This post could have been titled “Own up to it or go ahead and die.”
As in, that’s what my mom said when I ran a post by her about sex, relationships, and birth control for this blog.
Because we’re talking about your body … we’re talking about the choices you’re making … and fundamentally, we’re talking about sex and relationships. I end up talking about birth control FREQUENTLY with my friends, close or acquaintances, male or female. I’m comfortable with it: Talking about birth control is taking a feminist stand, owning what is happening to our bodies and making it okay to talk about women’s sexuality. So I will talk about it today with the internet.
My basic opinions: Adding more hormones to a woman’s body is terrible for our health. BUT better than getting pregnant unintentionally. Localized hormones (an IUD) are the least offensive hormonal way to prevent pregnancy. Dudes have as much responsibility as women for taking charge of the whole not-getting-pregnant thing during the course of sex and/or a relationship.
The Fertility Awareness Method is the best answer if you are in a committed relationship. Everyone needs to read Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health
Fertility awareness is about being aware of when you are fertile and when you are not. The specific set of scientific principles used to measure and track your two primary fertility signs are basal body temp (which tells you when progesterone has kicked in, signaling that ovulation has occurred) and cervical fluid (vaginal secretion that changes in viscosity through the course of your cycle and tells you when your estrogen level is rising, indicating impending ovulation). You track these things using an app like WomanLog, which is super simple to use and will project your fertility based on the data you enter.
The data … cervical fluid is easy to track, but BBT requires you to take your temperature every morning, which can be a pain, remembering, doing, entering the data.
Here’s where a new in-funding-stage kindara wink thermometer ($69 with this referral link) changes the game, as it does everything except pick itself up and insert itself into your mouth to take your temp. The Wink will beep to remind you to take your temp and then sync with your phone to populate the app with information. I have not used the kindara app, but it seems as intuitive and easy as WomanLog—which I have been using for five years.
Birth control can feel awkward to talk about, but you can get comfortable with it. It’s necessary. It’s an important part of enjoying sex and relationships. Both males and females need to take charge of their fertility. Women, knowing what is going on in your body is unbelievably empowering.
Girls, guys: Take care of your body. Empower yourself. Talk about it.