Time for a Change? When to Re-Evaluate Your Birth Control Method

Have you recently experienced a life change? Perhaps you’re moving across the country for a new job or ending a relationship. Lifestyle factors, among other considerations, affect your choice of birth control. What made sense a few months ago might not make sense now. 

Our board-certified nurse practitioner, Letrice Mason, with Her Down There, specializes in women’s health. She’s dedicated to treating all aspects of health – from menstrual problems to birth control, menopause, health conditions, and beyond. 

The following factors play into your birth control decisions; these pointers can help you decide if it’s time for a change. 

Your lifestyle and daily routine 

Perhaps you have a job that requires travel, speaking engagements, and numerous events. Your calendar is full. You likely want birth control to be automatic. Would you remember to take a pill every day? If you’re scatterbrained and are likely to forget or forgo your daily routine, perhaps the birth control pill isn’t the best choice for you. An IUD or implant can provide peace of mind. 

Relationship change 

Is your relationship status changing? Perhaps you’re just starting to date after a serious relationship ended. On the other hand, perhaps you’ve found the love of your life after years of singlehood. Either status may mean you want to change your birth control method. 

If you’re leaving a monogamous relationship and dating new people, a condom, along with spermicide, is the safest method of birth control. No matter how nice a new person seems, you don’t want to be surprised by a sexually transmitted infection (STI). While some STIs can be easily treated with an antibiotic, others, like herpes, can plague you for life and hinder your entry into other relationships. 

Once you’re in a one-and-only relationship, you’ll likely want a safe, effective birth control method that’s also automatic. You want to enjoy the romance. You may decide to switch to a birth control pill, patch, or IUD.  

Desire to start a family 

Do you plan to start a family? Is it just around the corner, or do you anticipate a longer wait before becoming a mother? If you plan on becoming pregnant a few months from now, you may decide to stop taking birth control pills and switch to a nonhormonal method. It can take a few months for your periods to happen on a regular schedule. 

On the other hand, if your timeframe for creating a family is more than a year, you may decide the pill or an IUD is the best solution. 

Side effects 

Birth control methods sometimes have bothersome side effects. If they’re minor and you can handle them easily, you may opt to continue using your current method. But if you’re experiencing cramping, heavy bleeding, irregular bleeding, or frequent headaches, it’s time to consider another birth control method.  

Health factors 

In addition to lifestyle factors, FNP-C Mason reviews your medical history and your medications and assesses your overall health to advise you on birth control methods. For example, your expert provider evaluates your risk for breast cancer, blood clots, and heart disease. If you’re at high risk, this may mean that hormonal birth control methods aren’t the best idea. 

If you have endometriosis, FNP-C Mason might recommend an IUD, which may reduce your menstrual pain and control heavy bleeding. 

For all of your health concerns as a woman, call Her Down There or book an appointment online today. We have offices in Arlington and Houston, Texas. Our Arlington officer offers telemedicine appointments.