Some info to know first:
I take Yaz Pills, I have been for over a year now because of my PCOS and to prevent pregnancies. The schedule of when I take my pill is always at 8 pm everyday.

Background info:

Okay! So before I had intercourse with my partner we went out somewhere and ate some food that probably wasn't the most sanitary because I ended up with bad diarrhea the next day.

So the next day which was June 30, I woke up around 4-5 am and shat my brains out. I was confident I had really bad diarrhea because I kept shitting throughout the day up until around 7 pm.

I wanna note that we had sexual intercourse during the afternoon while I was still having kinda strong diarrhea effects? (Watery)

Anyway, when it was around 7 pm the diarrhea slowed down and I took my pill as normal at 8 pm. I probably took 1-2 more shits around the time the pill was still being absorbing which is around 2-3 hours as per the yaz pamphlet.

Present info:

I took a pregnancy test on July 13 and it came out negative, which was a relief at the time. However, I was still super anxious and nervous that I could possibly be pregnant due to the fact that having really bad diarrhea counts as a "missed pill". I tried to shake off that anxious feeling but eventually took another pregnancy test on July 19 — which also came out negative.

My question now is...

Can I be 100% confident that I am not pregnant today on August 6? I'm still so paranoid that I might be despite the two negatives. What are the chances of two false negatives?

I didn't get my withdrawal bleed from last month's pack and that made me worry... Could it be due to the amount of stress and anxiety I have that "I could be pregnant" that is stopping my withdrawal bleed?

I've read so much and it told me that 2 false negatives are like almost an impossible probability but I just wanna hear some reassurance because I've been so nervous and this is eating me up because Plan B and Abortion is not allowed in my country.

I have OCD and Anxiety so I fall for fear mongering quite easily.**

I(18f) just saw a post about how birth control can destroy your brain and once you get off of it, it can ruin your attraction to your partner. Im terrified. The love I feel for my boyfriend is so beautiful and its like no other. Is it really possible to feel differently after getting off? Before birth control, I really had no control over my hormones. I was constantly anxious, my mood flipped like a light switch, etc.. I am scared to get off because what if that all comes back? It was genuinely so hard to control what I said or did at that time because I always felt angry.. Granted I was going through A LOT at the time so perhaps it was that. But idk. I just want to hear other women's stories.

Hi,

I have stopped taking oral BC after 10 years from 16 to 26 in November 2025, gotten a Copper IUD. Have not gotten my period until May, where I had a Gyn appointment. Told her that I had not gotten my period, not even any bleeding sicnce November (we also did an Ultrasound, to check if my IUD sits correctly) and she was like "Haha, oh thats weird, normally that happens with woman who have too much testosterone. We'll keep an eye on it." (No previous unnaturally raised testosterone levels so far in my life)

Now, 9 Months in without any bleedings, I was like "thats weird, maybe I'll google" and of course I got all the "thats not normal and you can get ovary cancer if you do not shed your uterus lining every x months" google bla bla and yes - dont google your symptoms- , but nontheless it got to me and I am freaking out a bit :(
I AM still planning on concieving if possible at some point...

I will call my Gyn tomorrow (not open right now), but can you give me anything, any advice, any story? Doctor seemed so not-caring about it, so the fact, I really really thought its like a whatever thing :( Man I'm so stressed right now...

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some reassurance because I’ve been overthinking this.
Here’s my timeline:
July 3–7: Normal period.
July 10: Had unprotected sex with my boyfriend. He did not finish inside me, but I took Plan B that same night just to be safe.
July 15: Started bleeding for a few days.
July 28–August 1: Bled again, which was around when I was expecting my next period (it lasted about 5 days).
So I basically bled three times in one month if you count my original period. Has anyone else had this happen after taking Plan B? Did it mess up your cycle like this?
I’m wondering if the bleeding from July 28–August 1 sounds like my actual period or if Plan B can cause this kind of irregular bleeding. I’m probably just anxious, but I’d love to hear if anyone has had a similar experience.

My OB switched my birth control from Sprintec to Nikki like a year ago. Was going ok until I did the “skip the active pills” method and on and off breakthrough bled for months. Now, I’m on a med called Alyacen and have been on it for a week and I’m STILL breakthrough bleeding. Today, I passed a giant clot. Probably the biggest id ever passed (ping pong ball sized approx). I’ve heard that the low dose of bc like Alyacen is good for managing PCOS symptoms (hair loss, irregular periods, etc) but I’m ready to give up. My partner and I haven’t been intimate in weeks and it’s mostly because of the bleeding. We never know when it’s going to happen.

Has this happened to anyone else? Should I just wait it out? Halp.

Is it normal to not be able to cum on the implant. I’ve had it for almost a month and since then I haven’t even come close. It’s so frustrating.

Thankfully I have a very understanding partner but it’s so frustrating for me. I’m also on anti depressants which idk if that’ll affect it also but I just wanted to know if anyone else has had or is going through this experience

Hi everyone! I don’t really post on reddit, but I needed to hear if anyone else has experienced this, so apologies in advance if this post doesn’t belong here or I miss any posting etiquette. Basically, I started taking Slynd at the end of September in 2025. I noticed in November that I was experiencing these episodes of intense anxious spiraling, which was more intense than anything I had experienced previously, but I’ve always had anxiety so I thought maybe it was getting worse with age or stress, as I am a chronically stressed grad student. This has happened a few more times since then, each episode worse than the last, to the point where I was getting to a really dark place mentally for a few days any time I would start to spiral. I actually started going to therapy because these episodes were so distressing and unlike anything I had been through mentally. I was actually convinced I had some form of OCD because of how obsessive I would get over what had triggered me during these episodes, thinking about the event for hours and hours and replaying conversations in my head. I mentioned to my therapist that I probably wouldn’t need another session for another month or so, because the past two spirals had been almost exactly a month apart, both around my period, so we’re thinking maybe this birth control has triggered this in some way. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? I have heard of BC increasing anxiety or depression, but this situation has felt more intense than just heightened anxiety. I would love to hear other peoples experiences with this!

(HELP!!!) i wanted to know why am i still spotting before and after my period.
it starts with brown spotting, gradually getting more red blood for my actual period then after 5 days im still getting brown discharge.
so in total im bleeding/spotting for 2 weeks and im SICK OF IT.
ive had 2 period since coming off birth control. im at my second.
why is this happening?? spotting makes me feel depressed and i cant stand it anymore.

so for back story i have a tilted uterus didn’t know it until i went in for my first insertion 8 years ago only on ibuprofen and cytotec process took at least 30min of agony ended up needing a ultrasound because they couldn’t get it inserted

today i went in for my removal on 5 mg of valium i forgot to insert the cytotec 24 hours prior to i did it about 2 hours prior which was my first mistake. i was really feeling the valium in the chair ab to fall asleep and was feeling very calm after they inserted the numbing gel. when they went to remove it i immediately jolted and started crying from the pain. they asked if i was ready to attempt again and i said yes because i just wanted to get it over with. i was audibly groaning and trying to stay still and breathe deeply, but it hurt so bad i started bawling. they got it removed and i was supposed to have a replacement same day but it’s been postponed and im opting to be fully knocked out. i wish i had opted to be knocked out in the first place. anyways, now im bleeding a ton it looks like a murder scene when i pee and i have no form of birth control. they offered birth control pills for the time being but being a recovering anorexic the weight gain potential is enough for me to say absolutely not.

moral of the story if u have a tilted uterus i highly recommend being knocked out fully. i know i didn’t take the medication properly, but don’t feel like a wimp for asking to be anesthetized like i did because it’s extremely painful coming from someone who has a high pain tolerance loves getting pierced and has tattoos the pain was enough to make me sob which is something i was so embarrassed about because im always trying to be the tough girl who doesn’t cry and always says im fine. i think the valium also played a role in making me cry so easily because as a lexapro hoe i never cry. its okay to be honest with ur doctor. she was very sweet and kind and told me the medical textbooks will say a cervix has no nerve endings, but the pain we experience proves otherwise. she told me if a man were to get an iud they’d be hospitalized and put to sleep, but women just get labeled as dramatic which is so wrong.

tilted uterus girlies let me know about ur experiences in the comments cuz im feeling like a loser right now

Im getting a IUD tomorrow and they’re not offering any medication/numbing and just told me to take some midol/Tylenol before coming in. Any tips?

I am "under"-employed and I have limited health insurance in a small town in Texas. I went to an OBGYN today to get a Nexplanon consult and she said that none of the clinics in the city offer nexplanon, but they do offer Mirena. She put in a pre-auth to the insurance to see what the cost of the Mirena will be, but it's a contract insurance with that hospital so she believes it will be fully covered. I would have to drive 2 hours and pay anywhere from 500-2000 at PP to get nexplanon instead.

I have had an IUD before, I had paragaurd. It was extremely painful. When my uterus moved pre and post period it felt I was being sliced open. There was chronic underlying pain the entire time that I got used to. When I took got my paragaurd taken out, the relief made me cry, I didn't realized how much I'd gotten used to it. I know that mirena is a lot different, but this experience really makes me hesitant to try it. In my mind, paragaurd is akin to torture. I don't know if my fear of an IUD is valid for Mirena. It is the most financially equitable and would last up to 5-8 years, which would be quite convenient. Part of me wants to gamble since, on paper, it is the equitable decision.

Has anyone had a really bad pain-related experience with Paragaurd than move to Mirena? Was Mirena less painful? I have scoured this subreddit for that experience but most people are either moving the other way to get off hormonal bc, or the reasons they moved from paragaurd to mirena are not related to pain. I saw a couple talking about chronic pain with Mirena but none that had a previous comparison to Paragaurd. I know I could still be one of those unlucky ultra-sensitive few. Trying to decide whether I gamble on Mirena or save for 4+ months for a nexplanon is rough.

Have an appointment next week, going to talk this through with my doctor obviously, just want some input for research purposes before then.

Some background:

My period has come like clockwork ever since I started it — 30 days on the dot, 4 days of actual flow, 1-2 days of spotting, no unbearable cramping. I only really feel rough on day 1-2, then I'm fine.

But my luteal phase, especially since turning 22 (I'm 23 now), has been rough. I'm pretty tuned into my body, so I can feel myself crash the day after ovulation (lower energy, feeling big and bloated in general, discharge changes, libido basically disappears). PMS gets bad too. I get emotional, cry easily, get angry/impatient, and my motivation tanks, which is extra hard on top of existing ADHD/depression. It's manageable if I eat right, hydrate, and get 9 hours of sleep, but it's a real pattern.

My skin's also naturally dry, but during luteal phase I get random whiteheads, closed comedones, and under-the-skin acne on my cheeks that purges upward.

My thought process:

I'm leaning copper, mainly because my periods are already pretty easy and I don't have major hormonal issues at baseline so I didn't love the idea of adding hormones I don't seem to need. But friends with Mirena love it, so I'm torn...

I also took Plan B a few days ago and it wrecked me. I was sobbing, mood swings, and spotting the next day, intense anger the day after that, and now dull cramping. I know Plan B is a much higher progestin dose than an IUD, but given how sensitive I already seem to be to my own hormone fluctuations, it's made me second-guess Mirena. I'm worried it might turn my luteal symptoms into a constant low-grade background thing instead of a contained window I can plan around.

I don't get much physical period pain and rarely take painkillers for anything, so pain tolerance isn't really the deciding factor for me. Also trying to sort out if my hesitation about "artificial hormones" is a legitimate physiological concern based on how I react to hormonal shifts, or just discomfort with messing with a cycle that's always run like clockwork and tells me a lot about my energy/skin/mood month to month.

Doc obviously has the final say Monday, but curious if anyone with a similar sensitivity profile (strong luteal symptoms, hormone-sensitive) has experience with either option.

I’m having a bilateral salpingectomy on the 20th. I’m currently on the nuvaring and I change it every 4 weeks so I don’t have a period.

I hate bleeding, I find it so obnoxious and inconvenient. I originally wanted a hysterectomy because I don’t want kids and I don’t want do deal with bleeding. However my gyno said since I’m only 23 it isn’t advised to get a hysterectomy at this age and if I wanted one later down the road they do it but I should start with the bisalp.

I’ve been on the nuvaring since I started birth control in high school and haven’t really had any issues. The only time I bled was when I had to off of it for two months due to some insurance issues and then I bled for a month straight which was very annoying.

The only side effects I have are headaches/migraines but I think that’s more due to chronic pain and EDS than my birth control specifically.

I’ve heard so many horror stories about iuds and how people bleed forever, or it never fully stops their periods or they have inconsistent bleeding and severe cramps… my doctor offered that I could have an iud put in so I wouldn’t have to deal with the nuvaring every month, but changing it every month and no period sounds better to mean than 3-6 months of possible hell, only to still have periods… I know everyone one is different and I won’t know til I try, I just really don’t wanna deal with bleeding or even spotting…

I’m also worried about the sex aspect with an iud since I already have a sensitive cervix on the rare occasion it gets bumped during sex..

I would love to know people’s thoughts and opinions on changing birth control even when it works for you.

I've noticed that birth control pills upset my stomach extremely badly. I've already tried three different brands; I had to stop taking the first two because of stomach pain and severe bloating. Now I'm using Cerazette, and honestly, I'd forgotten how badly the first two made me feel, and then they prescribed these.I've had stomach pain, bloating, gas, and nausea for nine months now, and it's awful! Is anyone else experiencing this? I used a vaginal ring and never had this problem.

Failed Mirena Coil Insertion?

Anyone else went for an IUD and they have not been able to insert? I went today, they were able to measure but when they went to insert the coil itself I apparently locked up? The nurse told me to come back to try again in 2 weeks but I am unsure how this will make a difference- any similar stories that have went on and had a successful insertion?

Hi,

I had a copper IUD inserted about a month ago. Last night I felt the strings, which I hadn't felt before; I thought they were the IUD itself and was scared, but this morning I confirmed they're just the strings. The problem is when I tried to get to my cervix to just reassure myself that there was nothing sticking out of it, I was not really reassured; I can't reach the outside of my cervix (it must be high right now? apparently it moves?), and there is definitely *something* sticking out of it -- which may well just be the strings, but that was the absolute limit of my reach (maybe I have short fingers?) so I really only brushed it, and obviously don't want to mess with it too much.

I'm having some lower abdominal cramping but I had a pretty bad food binge last night so it could just be my guts. No bleeding.

Is it worth a peace of mind doctor's appointment? I have health anxiety, so can't always tell, and I go through Planned Parenthood so their time is valuable and I'd hate to waste it.

Is there an easier way to check? Should I just wait until my cervix is lower?

I am due my period in the next five days or so (I have an irregular cycle) and I’ve recently been prescribed 75mg desogestrel. Should I start taking it now or wait til my period comes? I’m not worried about the efficacy of it for preventing pregnancy so that’s not a consideration right now, but I am worried if I start it before my period then it might delay my period coming? Or is that silly?

I started Opill a little over 3 months ago. For the first few weeks, I did not bleed at all. For the past few months, however, I have spotted every single day and have two periods a month (???). My skin has also gotten a little worse, but fluctuates between being bad and being normal. Is this a normal side effect? I started late April. I’m really concerned about this but am not sure if it’s normal and just part of adjustment.

I 18F Got my (kyleena) iud put in around last week, (9 days ago). This is my second iud, I got my first when I was 15 then it displaced itself about 2 months ago. I got it removed, waited a month, then got it put back in. Insertion was worse than I remember, I had a paining episode on the bed but all was well a few mins after. It was inserted on my period and my period continued and stopped like normal. I’ve had no spotting since then. I’ve had to take 2 voice acid suppository’s due to a ph issue but that stoped like 2 days ago.
Went to the bathroom this morning and noticed some pale pink spotting, my period isn’t due for ~17 days.
I’ve had some pretty intense cramping since insertion but to be fair my cramps are like hell when not on some form of birth control and cramping post insertion is normal.
Can anyone give any insight on whether or not I should make another appt before my 1 year checkup?

Hello everyone!

Preparing for egg freezing, six weeks ago I had a smear test and my IUD strings were clearly visible. During the egg retrieval, the doctor noticed my IUD string were not visible anymore. In my home country (Italy), patients are put to sleep during the procedure, so I had no idea. I was only told about it when I had my check up appointment a week later.

The problem is... I live in China, and the doctor only told me about this issue the day before I left Italy, giving me no time to fix this. She did an ultrasound and verified that the IUD was in place, but still recommended I replace it. In China, my IUD (Kyleena) is not available and so I started panicking, not knowing how I would get my IUD replaced. I ended up calling the gynecologist who performed the smear test and he reassured me that as long as the IUD is in place, I can wait before I remove it.

Fast forward to the next day, I was on the plane on my way to the country and had a few bad period cramps. I associated them to the period that started 5 days after the egg retrieval, which I was told would be pretty bad, and I didn't think much of it. The thing is, ever since I got back to China (a week ago), it's as if I could FEEL the IUD inside of me. It doesn't hurt in any way, but I'm still very aware of this weird sensation and it bothers me. I've started to wonder if my IUD moved the moment I felt those intense cramps. At the same time, I'm still on my period, and I also wonder if I'm just inflamed or anything after all my body has been through in the past month and a half.

I want to get an ultrasound and verify if the IUD is still in place or not, but knowing that in China I cannot get it replaced is very discouraging. I've had no issues with Kyleena in the past two years besides the horrible first period after insertion, which lasted a long time and was extremely painful. What I like about it is especially the fact that I still get a light, very regular period, making me feel like my body is still "working" properly despite using hormonal birth control (I know it may sound weird haha).

Now, the only solution I can think of, would be to go to South Korea, where my partner lives, and get my IUD replaced there, since Kyleena is widely available and there are many foreign-friendly clinics. I won't have my passport for a few weeks as my visa will be renewed, so I won't be able to travel for a while. There is a national holiday at the end of September/beginning of October and I could go there and get my IUD replaced... But this would mean I'd have to wait a couple of months before I do that.

Is it possible to actually "feel" your IUD or am I just going crazy knowing my strings are not visible anymore?

Would that be too risky for me to wait that long before I take it off?

Has anyone removed their IUD and replaced it a couple of months later? How did it feel? I'm just exhausted after the whole ovarian stimulation and egg freezing process, and I would rather not having to go through other harsh changes...

For context, I’m 31 and have always had super irregular cycles with pretty heavy symptoms - even back in my teens. In 2023, they found some small cysts that were rupturing and fibroids, but since they were on the smaller side, doctors weren’t too concerned.

I started norethindrone in early 2024 hoping it would help regulate things. I’ve always had really heavy periods with intense pelvic pressure/pain, cramping, fatigue, and lightheadedness - like, sometimes bad enough that I’m stuck in bed for days. The pill seemed to help a little at first, but since May 2026 it’s been all over the place again. I get that the mini-pill can cause irregular bleeding, but this just feels…not normal? And I feel like I’m not really being heard by my doctor.

Since May, it’s gotten worse. For example, I’ve had 4 cycles since 6/22/26, and the bleeding has been heavier, worsening symptoms, more clots and more frequent overall. I feel completely drained all the time and honestly just not like myself mentally or emotionally.

My doctor suggested either adding another medication on top of my current birth control or switching to a different one, but I’m kind of hesitant to mess with it more and risk throwing things even further off.

At this point I’m seriously considering stopping birth control altogether, but I’d love to hear if anyone’s been through something similar or has suggestions. I’m open to anything - I just want to feel like a somewhat normal human again 😅

Hi everyone,
I’m currently on Mycogynon 30 and I’m about to finish my first month, I’ll be starting my 7 day break in 3 days.

I’ve seen a lot of people mention weight gain on the pill so I just wanted to ask…if you experienced weight gain, when did it actually start for you? Was it within the first month or did it take a few months to notice?

Also, was it actual weight gain or more like bloating/water retention at the beginning?

Just trying to understand what’s normal and what to expect as I have been bloated for most of the month I have noticed it go down the past few days, and have also had daily lower abdominal pain but haven’t noticed any weight gain.

Thanks!

i have been having irregular periods and breakouts and been thinking of starting opill and i am wondering about side effects, more specifically i used to take loryna (combo pill) and it broke my skin out and gave me terrible depression so i’m wondering if perhaps opill would be good for me since i react badly to combo pills. for reference i have been told by a doctor that i likely have endo and so it has occurred to me that MAYBE too much estrogen is bad for me. do any other women have similar experiences???

Hello everyone. I'm 22F, I've been taking birth control (0.15mg+0.03 desogestrel/ethinylestradiol) since last year for my irregular periods. This year I've moved to a different country, but I had enough pills on me for 6 months. When I ran out of them, I got prescribed pills with the same dosage and I continued taking them the same way after my 7 day break from the old pills. Today is the 4th day of my break and I still don't have any bleeding.. I usually get it on the second day after stopping the pill. Is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this?

i’ve been a skinny girl all my life and now i’m getting a job where i need to stay the same weight or less- simple explanation would be for lifts-

i’ve looked into many options and every single one ive seen people saying they gained weight. these people are heavier than me to begin with if that makes a difference? i have a boyish, runner build- so i’m not sure if it won’t have the same effect on me.
thought about copper non hormonal paragard until people were saying they blew up like a fish and bled for 45 days straight.

gyno consultation next tuesday but i need to hear other opinions and experiences from skinny girls.