I've beed doing research on different birth conrtol methods. I was into the doctor a while ago, and they suggested the depo prevera shot. Yet, Starla told me that it's not a method she would recommend to me. In fact, she begged me not to take it because of health problems. And so I decided to do research on what the best method for myself might be.

The first method I looked up was the Depo Shot. This is what I learned:

Depo Provera is a hormone injection that lasts for 3 months to prevent pregnancy. The injection has synthetic progesterone and no estrogen. It is usually given in the arm or rear, delivering a high level of progesterone into the body. Depo Provera stops the ovaries from releasing eggs. It thickens the cervical mucus and changes the uterine lining, making it harder for sperm to enter or survive in the uterus. These changes prevent fertilization. Depo Provera is a very private form of birth control because it cannot be seen on the body and requires no home supplies. It does, however, require a clinic appointment every 3 months. Depo Provera is 99.7% effective as birth control. It does not protect against reproductive tract infections, including HIV/AIDS.

Depo Provera may not be recommended for women who are planning on becoming pregnant in the near future, are concerned over weight gain, have liver disease, gallbladder disease, or a history of depression. Your clinician or doctor can decide. (I have a history of Borderline/Bipolar, which has severe depression happening often. And so this might not be the best method for me. However, I told my doctor about this, and she said that I could go from Ortho Tricyclen to Alesse to the Depo shot and that should help that. Most women experience depression when they get regular amounts of estrogen, and then all of a sudden none, and moving from Ortho Tricyclen to Alesse brings down my estrogen level a bit so that if I were to start taking Depo it wouldn't be that severe.)

Women on Depo Provera have a decreased risk of endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and pelvic inflammatory disease. You may have less menstrual cramping and pain, fewer periods, and less chance of anemia. 70 % of women using Depo Provera gain weight. Almost half of the women using Depo Provera gain more than 5 pounds after one year of use. Many women gain more than 10 pounds. Irregular, heavy, or no bleeding are common side effects of Depo Provera. After a year of use, many women stop having periods. Lack of a period becomes increasingly common with longer use. Other side effects of Depo Provera can include headaches, nervousness, mood changes, bloating, hot flashes, decreased interest in sex, breast tenderness, acne, hair loss, and back ache. (Migraines run in my family, and so this is not something I should take. Nervousness is not something I enjoy, and I don't think Sean would like mood changes. Decreased intrest in sex?! No way... I enjoy sex too much to have no intrest in it! And acne is not something I want to suffer... I already have a bit of acne(not too bad), and I don't want to relive my freshman year!

Not being satisfyed I decided to look up other methods. The next method I looked up was the Contraceptive Patch. I learned the following:

The Contraceptive Patch looks like a square band-aid. It is applied to the abdomen, buttocks, upper arm, or upper torso. The Patch is changed each week for a schedule of 3 weeks on and 1 week off. The Contraceptive Patch works by slowly releasing a combination of estrogen and progestin hormones through the skin. These hormones prevent ovulation (release of an egg from the ovary) and thicken the cervical mucus, creating a barrier to prevent sperm from entering the uterus. When used correctly, it is about 99% effective as birth control except for women weighing 198 pounds or more when it is only about 92% effective. The Patch does not protect against reproductive tract infections or HIV/AIDS. (Since this is only 99% effective, I'm not really sure I trust this, yet I still did further research).Women who have a family history of breast cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, headaches or epilepsy, depression, gallbladder disease, kidney disease, heart disease, irregular periods, or are breastfeeding may not be able to use The Patch. Women over 198 pounds may not receive a large enough hormone dose for the Patch to be effective. (Depression and headaches as well as irregular periods are some things I suffer from, and this would prevent me using this. My family has a history of diabetes, and so this also prevents me from using this... on to the next method!)

I next looked at oral pills.

The Pill is the most popular type of birth control. There are many different brands of The Pill and they come in packs of 21 or 28 pills. One pill is taken every day. The first 21 pills have a combination of synthetic estrogen and progesterone hormones. The Pill stops ovulation, preventing the ovaries from releasing eggs. The Pill also thickens cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to enter the uterus. The hormones in the Pill prevent fertilization. The last 7 pills of a 28-day pack have no hormones and are called spacer pills. The Pill is 97-99.9% effective as birth control. It does not protect against reproductive tract infections, including HIV/AIDS. (I need to make sure to find a pill that is 99.9% effective!)

Women who are under 35 and smoke, have migraines, gallbladder disease, hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy, sickle cell disease, elective surgery, a history of blood clots, liver or heart disease may not be able to take The Pill. Your clinician or doctor can decide. Women who use The Pill have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. The effects of The Pill on breast cancer are still unknown. The Pill lowers a woman's chance of developing ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and pelvic inflammatory disease. (Smoking and migranes are the only problem here... but I can stop smoking...)

So... by the looks of it, my best bet is on the oral pill... yet there are so many! Which to choose?! Ortho TriCyclen is a highly effective birth control pill that can actually help clear up your skin too. Most side effects of the pill are not serious. And those that are, occur infrequently. Serious risks, which can be life threatening, include blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks, and are increased if you smoke cigarettes. Certain drugs may interact with birth control pills to make them less effective in preventing pregnancy or cause an increase in breakthrough bleeding. Such drugs include rifampin, drugs for epilepsy such as barbiturates (for example, phenobarbital), anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine (Tegretol® is one brand of this drug), phenytoin (Dilantin® is one brand of this drug), phenylbutazone, and possibly certain antibiotics. You may need to use additional contraception when you take drugs which can make oral contraceptives less effective

Alesse is another method of the pill I researched. This medication may cause dizziness, headache, lightheadedness, stomach upset, bloating, or nausea. But other than that, it's pretty much like Ortho Trycyclen.

I'm thinking that I should perhaps go back onto Ortho Trycyclen because it has less side effects, and any side effects that are serious I don't really seem to have problems with. I just need to quit smoking. Which is better for my health anyways.

All information was sought for by using google.com. Most information was found on the following websites:
http://www.fwhc.org/
http://www.orthotri-cyclen.com/index.html