Theresa, 21, the ring
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By: health
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January 5, 2010
The first time Theresa used the ring , she was a little unsure how to insert it. But now she’s a pro, with a twist method to get it in and a fishhook move to get it out. No sweat. She also uses the stickers that come with each ring to remind her when one […]
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 […]
Anna, 19, not right now
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Anna was born into a culture where the expectation is no sex until marriage. Over time, she’s realized she has her own religious reasons for saying “not right now” . Most of Anna’s friends are sexually active, but she doesn’t judge them for their choice. She asks them questions about sex and they ask her […]
Jenny, 26, withdrawal
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
After trying the pill and condoms , Jenny and her boyfriend decided that they would start practicing withdrawal instead. Money is a constant concern for Jenny, so she likes that they don’t have to pay anything to pull out. But she also know it only makes sense as birth control if they do it correctly. […]
Nicole, 20, the ring
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
Nicole tried a bunch of different birth control methods—and almost gave up more than once—before finding the right fit with the ring . She was nervous at first, afraid that “things could get lost in there.” But she gave it a go, and now finds it easy to use and knows a ring won’t go […]
Jenna, 24, IUD
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By: health
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January 4, 2010
A former pill and implant user, Jenna started using the Mirena IUD when her doctor suggested it a few years ago. The implant was fine, but now she’s really in love. Jenna experienced spotting for the first 6 months, but that was no big deal. Now she has consistent and really light periods—no more than […]