Spilling Tea: #3 Contraception

Writing on difficult subjects is always easier with a tea in hand. For this week, I have a refreshing peppermint tea, which always smells better than it actually tastes. But oh well, onto this week’s topic of contraception. 

“Sex Baby, let’s talk about you and…” all of the different contraceptives which let you have safe and enjoyable sex – not that I can help (or necessarily want to help) with  the latter, so I’ll leave that one with you. 

We are so fortunate in this country to have a fantastic (and free) health care service which offers an array of contraceptive options for girls (and boys). 

“Are you on the pill?”

“Do you have the implant?”

These are questions which girls are often presented with before having sex, or just in general conversation. I mean, we do have an array of choices when it comes to contraception, whereas men so far only have the option of a condom or vasectomy. However, it does seem that all of them are going to harm us in some way or another. Here are a few examples of the horror stories I have been fortunate enough to hear (if you’re particularly squeamish, perhaps read on to the next paragraph…)

“When they put the implant in they burst a vein and I swear I could have DIED there was blood everywhere!”

“Every time I have had the injection I’ve passed out.”

“The coil once got stuck in my friend and she had 3 nurses trying to fish it out of her!”

As I have said, we are so lucky that here in England we have access to such facilities and healthcare professionals – and it really shouldn’t be taken for granted. When choosing your contraception, it should be a carefully thought out decision, and best discussed with your doctor or nurse. 

Everyone is going to favour different methods, some liking the easiness of the implant or coil, or others preferring the control they have when taking the pill. It is a personal decision, and don’t let anyone (except perhaps a trained medical professional) tell you what is good or not good for your body. 

Just because your boyfriend’s sister’s second cousin passed out when she got the implant, doesn’t mean that you will too. Or that your friend’s friend got pregnant even though she was on the pill – it doesn’t mean that you will too! She might not have been taking it correctly. Don’t let other people’s experiences with contraception inform or determine your own opinions and decisions on them. 

Of course, we are going to be influenced and affected by what we hear, but it is always best to talk to a healthcare professional and get their verdict on things. Despite what arrogant “Anna” says after a few glasses of wine, she probably doesn’t know half of the statistics she is making up about the pill. 

It goes without saying that you should probably wear a condom regardless of whether you’re on a different form of contraception (especially if you have more than one sexual partner). Your sexual health should be as important as your physical and mental health, because if it isn’t looked after properly you can have some devastating consequences. Don’t worry about “killing the mood” or being “annoying”, make sure to put yourself first, and if the other person has a problem with that, then maybe reconsider sleeping with them in the first place. 

The NHS website has a guide to the different contraceptives which they offer, so if you want some saucy late-night reading then check it out here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/

• awareness
• contraception
• Safe Sex
• sex talk
• Student Experience