# 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:** 5
**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 19, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/81 "2012-02-19T00:12:42Z")
Both Target and Walmart have a limited list of prescription meds (mostly old generics) that they will only charge $4 for. Even with that rate of taking the pill correctly (even delaying by a couple hours on one single day of the year might drop you down on that rating), [the pill is still highly effective for contraception](http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-effectiveness-chart-22710.htm) (2-9 pregnancies in a year per 100 women) and may have other beneficial effects. ---
**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, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/82 "2012-02-19T00:27:48Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Both Target and Walmart have a limited list of prescription meds (mostly old generics) that they will only charge $4 for. > . At Wal-Mart the sole oral contraceptive offered is $9. You can check the website. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/83 "2012-02-19T00:33:56Z")
I tried the pill. It turned me into an evil woman. Depo, the same. I am very sensitive to chemicals. So I went with the diaphragm. That worked just fine until I developed an allergy to latex. I am now surgically beyond the need for birth control. But there’s still diseases to worry about. ---
**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 19, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/84 "2012-02-19T01:06:15Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > At Wal-Mart the sole oral contraceptive offered is $9. You can check the website. Yeah, I was just saying where the idea of $4 prescriptions came from. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/85 "2012-02-19T05:07:20Z")
People are afraid of the weight gain from Depo and Implanon, because anybody who gains 10 pounds in this climate is a fatty, right? In seriousness, it can be pretty bad. Essure is too permanent, IUD’s can be painful to insert and some people have vague moral objections to them–as in, they don’t prevent the implantation but do allow it to just sort of… run out… ew. I’m not against them, but… ew. Doctors don’t want to give tubals because they hate women. Pills are generally pretty cheap, easy to obtain, and portable. They don’t have to be refrigerated like, what is it, the patch and Nuva Ring? The only one I’m intimately familiar with is Depo Provera. I’ve been on it since late 2004/early 2005 (don’t remember which) and it is a miracle for me. It prevents me from getting pregnant, it takes away my periods and all the bullshit that comes with endometriosis. I have gained weight, but I’m also hypothyroid, so it’s up in the air which is the real culprit there. Maybe both. I couldn’t be happier with it, really. It’s helped my skin (I think, anyway) and it reduces your risk of some types of cancer. It’s terribly convenient if you’re not afraid of needles. I’m a walking advertisement for the stuff. Unfortunately it comes with awful side effects for lots of people, including serious weight gain, mood swings, extended bleeding, migraine headaches, etc. And of course, once you’ve taken it, you’re stuck for 12 to 15 weeks before it wears off. Going off it is a nightmare of mood swings and random, unpredictable bleeding and cramps. Also it will melt your bones if you stay on it long enough. It also doesn’t contain estrogen, so if you’re on it for long term you may wind up on estrogen supplements\* because your hormones gradually get more and more fucked up. And that’s why nobody likes Depo. - That’s me right now. But I’m biding my time for a hysterectomy this fall, after which I will do a happy dance to appease the Gods of Infertility. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/86 "2012-02-19T05:27:18Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > -If you have severe reactions to Depo, the effects take 3-4 months to stop. Extremely violent mood swings are the most common reason I hear to go off Depo. > -if you have a negative reaction to Implanon, you have to have it pried out of your arm. > -not every woman can use an IUD - though insertion on a woman who has never had a baby is possible, it is more painful to insert with a higher chance of expulsion. And some women without children are simply poor candidates due to the size/angle of their cervix. Some doctors will not insert one in a nulliparous woman, though this POV is changing. > -The transdermal patches only come in 1 formulation - if its not a good match for you, you’re out of luck. Same for the Nuvaring (and some guys complain they can feel the ring during sex, that might be a sneakbrag though). Since there’s no generic you pay top shelf prices. > > There are literally hundreds of different formulations of the Pill. If you have a bad reaction to one, you find another. Taking the pill every day is not rocket science. > > All hormonal BC has a chance of side effects. The pill is by far the choice which is most adaptable and most reversible (as in “you stop any time”… Bad reaction? stop. want to get pregnant? stop…high blood pressure? stop.) It doesn’t involve any surgical procedures. Generics are widely available in many of the different pill types. Just want to make two points: 1. nalliparious. New word. Never heard it before. 2. you can definitely feel the nuva ring and I pulled it out on my cock once with and old girlfriend and it really killed the mood. And I’m an avg dude at 11" (7" really) and avg thickness. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/87 "2012-02-19T07:28:17Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I’m sort of curious about the OP’s reaction to all these posts. I was just trying to figure out how much safe and effective birth control actually costs. I can say that I actually know less than when I started the thread. There doesn’t seem to be a cheap and widely acceptable birth control on the market. Actually there doesn’t seem to be a expensive and widely acceptable birth control on the market. Even among woman that use the pill there seem to be strong differences in opinion about which brands and generics have acceptable side effects. I also find it hard to find cost information about the various brands. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/88 "2012-02-19T07:54:49Z")
[QUOTE=spankthecrumpet;14788347 I feel really sorry for you American ladies not being allowed IUD. Actually, it’s disgusting that you’re not. [/QUOTE] We’re not, actually, universally. I personally know two very young unmarried women with no children that got that Mirena IUD with no problems whatsoever. (Including insertion pain, btw…they both walked out of the doctors office and went to work that same day). I really feel like getting an IUD depends a lot on the doctor’s comfort level…and it seems like young, female GYNs are much more likely to be comfortable with inserting IUDs in young childless women. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/89 "2012-02-19T19:27:56Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I was just trying to figure out how much safe and effective birth control actually costs. I can say that I actually know less than when I started the thread. There doesn’t seem to be a cheap and widely acceptable birth control on the market. Actually there doesn’t seem to be a expensive and widely acceptable birth control on the market. Even among woman that use the pill there seem to be strong differences in opinion about which brands and generics have acceptable side effects. I also find it hard to find cost information about the various brands. You aren’t going to get a definitive answer because there isn’t one. How much a particular birth control method costs is going to depend on whether you are insured or not (at least in the U.S.), and where you buy it. Different doctor’s offices/pharmacies have different prices, insurance plans have different rules/copays/coinsurance for different methods, and many Planned Parenthood outlets charge for products and services on a sliding scale according to your income. There are a bunch of formulations of BC pills out there because everyone’s different and one type that will work well for one person will have unacceptable side effects for another. Similar is true for any type of BC that uses hormones. Part of what goes into the decision-making for any method has to be if you can live with that method or not - a lot of times price is secondary to that, and it does take some searching to figure out how to keep the costs down after you’ve made the decision on what you are going to do. And yes, our healthcare system in this country only serves to make everything that much more complicated. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/90 "2012-02-19T21:15:26Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > [QUOTE=Hello Again] > > nulliparous Who else learned a new word today? Seriously, I’ve never heard this word before. Amazing really. [/QUOTE] You know how when you learn a word in print and read it lots and then say it out loud, only your pronunciation is all stupid and wrong because you’ve never heard anyone actually say it? Yeah. It’s not, shockingly enough, “nully-PARE-us”. It’s “nul-IP-uh-rus.” As I found out to my chagrin the first day of OB class. :smack: Related fun terms: primip/primiparous (“pruh-MIP-uh-rus”): a woman who is pregnant and has not carried a fetus past 20 weeks before/a first viable pregnancy Bipara/biparous (“BIHP-uh-rus”): a woman who is pregnant and carried one other fetus at past 20 weeks in the past/a second viable pregnancy Multip/multiparous (“mul-TIP-uh-rus”): a woman who is pregnant and has carried more than one other fetus past 20 weeks in the past/a third viable pregnancy Grand multipara: a woman who has carried 5 or more fetuses past 20 weeks (There is room here for a variety of hair splittings. If you want to get a group of midwives fighting for your own shallow amusement, ask them whether a woman who miscarried twins at 20 weeks and 0 days and is now pregnant is a primip, bipara or a multip.) ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/91 "2012-02-19T22:23:06Z")
[quote=“aruvqan, post:60, topic:613006”] I would love for all the damned male doctors to have to go through PCOS that was that debillitating and tell women _then_ to just deal with it. I remember reading about your experiences and they sound awful ☹ but I can honestly say that after having a variety of gynos the most gentle have been men. I actually started tearing up during a routine exam and the stupid bitch said “Chill out – you haven’t even given birth yet”. > [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > People are afraid of the weight gain from Depo and Implanon, because anybody who gains 10 pounds in this climate is a fatty, right? In seriousness, it can be pretty bad. I’m hoping you were actually serious because 10 pounds on a 5 foot tall woman is nothing to scoff at. Also, half of the US is now overweight, so yes, we are a fat country and growing. > [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > 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**. One more thing – **not every state ALLOWS those $10 for 3 month or $4/month birth control generics to be carried.** Pennsylvania is one of those special, paternalistic nanny-states I’m referring to. I’ve known people who use other country mail orders or who take a $30 in gas round trip to get 6 months of their generics across the state line. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/92 "2012-02-19T22:33:12Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > We’re not, actually, universally. I personally know two very young unmarried women with no children that got that Mirena IUD with no problems whatsoever. FWIW, I am childless and had one inserted at the age of 26. It was a horrible, horrible idea. I very much care about the 10 pounds I gained with Depo, and things that used to work for losing weight don’t anymore. But Depo is my best option until they let me have a hysterectomy. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/93 "2012-02-19T23:34:28Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > Even among woman that use the pill there seem to be strong differences in opinion about which brands and generics have acceptable side effects. Well, yeah. The side effects of any given formulation are going to be different for different people. Just like Benadryl doesn’t affect some people at all,and others it makes a little drowsy, and some people it knocks flat on their ass, and other people it actually hypes up, any given bcp can be beneficial, neutral, mildly negative but not enough to switch brands, or really fucking awful, depending on the exact individual body chemistry of the woman taking it. And, of course, different people have different tolerances for the exact same side effects. As for how much it costs, as others have said, it varies by not only what you’re getting and whether it’s generic and what market you’re in, but whether you have insurance, what kind of insurance you have, and what formulary tier your insurance puts your pill on–some insurance plans have much higher copays for certain pills, sometimes nearly twice as much as for other name brand prescriptions. If you want a general idea, you can make a list of common brand names and call a local pharmacy to check self-pay retail prices for those and their generics. By and large, though, for someone with prescription drug coverage, out of pocket is going to be somewhere between $10 for a generic to about $40 for a non-formulary brand name. ---
**Author:** ![starwarsfreek42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@starwarsfreek42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starwarsfreek42)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/94 "2012-02-20T02:26:49Z")
I don’t mean to trivialize the weight gain, I suppose I’ve simply come to accept that there is no better option for me because Depo is the only thing that takes away my period 100% reliably. After my hysterectomy I will join a gym and be serious about getting back to my pre-Depo weight, even though I’m just barely in the “overweight” category now for my height right now. It just irritates me how many women see weight as a reflection of their self-worth, but that’s a whole 'nother thread. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/95 "2012-02-20T07:39:46Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I was just trying to figure out how much safe and effective birth control actually costs. I can say that I actually know less than when I started the thread. There doesn’t seem to be a cheap and widely acceptable birth control on the market. Actually there doesn’t seem to be a expensive and widely acceptable birth control on the market. Even among woman that use the pill there seem to be strong differences in opinion about which brands and generics have acceptable side effects. I also find it hard to find cost information about the various brands. My problem isn’t the cost of the pills themselves ($10 a month at Target), but getting a prescription written. Since I don’t have insurance, my options are very expensive (relatively) and not even guaranteed to garner the script I need. I suppose that’s a different definition of cost, though. ---
**Author:** ![Dublin11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Dublin11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dublin11)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/96 "2012-02-20T20:13:48Z")
> [@spankthecrumpet](#): > > 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. Can you tell me what that is, please? I’ve never heard of it. And it seems contraintuitive to me. You - well, not\* you\*, seeing as you’re a man 😃 - take a pill orally, while an implant is inserted into you. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/97 "2012-02-20T23:01:01Z")
> [@Dublin11](#): > > Can you tell me what that is, please? I’ve never heard of it. And it seems contraintuitive to me. You - well, not\* you\*, seeing as you’re a man 😃 - take a pill orally, while an implant is inserted into you. I think it is just a terminology problem. I think he is talking about Implanon. [http://www.channel4.com/news/implanon-contraception-failures-cost-nhs-200-000](http://www.channel4.com/news/implanon-contraception-failures-cost-nhs-200-000) It seems to be very reliable, but there have been some issues because of improper insertion, so it is being phased out in favor of Nexplanon. > [@](#): > > Family planning clinics in England report contraceptive implants are soaring in popularity from 16,000 women in 2005 to nearly 82,000 in 2010. > > It is particularly popular amongst teenagers with 10 per cent of 16-19-year-olds saying they prefer an implant largely because they do not have to remember to take a pill. But the majority of complaints about Inplanon have been made by doctors and nurses who claim it’s difficult to insert properly and cannot be checked afterwards. They mention the cost as £90, but the actual insertion costs may be covered by NHS. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/98 "2012-02-20T23:57:19Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Because implanted or injected hormones make me want to kill myself (literally)-- Depo was the worst experience of my entire life. At least with a pill, if it’s awful, it’s only awful for a day or two. > > And because no one will give me an IUD because I’m not married. Hooray! Trust me, I’d LOVE a copper IUD-- so much so, that I’m considering lying so I can just get one. It took me a few doctors to find someone who’d give me an IUD, and the Planned Parenthood only gave me one 'cause I had the “I’ll be married in under a year” card to pull with them. The worst “no, we won’t give you an IUD” doctor I had was a woman who told me that, if I wanted, she’d give me a referral to another doctor who did Implanon. I got rushed out, sans prescription, sans referral, and the folks who answered the phones wouldn’t fax, mail, or let me pick up that referral or even the doctor’s name that she was going to refer me to. At least I got the BC pill prescription after the fact. > [@FlyByNight512](#): > > I’ve heard this from a number of places. Can anyone enlighten me on why? I can understand that using a NuvaRing, or a tampon, or anything else, could be uncomfortable the first few times, but I don’t understand the psychological barrier that is apparently there for a not-insignificant number of women. Surely no part of your own body is verboten? A lot of it is cultural. Many women are discouraged from touching their genitals and sometimes even any sort of contact; there’s this unspoken idea that vaginas are unclean and inappropriate to come into contact with among enough females that it’s still a lingering issue. Yeah, it’s a little invasive to stick things in your vagina, but it’s not nearly as invasive as other invasive procedures. > [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > 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) Unluckily for me, Costco doesn’t stock the particular size I would need in condoms. My husband has only had luck with [this particular style](http://www.condomania.com/condoms-by-size/larger-size-condoms-top-to-bottom/trojan-magnum-xl-condoms.html), and even then it’s a little snug. Due to a rather long series of events\*, I am verboten by my OBGYN to use hormonal birth control, am at least temporarily not allowed to get another IUD inserted, and I am a little under a year away from the point where my husband and I agreed we’d visit the “permanent sterilization” discussion to make a final decision. We currently switch between condoms, [contraceptive film](http://www.amazon.com/VCF-Vaginal-Contraceptive-Film-Nonoxynol-9/dp/B001THNCFI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top), and carefully tracking when it’s a very bad idea to have sex without protection. I’ve been tracking all of this with an app on my phone, as I’ve got mildly irregular periods and always have. \*Got an IUD in 2008, and due to a lot of stuff going on in my life (mom died of cancer while I was in grad school and wedding planning), I didn’t end up checking to see whether the thing was inserted properly. Cut to three years later and I’m bleeding heavily for over a month. I go to the OBGYN, end up having it removed, and they do tests to see if they can figure out _why_ the bleeding occurred, as it wasn’t entirely the IUD’s fault. Ends up I’ve got severe cervical dysplasia, which is a pre-cancerous stage in my case. I get surgical removal and the samples get tested; I had squamous carcinomas growing on my cervix. I just got through the first three months post-op and I’m scheduled for tests every three months until I get two results in a row that show normal conditions; at that point, I get to switch up to every six months. I’ll talk to him about changing our contraceptive options once I’m far enough into the recovery period for it to not be a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/99 "2012-02-21T19:45:56Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > I’ve been on Depo for years. Best thing that ever happened for me. > [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > The only one I’m intimately familiar with is Depo Provera. I’ve been on it since late 2004/early 2005 (don’t remember which) and it is a miracle for me. Add me to the “yay, Depo!” list. I was on it for 2 years, while I was with my ex, and it was awesome: my periods stopped completely (I’m still a little grumpy that I have to deal with them again), I had no weight gain or other side effects, and it helped my hormone-related acne. The only downsides were having to make a doctor’s appointment every three months for the injection (though I didn’t mind the injection itself), and the cost – IIRC, it was something like $140 for each shot. My ex and I alternated paying for them. > [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > Going off it is a nightmare of mood swings and random, unpredictable bleeding and cramps. That wasn’t the case for me: I had no mood swings, and no bleeding or cramps until my regular periods came back. But, I also used the lower-dose version of Depo – [depo-subQ](http://www.depo-subqprovera104.com/). > [@starwarsfreek42](#): > > Also it will melt your bones if you stay on it long enough. This was why I stopped taking it after my relationship ended: my doctor didn’t like the idea of me being on it for more than two consecutive years. My ex and I were actually starting to talk about him getting a vasectomy, but then we broke up. Between my doctor’s concerns and the cost of the shots, I couldn’t justify staying on Depo when I knew I wasn’t likely to be sexually active again any time soon – not with anyone who I wouldn’t use a condom with, anyway. I miss it, though. The minute I’m in another monogamous relationship I’m going right back on the shot, and I don’t care if my bones melt. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006/100 "2012-02-21T20:14:50Z")
I don’t understand why some birth control pills aren’t available as $4 generics. Some birth control hormones patents expired decades ago and some of the $4 generics actually use the same hormones. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-women-use-the-pill-instead-of-other-birth-control-methods/613006.md?page=6)