say is where was this Pill Technology when dinosaurs roamed the earth and Bossy's pills were in 28-day cycles that felt more like 8-day cycles?

Nothing makes time feel like it's moving more swiftly than taking a pill a day and watching how fast you need the next month's supply.

That said, is it really safe to chemically suppress our cycles? Only time will tell.

You can find Bossy over at her place, i am bossy ( http://www.iambossy.com ). Don't even knock, she's always there.

I think it`s vital to acknowledge that at the end of the day birth control is a product that is marketed just like all other products in society; for the sole purposes of making a profit. That`s why we see ads on television that market birth control to women as a means of controling or correcting acne, eliminating mentrual periods, etc. because that`s what will sell that particular product to the intended audience. There`s no truth in advertising, the responsiblilty lies with women to investigate and uncover any problems or known issues with anything they are considering putting in their body.

Years ago  when I was in my early twenties a friend told me about a new form of birth control Depo ProVera that promised to eliminate my periods and lasted up to three months with just one dose (administered in the arm or buttocks). Wow-let me tell you that I was hooked on the idea immediately. However, when I got the shot I was overwhelmed my the amount of information the nurse at the clinic gave me about the possible side effects and dangers of such a drug. I am thankful I received that information and that the nurse was upfront about it because it allowed me to make an informed decision. But at twenty soemthing I was in a big hurry to just do it and get out of there. Although that decision was one I would soon regret-at least it was all my doing and I was in no way misinformed or mislead.

Less than two weeks after I recieved the Depo shot-my body changed. My breasts became sore, I spotted irregularily, I started retaining water and gained weight, I grew facial hair, I felt nauseaus all the time, I couldn`t sleep and my moods had more swings than a playground. I cried during a visit with one doctor who scolded me and told me to excerise more and give the drug a chance to work. Mad that I wasn`t being heard and believing that I was becoming depressed I visited another doctor who quickly confirmed that Depo ProVera was not the best choice for me and that there were better options out there for me . After three months, Depo ProVera did not wear off and I continued to feel the side effects for one year.

At the end of the year I got married and a year after that became pregnant, only to miscarry 7 weeks into the pregnancy. The doctor who showed empathy and explained that Depo was not for me also handled my miscarriage. I was shocked to learn that the miscarrage could be linked to change in the lining of my uterus-caused my the Depo shot I got two years earlier.

So, even though I had been given all of information I needed to make an informed decision about a drug-I soon would appreciate the full extent it would have on my life and the pain it caused me. It was a valuable lesson I had learned. Since then I have never been so willing to put any drug in my body without fully learning and considering the effects and dangers it is capable of. I now respect my body more and value the right I have over it.

Blogging about all things women. Blog: http://wwwiamwomanhearmeroar.blogspot.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/afergusson

Hormonal contraception is the #1 source of groundwater contamination in the U.S. but you never hear anything about it from environmental activists because so many of them (or their wives/girlfriends) are on the Pill/Patch/Shot/etc.

Modern Natural Family Planning (which is NOT the old calendar-based Rhythm method) is equally as effective as hormonal contraception when used properly without any of the nasty side effects or environmental contamination. I don't know why there isn't a bigger push for using NFP within the "green" community...

I'm really touched and interested by all the stories that people have shared here.  We reflect such a wide range of experiences and medical needs and a desire to find the best method possible for each of us is really inspiring.  I'm grateful that people felt comfortable sharing their personal stories here, and I hope that we each find what works best for us.

Suzanne also blogs at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants ( http://cussandotherrants.com ) and is the author of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track ( http://offthebeatensubwaytrack.com ).

I recently went off the pill, after 12 years of continuous use. I was put on it at 17, back in the 90's when consumer-cueticals took off. Those flashy tv ads and print spreads in Cosmopolitan magazine. I actually had no intention of preventing pregnancy at that age, I just wanted to be a grown up woman who was on 'the pill'.

I have been on several kinds, but the last 4 years I have taken a pill prescribed for me by my UK doctor (I moved to London after college) and it was taken without a break, much like Yaz. I never had any problem and absolutely loved not having a period.

The biggest shock was when I finally came off the stuff. I had never really experienced PMS before, and it was a shock to the system. My hormones and emotions were all over the shop, and I found myself weeping over the stupidest things - like tv commercials.

I'm still not pregnant yet, but hopefully I will be soon. Only time will tell if all those years of pill popping had any adverse effects on me.

Leila Lacrosse blogs weekly about her attempts to become pregnant with her first child before her 30th birthdat at the American Baby Plan in London   http://leilalacrosse.livejournal.com/

Oy, I had a bad experience with Yasmine too. Not pretty.

I spent the better part of about 25 years on and off variations of the pill. The last go around, a couple years ago -- and very brief at that -- I decided never again. I don't know if it's because i'm older now and perhaps more in tune with my body, but being on ANY kind of bc pill has an outrageous effect on me. I just get sick. The don't make me feel good, they mess up my cycle (despite reports they are supposed to regulate), migraines, and cause all sorts of other issues. Every woman and her body is different of course, so what works for one might not work for another. But in my experience, now 2 years clean after the last bout with the pill...I am SO happy and will never do it again!!! Interesting article -- and it's fascinating to me how all of our hormone levels and functions are so different from anothers. It's no wonder that it is impossible to have one magic pill that does it's stuff with no ill effects for every woman across the board. OOOh, if only!

_________________________

KiKi is an essayist currently living in Los Angeles and she would love for you to visit her blog: FLIBBERTIGIBBET ( http://kikiwalter.blogspot.com )

I just started up again on Yaz after having PCOS my whole life, having to conceive via Clomid and thought I was unable to conceive "naturally" as all doctors kept telling me it would never happen. So I was off birth control and "got pregnant naturally".  So with no way in hell theory on getting pregnant again, after thinking I never could I went back on birth control to prevent birth, but also due to PCOS. Is it the right choice? Who the hell knows, but I do know that Yaz is the only birth control pill that controls all my PCOS symptoms. ALL of them! Which is huge for me.  ALL medications carry risk, as well know and have said, so this is the gamble, but the daily life of someone with PCOS without the hormone regulation is hell and no life to live. Thanks for the article! I appreciate every word of it!

Even if I vowed to never have sex again the rest of my life, I would still want to take my birth control pills. They have cleared up my skin and, even better, they have completely eliminated the pain/nausea that I used to have every month. I used to be so miserable on the 1st, and sometimes 2nd, day of my period that I couldn't stay at school or work  (and I loved school and work!)

That said, the first option I ever tried was the birth control patch and it was absolutely HORRIBLE! Since I had never tried anything else, I just thought the cramps and nausea at the beginning of every new patch (every week!) were to be expected and that I would have similar results if I switched to something else.

While I have not tried Yaz, I am glad to have different birth control pill options available. I do feel like Yaz is sending mixed messages though. Up until recently, I was seeing legal commercials inquiring about damage Yaz has done to individual women...followed by commercials for Yaz bragging about how wonderful it is!

LambAround ( http://lambaround.blogspot.com )

and the challenge that the Bayers and Eli Lillys of the world should be working on is developing a vast array of birth control options for women and for men.  I know there's been work on the "Male Pill" but gee, it's not really getting a lot off play, and it doesn't seem that there's a whole lot of action on finding any other male birth control options.  As for women's options, it disturbs me when I see that the 'selling point' is its ability to magically shrink you or clear up your skin.

I found that BCP, which is what I used pre-kids, left me more tending toward depression, something I have battled with all my life.  But, I also know that they are the perfect thing for some women.  Just as the diaphragm, nuva ring, IUD, sponge, or condoms are for others.  But it's *essential* that the professionals are well-versed in the use and side-effects of ANYTHING they prescribe, and communicate that information to their patients. Otherwise, women are left playing russian roulette...

I use the Mirena IUD, and I am fortunate in that I was given a LOT of information about it by my doctor before I made the decision to use it.  It does release a small amount of synthetic progestin, from which I have not noted any ill side effects to date.  My understanding is that the amount is miniscule compared to a daily BCP.  For me, the best side effect is the fact that I generally do not get a period any more, which means fewer mood and weight fluctuations. I am informed by the LNP at the office that in her experience,she's seen that women who are going through menopause find that their symptoms are far less severe and erratic when they have the Mirena. Frankly, that appeals to me too.  That and the fact that I currently have a 0.02% chance of getting pregnant--the same odds as I'd have with a tubal ligation.

But I enjoyed what *every* woman should:  The opportunity to hear about ALL my birth control options, ALL the Pros and Cons, and to come to my own informed decision. 

~Margaret

Just Margaret ( http://maurhoffbarney.blogspot.com )

Kat Spitzer The Happy Hypochondriac www.happyhypochondriac.com ( http://www.happyhypochondriac.com )

I highly recommend the IUD.  And I am scared of EVERYTHING! I nearly passed out when they described it to me.  But after years on the pill, I finally gave in and got one after my second child.  It makes life so much easier and I have really no side effects at all.  I'm all about safe, happy choices.

www.happyhypochondriac.com ( http://www.happyhypochondriac.com )

I've been on one form of BC or another for most of the last 26 or 27 years. Not for birth control purposes - I can't get pregnant. I was on it because of my horrendously hideously painful and criplling and heavy and long periods.

I tried several dozen different variations of the pill. There's the whole "it takes three months to adjust to it" bit the doctor always spouted, and my periods were always horrendous even in those first three months. If I was lucky, the pill would kick in about month three and work at making my period more normal for two or three months before it stopped working for me. More often than not, it didn't help at all.

I was also on depo provera for a couple of years, but I gained 70 pounds in the first year, 50 in the second. But I had no periods, so I had no period-related pain. But the weight gain - problematic. So off I go and try more BCPs.

Now, I'm on a pill that I take every day without breaks. No bleeding. No pain. No curling up in a ball for a week or two while I whimper because pain killers don't work on me.

Yeah, I'm well aware that BCPs are not for everyone and the risks should be carefully considered. However, for me, even if it does cause some kind of cancer or other, I'd still take it because it meant far far far less pain than I would have been in otherwise. Because my periods were *that* bad. And because the only other option open for me is high-risk surgery.

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I was on the Pill for 16 years, until I finally got scared of blood clots and strokes and asked my man to get fixed. My doc wanted to put me on Yaz but the whole potassium thing scared me.

Rita Arens writes at Surrender Dorothy ( http://surrenderdorothy.typepad.com ) and BlogHer and is the editor of Sleep is for the Weak ( http://tinyurl.com/9pg62e ). She is BlogHer's assignment and syndication editor.

But I became curious, so I looked at the "Latin American Region" site and, well, now I'm mad. It's all about how Yasmin improves your hair, skin, and mood. (YOUR HAIR?) Oh, and how it also prevents pregnancy. Yay!

Then it says that it helps you lose water weight, and while it's not considered real weight loss it makes you look like you lost fat. So, yay!

Oh, and Yasmin isn't a weight loss drug. But it makes you look like you lost weight. And here are some tips on how to lose weight. But you can just take yasmin instead of eating right and you can look like you've lost weight. Yay!

Oh, and it's also birth control. And there's a myth that some people can't take birth control. It's true, but it's only people with rare blood clotting disorders. So most women will stop being moody, get shiny hair and look like they lost weight by being on yasmin.

I paraphrased a bit but I wish I was kidding.

I think the problem is even more general, it doesn't end with women or any particular country. Of course, it's easier for companies to deceive the clients here, because, well, we're not so accustomed to sueing anyone, let alone big companies (though we're making some progress), especially that court process' are slow and expensive. But, just as you said, even in America (there's a joke here that Americans' national sport is sueing each other, just as Frenchmen's is striking and our's is drinking :D), where companies face real lawsuits, they hide vital informations anyway, because it pays off for them. And I fear it concern almost every field of our lives, especially pharmaceutical and chemical industries, but also - for example - food. Who knows what effects have GMOs on human organism in a long term? I mean, we don't get much of GM food here in Poland, thanks God, but you in there who have it, aren't you concerned? Because I am concerned even with the amount of  "E" numbers - the chemical food additives - that I read on the labels of almost everything.

I had a stroke while on Yaz (for PCOS). I Had been on it for two years without any problems. I read the med info thoroughly, but being a 20-something in good health . . . my doc convinced me that I didn't need to worry about it. I recovered well from the stroke, but it was a scary experience and it kind of disrupted all of my plans for a while.

My doctors didn't acknowledge that the pill could have contributed to the stroke. That was the most frustrating thing. They kept saying, "Yaz doesn't do this to you unless you are older and overweight and etc. There must be something else wrong, are you sure you're not a smoker?" It makes me wonder about the published statistics regarding bc complications. Did my physicians report my case as a complication of bc or as a fluke anomaly? Are people like me counted?

Afterward, I was tested for clotting disorders. Bizarrely, I came back negative (for just about everything in the medical encyclopedia; it was a lot of pin pricks). Still, I can definately simpathize with Melissa and the other ladies who could be at risk / suffered from clotting problems. I don't think they test for these before they give you the bc.

Also, I'm kind of bummed out about having to deal with PCOS now that they can't treat me with . . . well anything that has been effective in the past. Sigh.

Was that if I had been my first time on birth control, or if I wasn't someone who was confident that I know what feels right with my body and had an assertive personality, I might not have pushed back. 

I think that too often women are told what they are feeling with their body is not a real symptom or side effect. It makes me really, really angry. 

It also makes me miss the doctor I had in Toronto. She was wonderful and listened and did not dismiss anything I said. I keep dreaming that she'll relocate to this city.  

Contributing Editor Sassymonkey also blogs at Sassymonkey ( http://sassymonkey.ca ) and Sassymonkey Reads ( http://sassymonkeyreads.ca ).

Gah!  I'm so mad right now!  Why do doctors treat people like idiots?!?!  Gah!

Suzanne also blogs at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants ( http://cussandotherrants.com ) and is the author of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track ( http://offthebeatensubwaytrack.com ).

Yeah, it makes me REALLY angry that the Pill is marketed as a way to stop acne.  WTF?  There are a lot of other options, and it just shows how callous the drug companies are.  It would be nice if women were treated like adults, though, wouldn't it?  Except if we were, and given all the info we need to make good decisions, we might make ones that the powers that be don't like.  And that won't do, unfortunately.

Suzanne also blogs at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants ( http://cussandotherrants.com ) and is the author of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track ( http://offthebeatensubwaytrack.com ).

I'm only scared of the IUD because I still associate it with the Dalkon Shield, which I know was forever ago.  But it just showed that drug companies care more about profit than people's wellbeing.  I know a lot of people who use it now and love it, so I'm a little hopeful.  Many of them also have hormones, though, so you should make sure that whatever you get is really hormone free if that's what you want.  Good luck!

Suzanne also blogs at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants ( http://cussandotherrants.com ) and is the author of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track ( http://offthebeatensubwaytrack.com ).

We don't eat people at this site - we welcome all opinions.  And I think your point is expecially well made.  The lack of information on the POlish website is terrifying.  How many women around the world are taking this drug with no information about how it could affect them?  That is awful.

Suzanne also blogs at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants ( http://cussandotherrants.com ) and is the author of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track ( http://offthebeatensubwaytrack.com ).

It's really freaking me out how resigned we all are to being misled by drug companies (yeah, squinting at tiny print to find out you should stop taking a medicine does not count as giving people accessible info!) and that we can't count on doctors to help us.  Ugh. 

I'm glad that you are OK after your Yaz experience.  I have PCOS and depression issues, too, and I hear ya.

Suzanne also blogs at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants ( http://cussandotherrants.com ) and is the author of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track ( http://offthebeatensubwaytrack.com ).

This was an interesting article for me because I've been struggling with birth control issues forever. The pill and NuvaRing have been the only things that continuously worked with me, but taking the pill everyday was hard with my lifestyle and the Ring costs too much. 

After 5 years on the pill, I started to be concerned with the side effects of hormones and wanted to be more in touch with what was happening with my body. And then I got a blood clot in my arm! While it was caused by an iv, it was perpetuated by birth control pills and left me on blood thinners for months. And no more birth control.

Now that I'm off the blood thinners, I need to make a change, and I'm getting an IUD inserted today. You mentioned that IUDs scared you, which I can understand. But you should check out the podcast "Stuff you mom never told you" and their article on the IUD. It's so much safer now and is a primary method around the world. When I spoke to my mom's friends, almost all of them had IUDs before and after kids and loved them. I'm not sure how it's going to go, but I'm excited to be hormone free, get into a natural rhythm, and hopefully, not think about birth control for the next 7-10 years. 

Loved reading everyone's thoughts!

I really can't remember which it was because I was only on it for a week. I've been on birth control for oh geez, um...15 years? 16? I've been on more types than I can remember to name and I've never reacted to a pill like I have with Yasmin/Yaz. Serious, serious nausea, to the point of vomiting. If I had been working at the time I would have not be able to go to work. I stopped taking it and the nausea stopped.

I went back to the doctor and they tried to convince me to, "Try again. Just give it a bit more time." That made me MAD. And I kind of told them off. They put me on a different pill. No nausea! 

I read the side-effects of any medication I take. I am paranoid. But particularly with something like birth control which I'm going to be taking long-term. 

And yeah, if they could create a birth control pill that didn't kill your sex drive that would kind of rock.  

Contributing Editor Sassymonkey also blogs at Sassymonkey ( http://sassymonkey.ca ) and Sassymonkey Reads ( http://sassymonkeyreads.ca ).

Suzanne, while I am thankful we have it, I have always felt that new generation pills like Yaz were marketed as if they weren't drugs, but as beauty aids or something. I have never been on HBC that didn't make me feel like a crazy person. No doctor ever really took that seriously. The Pill is serious.

Ever since it was introduced, the Pill has been full of pluses and minuses (see http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/). Hormones are scary- anyone who has ever had a period, been pregnant or been around a teenage boy knows that. Women need to be treated like grown ups, have informed conversations about medicines like the pill, and weigh the risks. Otherwise, something bad will happen, people will freak out, and we could lose yet another reproductive choice in this country.

Morra Aarons-Mele
www.womenandwork.org

(First of all: good afternoon, everybody, my first post here. Hope you're not gonna eat me for dinner... x)

I suffer from PCOS too and my doctor prescribed me Yasmin. (Actually, she first gave me Diane-35, but I was bleeding so much it made me almost anemic, so she changed it to Yasmin.) I've been on those pills for almost two years now, though I am very bad patient and I don't take them regularny (meaning, I take them for a month and then I have a pause for two months, and then take them two months in a row and wait another one and so on). I haven't suffered from any side effects, though, at least not yet.

But, what I wanted to say is that my doc didn't tell me A WORD about any possible side effects. I read the leaflet, though not very carefully. You've written about how the different sites of Yasmin look like, so I checked mine. (I'm from Poland.) First there is a box with a question: "Did your doctor prescribe you Yasmin? Yes or no". If you click "no" it redirects you to the official page of Bayer in Poland, if you click "yes", you get to see the pill's site (which is rather poorly designed), where you can read the excatly same thing as on the leaflet (which isn't very specific or detailed). So I guess no, we're not very much on the loop here. I don't know how it looks like in US, but here, according to stats, only about 20% of sexually active women use pills; apparently Poles generally prefer condoms :)

Keeping those informations away from public is obviously very wrong, but still, even knowing the risks, there's really not much I can do about it, if I want to have children someday. And I may be too young to think about that just yet (I'm 21 this april), but I do want to be able to have my own children in the future, so... how can I win? If I put the pills off, I deprive myself of this possibility, but if I don't, I risk my health. I'd call it a tie.

(By the way, isn't that a great paradox of life that to cure infertility we use birth control medicines?)

ciao,

Amy.

PS. Sorry for any mistakes I might have made in this post, I am still learning English :)

I too was intrigued by Yaz when it was first launched.  My tubes are tied, so birth control isn't an issue for me, but I do have PCOS and very mild depression.  The thought was that Yaz could help the PCOS and the depression in one swipe. I was on it two weeks when I started having headaches and vision issues.  My vision is already impaired.  I didn't need any extra help in THAT area TYVM.  I read the fine print (had to do it on line because the info with the drugs was microscopic) and my side effects fell into the "STOP TAKING THIS IMMEDIATELY" category.  That was the end of that.  I finally went on the standard PCOS course of Metformin and Spiranolactone and have had good luck.

Birth Control pills don't work for me, but I do think they should be avaliable.  The hard part is the person who DOESN'T read the fine print or have a good relationship with their doctor.

I don't believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution to any medical issue.  The hard part is finding practitioners willing to take the time to help you work through your scenario.

Truer words were never spoken.  I will have to stop taking the Pill soon because of the breast cancer risk.  (My doc recommended the IUD, which scares the crap out of me.)  Then again, the crazy fluctuations in hormones during pregnancy can also put women at risk for breast cancer, so damned if you do there, too. 

There's really no winning.

Suzanne also blogs at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants ( http://cussandotherrants.com ) and is the author of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track ( http://offthebeatensubwaytrack.com ).

And also meaningless without information.  It's very frustrating.  I forgot which commercial (Nuva Ring?)  is on TV with the women wearing bathing suits that convert from one to two pieces, then the women sitting around having a friendly "chat" about the risks because thecompany was forced to make a new ad emphasizing the risks, but oy.  It's definitely complicated, and with medical care what it is these days in the US, doctors don't seem to be able to sit and go through all the info with her patients since they have to see 4-6 people in an hour to pay for their liability insurance overhead.  (Not that I support tort reform - if the AMA would actually do their job and get rid of known bad docs, then court cases would drop by 90%, but I digress.)

Suzanne also blogs at Campaign for Unshaved Snatch (CUSS) & Other Rants ( http://cussandotherrants.com ) and is the author of Off the Beaten (Subway) Track ( http://offthebeatensubwaytrack.com ).

I had a horrid experience with Yasmin. I won't go into it in detail but just the mention of the so-called pill makes me twitch.

The truth is that I've not had the best of luck with HBC. I have had a wide range of not-so-great side-effects on all of the ones I have tried. That said, I know my experience is personal and I would never say that they should all be removed simply because my strange body can't handle it!

I am somewhat alarmed that other countries aren't being told about the side effects of Yasmin/Yaz. I think of the commercial that they now run here that is all Gloom and Birth Control Doom about the possible side effects of the drug(s). I do remember when they were first marketed though and it was similar to that of the other country's website. No acne! No weight gain with this pill! WOO! (And in small text at the bottom of the screen, Gloom and Birth Control Doom.)

@FireMom ( http://twitter.com/FireMom ) from Stop, Drop and Blog ( http://stopdropandblog.com ) and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land ( http://thechroniclesofmunchkinland.com )

"While not getting a period sounds great, it actually leads to an increase in various kinds of reproductive cancers."  You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't.  Having fewer periods lowers your risk of breast cancer due to fewer estrogen surges.  Hence why women who have been pregnant have a lower rate of breast cancer--they didn't have their period for 9 months.

I was on the pill for years before trying to conceive and lucked out that I didn't have bad side effects beyond dizziness the first month or so.  BUT after trying to conceive, I was diagnosed with two clotting disorders and told never to take birth control pills again because I was at high risk for a stroke.  So it's sort of scary that I was taking them without this knowledge.  It also made me rethink bc pills which I saw as my only option in the past.  There are other options, ones that don't alter the chemicals in your body, and it made me wonder if I would recommend bc pills to my daughter when the time comes.  Well, first I'll have her checked for the clotting disorders because they're hereditary and then if bc pills are still on the table, would I recommend them or something else?

Honestly, I hoping that something else comes out in the meantime because there's no other option that feels quite as safe in preventing pregnancies that is within the woman's control.

Melissa writes Stirrup Queens ( http://stirrup-queens.com ) and Lost and Found ( http://lostandfoundandconnectionsabound.blogspot.c... ). Her book is Navigating the Land of If ( http://thelandofif.blogspot.com/ ).