After using Apri birth control pills for three years, I awoke one morning with a splitting headache on the right side of my head. I popped two Tylenol and tried to go back to sleep, figuring it was just another migraine. Several excruciatingly painful days later, the diagnosis was in: I had a blood clot from the hormones in my birth control.
Blood clot? Surely that couldn't happen to me! I'm only 21 years old, I don't smoke, and I live a healthy lifestyle. But it can, and it did.
This was a huge wake-up call: I am not invincible. After visiting my ob/gyn, I had to decide on another method of birth control. Because I've been in a long-term relationship and am at low-risk for sexually transmitted infections, my doctor sat me down and recommended an IUD, often referred to as "the forgotten contraceptive."
IUD stands for Intrauterine Device, which is a barrier method that prevents pregnancy by blocking sperm from reaching the egg by covering the vaginal canal with a copper lining (which kills sperm) and is over 99.9% effective.
To be honest, I'd heard of it during a health class my freshman year of college. Did I pay attention to it? Not really. The device looks strange, like a "T" shape, and we were told it's typically used for females who have previously had children. This misconception is actually why roughly only 2% of women use the highly effective device. However, my doctor assured me that IUD's were safe to use regardless if I'd had children or not. All it takes is a visit to a trained doctor where he/she can measure your cervix to be sure it will fit properly. I was even more shocked to learn that every practicing ob/gyn in the office was using one.
Blood clot? Surely that couldn't happen to me! I'm only 21 years old, I don't smoke, and I live a healthy lifestyle. But it can, and it did.
This was a huge wake-up call: I am not invincible. After visiting my ob/gyn, I had to decide on another method of birth control. Because I've been in a long-term relationship and am at low-risk for sexually transmitted infections, my doctor sat me down and recommended an IUD, often referred to as "the forgotten contraceptive."
IUD stands for Intrauterine Device, which is a barrier method that prevents pregnancy by blocking sperm from reaching the egg by covering the vaginal canal with a copper lining (which kills sperm) and is over 99.9% effective.
To be honest, I'd heard of it during a health class my freshman year of college. Did I pay attention to it? Not really. The device looks strange, like a "T" shape, and we were told it's typically used for females who have previously had children. This misconception is actually why roughly only 2% of women use the highly effective device. However, my doctor assured me that IUD's were safe to use regardless if I'd had children or not. All it takes is a visit to a trained doctor where he/she can measure your cervix to be sure it will fit properly. I was even more shocked to learn that every practicing ob/gyn in the office was using one.
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