Alexandria, 21, the ring
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
Alexandria moved from the pill to the ring and has good things to say about the switch. She’s got shorter periods now and prefers dealing with birth control once a month instead of once a day. For the most part, once the ring is in, it’s in. A couple of times, though, it’s come out […]
Nicole, 21, diaphragm
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
Nicole sums up the perks of her diaphragm like this: it’s easy to use, undetectable, and reliable. She likes that it’s there when she needs it, but there’s no long-term commitment. Even though the diaphragm is easy to hide once it’s in—and it’s important to Nicole that her choice of birth control stays private—at some […]
Norelle, 22, not right now
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
Norelle used to have sex. Lots of it, in fact. But after being diagnosed with a UTI, a yeast infection, and a STI—all at once—she decided to make a change and not be so “out there with the guys.” Rather than trying to find the right person, though, Norelle decided to be the right person. […]
Alesondrje, 21, sponge
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
Alesondrje and her boyfriend used condoms when they first got together. But eventually they decided to move the relationship “to a deeper level” by getting tested for STIs and trading condoms for the sponge , a method her mom used back in the day and highly recommended. Alesondrje likes to use the sponge along with […]
Anastasia, 21, internal condom
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
The first time Anastasia used an internal condom , she and her boyfriend were on the beach, under the stars. (Sigh.) She had been given some samples at a clinic just a few days before and decided this was the time to try them out. Anastasia had to open a few packs before figuring out […]
Veronica, 24, diaphragm
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Veronica has plans. To travel the world, rescue animals, and design clothing. Getting pregnant doesn’t fit in that plan. So she uses birth control every time. Veronica started with condoms , then added a diaphragm for back up. Knowing diaphragms do their best work with the help of spermicide , she always uses that, too. […]
Marisela, 29, spermicide
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Parents of four with one on the way, Marisela and her husband have been together since they were teens. They’ve always planned to have a big family, but they’ve also always used birth control when they weren’t trying to get pregnant. They started out using condoms and soon after added spermicide to the mix. It’s […]
Natalia, 27, sponge
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Natalia was on the pill , but then she lost her health insurance. She had to start paying $60 a month out of pocket and after a while, it was just too much. Natalia decided to switch to the sponge , a method she could get without a prescription. She likes that it’s easy to […]
Alexa, 29, sterilization
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Alexa, who had one child and knew she didn’t want to have more, grew tired of using temporary birth control methods. She was ready for a permanent solution and her doctor agreed that sterilization was a good choice for her. The procedure itself was relatively easy. The whole thing was done in about an hour […]
Rachel, 26, fertility awareness methods
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Rachel read an article about fertility awareness that described the method simply: it’s all about knowing your body. So she decided to do a little “getting to know you” of her own. After a year of tracking—and we’re talking about everything from hair greasiness and back pain to cervical mucus and basal body temperature—Rachel finally […]