birth control alternatives

(are there any, really?)

Although birth control is as far away from my mind as a craving for a martini has been in my thoughts for many months… yesterday I engaged in a conversation which reminded me of my journey a bit more than a year and a half ago.

I met my husband and wanted to use birth control that did not involve hormones. I hadn’t used a regular birth control for many years due to my singlehood. Now it was time. I went to one OB after the other. My options: pills, nuvaring (less hormones, but still hormones), IUD (the one of choice since 2007) (which can sometimes cause an ectopic pregnancy, a punctured uterus, infections, cramps from hell, pelvic inflammatory disease… oh, and most of them also have hormones!), condoms (who wants to use condoms with the hubby?) and… that was it!

I couldn’t believe after so many years of female sexual revolution there were no more options. I did my own research and found that what my mother and grandmother used in the situation was still the only option. Viva le Diaphragm!!!

Next stage on the agenda was finding an OB who actually remembered or knew how to measure me for one (huhas of all sizes and colors and whatnot). After many phone calls I was able to find one. When I told her what I was there for she laughed at me, practically dusted off her measuring cups and measured me.

I was to go out and seek a pharmacy to fulfill the prescription. And if I thought it had been hard up to this point, I had no idea.

Now where to get the prescription filled? Janssen Pharmaceuticals, the company that made the Ortho Flex Diaphragm, the only one used in the USA stopped making them as of January of last year. Cooper Pharmaceutical started making the Cooper Surgical Milex less than a year ago, again, good luck with getting one even if you have a prescription. You need your doctor to have an account with them, your pharmacy has to have an account with them or you have to fax them, yes, fax them (who has a fax nowadays) your prescription. Health insurance coverage? Good luck with that.

After months of research I figured that the only way to get a diaphragm nowadays is buying it online in Europe for over 8o dollars. Totally worth it, but seriously!

It is, if used correctly, over 97% effective. So, why is it so hard to get one?

Biggest resource for information on this kind of birth control comes from a Yahoo Group.

Don’t even think about doctors because they will not help.

You can buy a diaphragm here !

And know, there are alternatives, you just need to work really hard to achieve one!