"And how should I presume?"

andtherebyhangsatale:

Last night my religion professor said that organizations like my Catholic university that refuse to cover birth control for employees could shut down…and he said this as though it was evidence of how “horrible” Obama’s birth control mandate was.

My response: boo freakin’ hoo. If being stubborn, bigoted, misogynistic assholes is more important than doing a simple thing like providing female employees full health benefits, you probably don’t deserve to stay open.

Right, because as we all know, we absolutely can never let any money from a religious organization ever go to birth control. That’s why we as a nation allow religious organizations to not pay employees who use birth control. /obvious sarcasm

(via andtherebyhangsatale-deactivate)

what-should-we-name-it:

My wonderful fellow mod Andrea posted about the price of pregnancy. That focuses on just the monetary cost of pregnancy, and how financial stability or lack of it can often be a factor in the decision to abort.

I feel as if people don’t always realize that not only do the medical bills add up when it comes to pregnancy, there are other costs to it as well. Other costs that are health related.

Pregnancy is by no means an easy thing to go through, and there are some people who think it’s something that is just over and done with in 9 months and there are no lasting effects. Or that those 9 months are a walk in the park.

So here’s a list of symptoms and complications that arise with pregnancy, varying from common to rare.

Normal, frequent or expectable temporary side effects of pregnancy:

• exhaustion (weariness common from first weeks)
• altered appetite and senses of taste and smell
• nausea and vomiting (50% of women, first trimester)
• heartburn and indigestion
• constipation
• weight gain
• dizziness and light-headedness
• bloating, swelling, fluid retention
• hemmorhoids
• abdominal cramps
• yeast infections
• congested, bloody nose
• acne and mild skin disorders
• skin discoloration (chloasma, face and abdomen)
• mild to severe backache and strain
• increased headaches
• difficulty sleeping, and discomfort while sleeping
• increased urination and incontinence
• bleeding gums
• pica
• breast pain and discharge
• swelling of joints, leg cramps, joint pain
• difficulty sitting, standing in later pregnancy
• inability to take regular medications
• shortness of breath
• higher blood pressure
• hair loss
• tendency to anemia
• curtailment of ability to participate in some sports and activities
• infection including from serious and potentially fatal disease
  (pregnant women are immune suppressed compared with non-pregnant women, and are more susceptible to fungal and certain other diseases)
• extreme pain on delivery
• hormonal mood changes, including normal post-partum depression
• continued post-partum exhaustion and recovery period (exacerbated if a c-section — major surgery — is required, sometimes taking up to a full year to fully recover)

Normal, expectable, or frequent PERMANENT side effects of pregnancy:

• stretch marks (worse in younger women)
• loose skin
• permanent weight gain or redistribution
• abdominal and vaginal muscle weakness
• pelvic floor disorder (occurring in as many as 35% of middle-aged former child-bearers and 50% of elderly former child-bearers, associated with urinary and rectal incontinence, discomfort and reduced quality of life)
• changes to breasts
• varicose veins
• scarring from episiotomy or c-section
• other permanent aesthetic changes to the body (all of these are downplayed by women, because the culture values youth and beauty)
• increased proclivity for hemmorhoids
• loss of dental and bone calcium (cavities and osteoporosis)

Occasional complications and side effects:

• spousal/partner abuse
• hyperemesis gravidarum
• temporary and permanent injury to back
• severe scarring requiring later surgery (especially after additional pregnancies)
• dropped (prolapsed) uterus (especially after additional pregnancies, and other pelvic floor weaknesses — 11% of women, including cystocele, rectocele, and enterocele)
• pre-eclampsia (edema and hypertension, the most common complication of pregnancy, associated with eclampsia, and affecting 7 - 10% of pregnancies)
• eclampsia (convulsions, coma during pregnancy or labor, high risk of death)
• gestational diabetes
• placenta previa
• anemia (which can be life-threatening)
• thrombocytopenic purpura
• severe cramping
• embolism (blood clots)
• medical disability requiring full bed rest (frequently ordered during part of many pregnancies varying from days to months for health of either mother or baby)
• diastasis recti, also torn abdominal muscles
• mitral valve stenosis (most common cardiac complication)
• serious infection and disease (e.g. increased risk of tuberculosis)
• hormonal imbalance
• ectopic pregnancy (risk of death)
• broken bones (ribcage, “tail bone”)
• hemorrhage and
• numerous other complications of delivery
• refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease
• aggravation of pre-pregnancy diseases and conditions (e.g. epilepsy is present in .5% of pregnant women, and the pregnancy alters drug metabolism and treatment prospects all the while it increases the number and frequency of seizures)
• severe post-partum depression and psychosis
• research now indicates a possible link between ovarian cancer and female fertility treatments, including “egg harvesting” from infertile women and donors
• research also now indicates correlations between lower breast cancer survival rates and proximity in time to onset of cancer of last pregnancy
• research also indicates a correlation between having six or more pregnancies and a risk of coronary and cardiovascular disease

Less common (but serious) complications:

• peripartum cardiomyopathy
• cardiopulmonary arrest
• magnesium toxicity
• severe hypoxemia/acidosis
• massive embolism
• increased intracranial pressure, brainstem infarction
• molar pregnancy, gestational trophoblastic disease (like a pregnancy-induced cancer)
• malignant arrhythmia
• circulatory collapse
• placental abruption
• obstetric fistula

More permanent side effects:

• future infertility
• permanent disability
• death.

Filing away under “things to remind the ‘adoption always works’ crowd”…

(via lipsredasroses)

becauseiamawoman:

Yesterday I finally took the leap and got an IUD! After months of issues with my birth control pill and the release of new information about significant risks associated with my particular brand I gave in and scheduled an appointment. Before I went in, I was pretty anxious about what I would experience, and didn’t find a lot of information about what would actually happen once I got there readily available. Now that I have experienced it, I thought it would be really helpful to share with everyone else how getting an IUD really works!

Below you will find information about what an IUD is and my own personal experiences having an IUD inserted. It is very important to remember that these were my experiences, and that in general experiences will vary depending on your own body. It is also important to know that I got the hormonal IUD Mirena and not a copper device.

What is the IUD? The IUD is a match-stick sized t-shaped rod inserted into your uterus to help prevent pregnancy. They come in two kinds: copper (ParaGard) and hormonal (Mirena). Since my own experiences were only with Mirena, this is what I will be concentrating on here. 

The Mirena device works by releasing small amounts of progestin locally which thickens your cervical mucus (which blocks sperm from meeting with an egg), and prevents eggs from being released. This basically means that it prevents pregnancy and not the transmission of STIs (you should use barrier methods as well if you are hoping to do this!). As a form of contraception, Mirena is 99% effective. The IUD is thought to be the safest and most effective form of birth control on the market. It lasts up to 5 years, which makes it a fantastic option for young people looking for something easy and long-term. Although Mirena may have a large upfront cost, in the long-term it often ends up being a very cheap method. Many insurance companies will cover it in full, so make sure you check with your provider!

Mirena is also wonderful since it can decrease menstrual flow, sometimes stopping it completely, and help with cramps after the device settles in. However, it also comes with many side effects unique to this method such as: More spotting, pain during/after insertion, cramping, and rarely uterus perforation which can be very serious. However, since Mirena doesn’t have estrogen it isn’t associated with many of the negative side effects that you usually get with hormonal birth control such as the pill.

The IUD is inserted using a long tube that looks something like what you see in the image below. This image also can give you a good idea of where in the body the IUD sits.

As you can sort of see in this picture, the threads of your IUD will hang down past your cervix. This is so you can reach up every now and then and check to see if they are still there. However, often they settle into your body and even curl up around the outside of your cervix which makes it pretty hard to feel. On the bright side, this also means that the strings won’t be felt with a partner during penetrative intercourse which is a possibility during the first month or so with your IUD. The strings wouldn’t hurt a partner, but many people do report that they can sometimes tell they are there.

It is also of note that the IUD is effective immediately after it is inserted. With Mirena, this actually means that it is effective immediately if you have the device inserted during the first 7 days after your period. Otherwise, you should probably use a back-up method for the first week. Either way, you should consult with your doctor about it.

Now on to my own experiences…

Before the Procedure: There are a couple of things you can do before the procedure to help it go smoothly, and I want to make sure everyone knows how much they can help. It can mean the difference between a little bit of pain and a very short procedure, or a lot of pain and a procedure that lasts a couple minutes longer. Here is what you can do:

1. Take pain killers: Really, do this. Taking over the counter pain medication will help you deal with the pain. I took 800 mg of ibuprofen before and after I got my IUD, and I really do think it helped, (I assume when it wore off was when I had to go home because of the pain, keep reading for that statement to make sense). 
2. Try to schedule your appointment for when you have your period:  They aren’t kidding when they say it goes in easier if you have your period. Menstruating at the gynecologist may seem awkward to you, but it is never ever something your doctor has not seen before. Trust me, they are used to it and any little thing you can do to ease the process is going to help you feel a whole lot better.
3. If your doctor prescribes you something, take it. If they don’t, don’t be afraid to ask about it: Before the procedure, my doctor prescribed me Misopristol which helps to soften the cervix, and again helps to ease the whole process. 

I really think that having done these three things helped to ease my IUD insertion process and make it a lot faster and less painful.

During the Procedure: Going into the procedure, I was extremely nervous. Although I had done everything I could to prepare before going in, I had no idea what to expect. I asked a couple of friends who said that there was a little pain and a lot of cramping. In retrospect (and after sending a text or two asking why they did not tell me the truth), I have come to believe they may have understated their own experiences a little bit.

The first thing that typically happens when you get to the office is a pregnancy test. My doctor didn’t do this since I had my period. Again, it is typically  better to have your period when you go in to get your IUD. This is because the cervix will already be open more and farther down, making the whole procedure generally quicker and less painful.

Once I actually got into the exam room I had to take off my pants and have a STI test. This is usually done prior to getting your IUD since if you do have an STI and get your IUD put in, you’re at an increased risk for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and then for infertility. I waived the hospitals liability if this were to happen since I had to travel out of state to make this happen, and since I have been in a long-term monogamous relationship for the past three years, and so little chance of having recently contracted and STI.

After that, my doctor felt around to get an idea of the position of my uterus, which involved the insertion of a couple of fingers into the vagina while simultaneously feeling for the uterus on the abdomen. This was a little uncomfortable, but also fairly typically of what you might see at your yearly gyno exam. 

Next, the procedure actually gets underway. Some metal holding forceps were put into the vagina and used to hold open the cervix. This felt fairly painful but nothing I couldn’t handle. It mostly felt like there was a lot of pressure pushing around inside of me. The real pain happened when they measured the length of my uterus. I have no idea how they did it, but I literally screamed in pain. Immediately after they inserted the IUD which also hurt, but not as badly as when they measured my uterus. However, it is worth noting that all of this took less than two minutes to do. In my experience, there was a lot of pain but it didn’t last long enough for it to be a real issue. 

After the Procedure (Short-Term): I haven’t had my IUD for that long, so I can’t speak to how my body will react to it in the long run. However, I can tell you how the first day went: It was terrible. Immediately after the procedure I was a little dizzy, but not enough where I couldn’t easily get up and walk around. I went to lunch and to the store after.

About an hour and a half after the procedure my cramps seemed to get really bad. I had to head home and spend the rest of the evening on the couch with a heating pad on my abdomen. It felt like there was a lot of pressure and cramps happening in that part of my body. I ended up feeling a little sick to my stomach due to the pain. Even after taking some pain relievers it was still a lot to handle. Fortunately, by the time I went to bed the majority of the pain and cramping had subsided.

In the end, having and IUD was completely worth the pain for me. Since the whole procedure was free, I know have no-cost birth control until 2017. I won’t have to think about, worry about it, or anything else until I am 27. For me, that totally outweighs a day or two of discomfort. I can’t say how the next five years of having an IUD will go, but I’m feeling optimistic!

Have more questions about the IUD? Feel free to ask me or check out Bedsider or Planned Parenthood for more information!

weeaboo-chan:

being christian and saying “abortion should be illegal because it is against my personal religious beliefs” is like being jewish or muslim and saying “consumption of pork products should be illegal because it is against my personal religious beliefs”

(via werelemur)

itsthis-orcluedo:

bitchesguidetoetiquette:

bemusedlybespectacled:

This is hormonal birth control.

As you can see on the box, you take exactly one pill per day. To make sure it works, you need to take one pill every day at the same time, or it stops working. You take only one pill, and you keep taking them regardless of what you are doing that day.

Hormonal birth control can be used to treat a lot of different diseases, like anemia caused by excessive menstruation. It is a prescription medication that can cost around $15-50 a month. Because it is a prescription medication, it should be covered by insurance, as it treats legitimate health problems.

This is Viagra.

It, too, can treat legitimate health problems like altitude sickness and pulmonary hypertension, but it is usually prescribed for erectile dysfunction. Unlike the Pill, Viagra is taken every time you want to have sex. A lot of health insurance companies cover Viagra, so it costs about as much as your co-pay.

This is a condom.

It is not a prescription medication, and has no health benefits (besides the prevention of STIs and pregnancy). Like Viagra, you must use one before you have sex: indeed, before each sex act. They cost about a dollar per condom.

This is Sandra Fluke.

She testified before a small, Democrat-led hearing after she was cut out of the actual birth control/insurance discussion. Her testimony was about a friend of hers who, because her insurance did not cover birth control, lost an ovary due to an ovarian cyst.

This somehow translates into “I, myself, personally, am having so much sex I can’t afford birth control, and so I want the government to pay for it.”

This is wrong for multiple reasons.

1. It was about a friend, not her. To say her testimony was about her personally is factually incorrect.
2. Sex had nothing to do with the testimony - her friend lost an ovary because of medical condition that was left untreated. A medical condition that was completely treatable, but wasn’t, because her insurance wouldn’t cover it. To say that her testimony was about her being “a slut” or “a prostitute” is factually incorrect.
3. Even if she was having loads of sex, she would still only have one pill a day, not one pill per sex act, so to say “I’m having so much sex I can’t afford birth control” is completely erroneous. The Pill is not Viagra or condoms. To say that she is such “a slut” that she constantly needs more pills is factually incorrect.
4. The current political debate is not “should the government pay for birth control?” The debate is “should insurance companies, that people and their employers pay for, on their own, be required to cover birth control?” To say that Sandra Fluke wants the government to pay for her birth control is factually incorrect.
5. Religious organizations do not want to have birth control covered by their insurance, even for employees not of their faith, even if their employees never actually use their insurance to cover birth control. By this logic, they should also not pay their employees, because they could use that money to pay for birth control out of pocket. To say that this issue is about religious freedom and not about women’s health is disingenuous, as Ms. Fluke’s testimony demonstrates.

Hopefully this makes things a little clearer.

Very helpful. Thanks, OP!

Thank you OP. However, I would like to point out that some people (namely me) have a very bad reaction to the artificial hormones in the Pill. 

Oh, absolutely. A friend of mine has been on several different brands that have all given her different reactions (she’s supposed to take them to prevent anemia).

(via sempiternaltearsontape)