Vitamin G: Everything You Need To Know About Birth Control (2024)

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Explore the ins and outs of contraception

Outside of the heated realm of the bedroom, it’s often taboo to talk about the intricacies of sex including birth control. In a 2023 survey, 90 percent of Americans reported experiences where sex education failed to properly prepare them. Information is key when it comes to safe sexual health care practices. Naturally, Gen Z’ers are leading the charge in having more open and honest conversations about sex and health. Zillennials demand answers to tough questions and push past the awkwardness of the taboo topic’s boundaries, which results in more transparency and knowledge.

These conversations, along with cultural and societal changes, have shifted the connotation of premarital sex. Something riddled with shame is now an empowering form of liberation. For this generation, sexual safety and choosing to have children on their own terms is the only concern. While Gen Z’ers are less likely to have an unplanned pregnancy, the ins and outs of birth control is still elusive. There are still many questions surrounding it and its effects. If you are thinking about starting this journey, here’s everything you need to know about birth control.

What Is Birth Control?

It’s easy to associate birth control simply as a way to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. However, it is so much more. “Birth control is a hormonal [or] non-hormonal medication, with the purpose of either changing or affecting one’s menstrual cycle pattern to prevent pregnancy or manage some other symptoms that could be due to one’s menstrual cycle,” says Jerrine Morris, a board certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist.

For women living with hormonal disorders, like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOs), uterine fibroids and dysmenorrhea, birth control is their saving grace. Board certified women’s health nurse practitioner Peggy Roberts tells GU that birth control has many other health effects, including easing chronic menstrual pain, stopping heavy bleeding, and regulating periods and hormonal imbalances.

What Types Of Birth Control Exist?

Each contraceptive falls under two main categories: hormonal and non-hormonal. The hormonal options, which are progestin-only or a combination of progestin and estrogen, include the most common form – the everyday pill. In addition, there’s a patch, vagin*l ring, depo-provera shot, contraceptive implants, and the intrauterine device (IUD). The depo-provera shot, contraceptive implants, and the IUD must be administered by a professional and last for longer periods of time.

The non-hormonal options include copper IUDs, phexxi gel, and condoms. Phexxi gel and condoms are used only when you need them, while the copper IUD is inserted by a doctor lasting up to 10 years.

What Is The First Step?

Before starting birth control, both Morris and Roberts advise women to start by seeing their healthcare provider. Together, they can decide the method that aligns with the individual’s lifestyle.

“It’s important to know your patient and to be able to see what their desires are because women come in not knowing all of the options,” Roberts tells GU. “It may not take one visit. It may be presenting the options, giving them information, and then coming back and having a further discussion because it’s not to be entered into lightly.”

What Are The Common Symptoms?

The birth control journey is an individualized experience, and as Morris says, “what affects one person will not necessarily affect another.” Some of the most common side effects are weight gain, acne, mood swings, irregular periods, blood clotting and reduced libidio. While some people experience side effects, both Morris and Roberts emphasize that many women don’t.

“It’s important for women to know that the birth control journey is their journey,” Roberts says. “Just because a friend or a family member had a negative experience on a method doesn’t mean that [you] will have that same experience.”

What Should You Do If You Are Experiencing Symptoms?

If you are experiencing anything abnormal, it’s important to share it with your healthcare provider. An open line of communication makes a huge difference in your birth control journey.

“I find that patients who didn’t really feel comfortable speaking with their provider about how they felt and their goals were the individuals who were the least happy or content with the option that they had chosen,” Morris says. “Make sure you have a provider who hears you [and] that you feel comfortable speaking with about your goals.”

Is The OTC Birth Control Pill Safe?

In March, the first OTC birth control pill, Opill, began selling in major retail stores. Morris and Roberts assert it’s a great option for women with minimal side effects.

To Roberts, the progestin-only oral pill is a win for women, especially with the lack of access to care and the attack on women’s rights in the United States. Echoing her sentiments, Morris says that Opill allows individuals the ability to “take charge in terms of preventing pregnancy when it’s not desired and being able to manage their family building options.”

Is Taking Plan B Good Enough?

Plan B is an emergency birth control option that is taken within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse. While it can be helpful, it shouldn’t be your first line of defense. “[Plan B] should not be used as a form of birth control,” Roberts says. “I tell women that all the time because [Plan B] can cause irregular periods for months after taken, and it may not work.”

What Should You Do If You Don’t Like Your Current Method?

Morris says that most women are happy with the first method they pick; however, some choose an option that may not be the best fit. She urges women to communicate their feelings with their physicians and avoid getting frustrated with the process.

“Birth control journeys are not one size fits all,” Morris says. “​​I liken it to blood pressure medication. You try a blood pressure medication, [and] it doesn’t work to control your blood pressure. Most people don’t just give up and say, ‘I’m not taking any blood pressure medication.’ They try something else.”

About the Author: Kayla Grant is a multimedia journalist with bylines in Shondaland, Black Love, theGrio, Business Insider and more. She writes about culture, books and entertainment news. When she’s not writing, Kayla’s traveling, reading, binging TV shows, or all of the above. Follow her on Twitter: @TheKaylaGrant.