# Why do Women use the pill instead of other birth control methods? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006 "2012-02-16T03:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/61 "2012-02-18T07:48:57Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > They still won’t give tubals to women under a certain age who haven’t had children, Just wanted to point out that this isn’t entirely accurate. I’ve heard, anecdotally, that it is hard to get sterilised if you are young and nulliparous, but that’s not my experience. I had no trouble, the first doctor I saw agreed to sterilise me. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/62 "2012-02-18T09:45:20Z")
> [@Essured](#): > > Just wanted to point out that this isn’t entirely accurate. I’ve heard, anecdotally, that it is hard to get sterilised if you are young and nulliparous, but that’s not my experience. I had no trouble, the first doctor I saw agreed to sterilise me. You’re right. I should have said there’s still a lot of reluctance in some areas. It’s definitely not the norm for a first-consult doctor to agree to sterilise a woman who hasn’t given birth, but it’s not a never situation. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/63 "2012-02-18T10:09:34Z")
I’ve \*had \*two kids, one vaginally, and they couldn’t even get the sound (measuring device) for the IUD through my cervical opening. And the attempts hurt worse than labor and childbirth. I couldn’t stand to go back for another try (with Cytotec for cervical dilation.) But yes, I absolutely agree they should say, “Look, if you haven’t had kids, this is going to hurt like a motherfucking sonofabitch, and we might have to give you a drug linked to uterine rupture to even get it in there. You might end up with an infection that leaves you permanently sterile, instead of the 5 years of sterility you’re asking for. Still want to do it?” ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/64 "2012-02-18T15:10:52Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > How odd! Things are moving backward. Back when I was a young lass, I was unmarried and had an IUD, no questions asked. And I was a not very wealthy single mom, so I’m pretty sure it was some clinic such as planned parenthood. The thing the doctors wouldn’t do back then was perform a tubal ligation if you were younger than 30 (or some such …IIRC the age correctly). I was QUITE sure I didn’t want any kids other than my daughter, but noooo doctors knew better than me. :rolleyes: You were unmarried, but had a child. That’s the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/65 "2012-02-18T15:41:51Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > How odd! Things are moving backward. Back when I was a young lass, I was unmarried and had an IUD, no questions asked. And I was a not very wealthy single mom, so I’m pretty sure it was some clinic such as planned parenthood. The thing the doctors wouldn’t do back then was perform a tubal ligation if you were younger than 30 (or some such …IIRC the age correctly). I was QUITE sure I didn’t want any kids other than my daughter, but noooo doctors knew better than me. :rolleyes: > > Not that I don’t love my son, but I did know I didn’t want more children, he was the result of failed (or user error) birth control, not my own lack of knowledge of self. I was able to get a tubal not too long after my son, the surprise, was born. Most fantastic thing ever! The thing is, giving vaginal birth will stretch the cervix, so it’s easier to dilate it again to insert the IUD. Whether or not you’re married won’t make a difference, it’s whether your cervix has been dilated before. And I’m amazed at how doctors are SURE that every woman is going to want to have kids. As far as I’m concerned, the only thing better than a tubal ligation is a hysterectomy, if you don’t want kids. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/66 "2012-02-18T17:40:02Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I had no problems with it whatsoever. I’m glad that was the case for you. It’s typically difficult to get a MD to agree to it without having had kids first. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/67 "2012-02-18T18:15:02Z")
I’m sort of curious about the OP’s reaction to all these posts. ---
**Author:** ![Amara\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7993a0/32.png) [@Amara\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amara_1)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/68 "2012-02-18T18:48:29Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > But when I was talking to my doctor about birth control options, he said that they don’t like to put IUDs in women who haven’t given vaginal birth, because there can be a fair amount of distress in trying to dilate and get it past the neck of the cervix. Not that it won’t be done, just that they look for other options first, because of the difficulty involved for patient and doctor. I’m married with 2 kids but have not had a vaginal birth. The doc was hesitant to do the insertion because of the vaginal birth issue and she explained that it would probably hurt more. She had no trouble with the concept of an IUD for me and she agreed that it was a really good birth control mechanism in my case; she was just concerned about the pain. I have a fairly high pain tolerance but the IUD insertion hurt a lot. It was accidentally inserted into the wrong place and I thought the pain was normal. Over the next two weeks, the pain was so bad that I was popping 3 or 4 motrins at a time and still couldn’t function. When I finally called in; they took it out very quickly. Then I had to do an ultrasound, discovered some cervical abnormalities and a large fibroid in the wrong place (it was basically pushing out the IUD). The second insertion was a lot easier with the ultrasound to help them but it still hurt quite a bit. It was also very expensive and required significant time off (medical visits and just pain). ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/69 "2012-02-18T18:58:38Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](#): > > The Pill, on the other hand, can be extremely cheap, especially if your body isn’t too picky about which one you use. One of the ones I used to get can be had for $4 at WalMart, even without insurance. > > Cheap reproductive control is a very nice thing. I’m curious about generic birth control pills. I checked Walmart and I’m assuming you are talking about MedroxyprogesteroneAcetate. [http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/genericdruglist.pdf](http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/genericdruglist.pdf) It seems to be difficult to get information about cheap birth control pills. Even Planned Parenthood said BC Pills cost $15–$50 each **month** , when it looks to me like the generics cost $40 a **year**. [http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-pill-4228.htm](http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-pill-4228.htm) How many kinds of generic birth control pills are there and is it difficult to get a doctor to write a prescription for generics? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/70 "2012-02-18T20:11:25Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > How many kinds of generic birth control pills are there and is it difficult to get a doctor to write a prescription for generics? Many. Every brand that’s been out long enough, has a generic, and most of them have been out quite a while. As with any prescription medication, a generic is filled automatically unless the doctor specifies the name brand. The particular type I take (brand name Lo/Ovral) has three generics available. One made by the same company that makes the brand name, two made by different companies. In terms of varieties, here’s a list: > **[47 Birth Control Pill Brand Names: Side Effects, Types, Effectiveness](https://www.medicinenet.com/oral_contraceptives_birth_control_pills/article.htm)** > > Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) are prescription medications that prevent pregnancy. Three combinations of birth control pills that contain progestin and estrogen are 1) monophasic, 2) biphasic, and 3) triphasic. Birth control pills may... The list doesn’t distinguish between the patent holder brand and the generic brand, and its not comprehensive - I can think of a few generic-brands that aren’t shown. Probably about 2/3 are generic. New formats such as transdermal patches and insertable rings, don’t have generics yet and have only one hormone formula. I guess you’re noticing why it is that women think it is a big deal for oral contraception to be covered by insurance. It’s fucking expensive. PP wasn’t lying when they said Oral Contraception costs $15-$50 per month. The lowest I ever paid uninsured was $10/mo through my university (subsidized) pharmacy in 1997, averagely I’ve paid $25/mo since I was 22, always generics, a mix of $35 rack rate and ~$20 copay when insured. If you have insurance you can sometimes get a 90 day supply by mail for one copay though. ETA: the price of condoms really adds up too, if you have an active sex life. $7-8/box of 12. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/71 "2012-02-18T20:34:34Z")
ETA: the $4 brand at Target and wal-mart is “Tri-Sprintec” brand-generic for Ortho Tri-Cylcen. And wal-Mart charges $9 for it those useless fucks. The other thing (mexytriwhatever) is some kind of hormone replacement therapy. Ladies, its $4 at Target. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/72 "2012-02-18T21:08:25Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > ETA: the $4 brand at Target and wal-mart is “Tri-Sprintec” brand-generic for Ortho Tri-Cylcen. And wal-Mart charges $9 for it those useless fucks. The other thing (mexytriwhatever) is some kind of hormone replacement therapy. > > Ladies, its $4 at Target. I think that was my first pill, or pretty close to it. Unfortunately, it didn’t have the best control over the extreme menstrual cramping I suffered from (3-4 days/month, intense cramps) so my doctor switched me off it. I had to go through a ton of different varieties before they finally found a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/73 "2012-02-18T21:20:49Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I don’t know why women would rather use condoms than be on the pill. But if we weren’t all different there’d only be one kind of birth control instead of 20. Maternal reaction to HRT: “hello, I need a doctor to come, please, patient name is [Navamom]. No, I’m her daughter. No, she can’t come to the phone. Hear those retching sounds? It’s her, trying to throw up on an already empty stomach. Ma’am, I’m 17, not 7, 17’s a bit old for that kind of jokes. Thank you.” The same and other female relatives’ reactions to the Pill, HRT and other oral steroids: bad enough that nobody takes any. My cousin used to be on the Pill, got a DIU on her ObGyn’s advice and a lot of problems she used to have disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/74 "2012-02-18T22:01:39Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > nulliparous Who else learned a new word today? Seriously, I’ve never heard this word before. Amazing really. ---
**Author:** ![spankthecrumpet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@spankthecrumpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankthecrumpet)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/75 "2012-02-18T22:10:38Z")
Sadly the edit limit stopped me from adding this in the same post, but I feel really sorry for you American ladies not being allowed IUD. Actually, it’s disgusting that you’re not. I am monogamous and of the wrong sex, but I know very well that in the UK IUDs are for all. Heck, we give 13 year olds the implant pill. Amazes me how you can all put up with this - with what, 50% turnout if you’re lucky, I think American women should start their own political party for reproductive health. You could totally dominate US politics until the middle aged fat men listened to you. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/76 "2012-02-18T23:01:56Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > ETA: the $4 brand at Target and wal-mart is “Tri-Sprintec” brand-generic for Ortho Tri-Cylcen. And wal-Mart charges $9 for it those useless fucks. The other thing (mexytriwhatever) is some kind of hormone replacement therapy. > Ladies, its $4 at Target. I’m pretty sure MedroxyprogesteroneAcetate can be used for contraception, unless the Wikipedia article is lying. It does look like it can be used for hormone replacement also. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medroxyprogesterone\_17-acetate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medroxyprogesterone_17-acetate) I do see Tri-Sprintec on the $9 list. Could you expand on the ‘useless fucks’ comment? Do you mean that they are ineffective or have disagreeable side-effects? ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/77 "2012-02-18T23:08:59Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > IETA: the price of condoms really adds up too, if you have an active sex life. $7-8/box of 12. Or if you have a REALLY active sex life, [$14.39 for a box of 40 at Costco.](http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11537309&search=condoms&Mo=6&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Sp=S&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=condoms&Ntt=condoms&No=6&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Nty=1&topnav=&s=1) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/78 "2012-02-18T23:20:10Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I’m pretty sure MedroxyprogesteroneAcetate can be used for contraception, unless the Wikipedia article is lying. It does look like it can be used for hormone replacement also. Yes, but that isn’t the birth control formulation, you can tell because it isn’t in a 28 day round and besides, it has almost 20 times the hormone that an oral contraceptive pill does. 2.5mg vs. .18 mg No, Wal-Mart are useless fucks because they charge more for oral contraception for absolutely no reason. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/79 "2012-02-18T23:50:03Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > Yes, but that isn’t the birth control formulation, you can tell because it isn’t in a 28 day round and besides, it has almost 20 times the hormone that an oral contraceptive pill does. 2.5mg vs. .18 mg > > No, Wal-Mart are useless fucks because they charge more for oral contraception for absolutely no reason. Okay, but what was the $4 prescription the other poster was referring to? BTW, here is an interesting article on generic BCPs. [http://blogs.webmd.com/womens-health/2011/07/is-your-generic-birth-control-pill-really-the-same-as-the-brand-name-version.html](http://blogs.webmd.com/womens-health/2011/07/is-your-generic-birth-control-pill-really-the-same-as-the-brand-name-version.html) The sentence that caught my eye: > [@](#): > > Surprisingly, overall correct use of a daily BCP was only 54.8% over the year studied (Shrank, 2006) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/80 "2012-02-19T00:03:39Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > Okay, but what was the $4 prescription the other poster was referring to? Presumably she either is misremembering and bought her pills at Target, or else the price was different then. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006.md?page=5)