5 women share the dangers of using contraceptives to avoid pregnancy

Women must be extremely careful to prevent unplanned pregnancies. Unplanned pregnancy often affects women more in sexual relationships. They bear the physical burden of carrying and delivering the baby while also being responsible for the majority of childcare.

There are various family planning techniques women can adopt to avoid unwanted pregnancy, such as birth control pills, patches, injections, coils (hormonal and copper), implants, internal condoms, and emergency pills.

The options are varied, but women are usually grappling with the negative and sometimes dangerous effects of using these contraceptive options. Some women shared some of these experiences with us.

Steph

"So, because I wasn’t properly educated about sex, if his sexual organ so much as brushed my vagina even without sperm being discharged, I would use an emergency contraceptive pill. I heard that some women get pregnant from pre-cum, so I used to take emergency contraceptives, or what many people call post-pills, a lot.

First, I used to experience spotting; I just bled at spontaneous times during the month when it wasn’t even my period yet. Then, my flow was so heavy, and my periods were irregular.

Finally, a doctor told me I got ovarian cysts from using pills indiscriminately. I used some drugs, and the cysts disappeared, and now I avoid the post-pill."

Omolola

"After experimenting with different contraceptive methods such as implants, injections, and pills, I finally found comfort and reliability in the good old IUD. I used to experience very heavy flow; I could feel the rush, and I had to change my pad many times.

The heaviness of the flow reduced after I dumped the injections, implants, and pills and started the IUD. Besides, the others—apart from the IUD—messed with my hormones. I was depressed, angry, and moody."

IUD have many adverse effects [todaynews] Pulse Nigeria

Shalewa

Some women have very adverse reactions to IUDs. A Twitter user took to her page to share how IUDs affect her health.

" I bled every day for over 6 months.
I was advised to take the pills to help regulate my hormones and stop the bleeding, but it didn’t help one bit.
I suffered horrible back pain a lot, especially when my bleeding got heavier."

Uloma

"For me, I reacted negatively to an IUD. I have become way fatter than I was when I started using it. Although it doesn’t hurt and takes my mind away from getting pregnant, I don’t like how I look. I looked quite bloated and fat. I don’t want to get pregnant, but I want to love my body."

Christy

"I was getting so bloated; I wouldn’t say I was fat; I just felt and looked ‘swollen’. Then, I was having crazy mood swings, feeling so sad and angry over nothing, and lashing out at everybody. Also, my periods became so heavy that it was exhausting. I bled excessively."

Should women ditch contraceptives?

No, but before you use any contraceptive, go to your doctor and discuss any existing health issues or illness. Also, discontinue if you notice any adverse effects.

You can also have sex during your safe period. Women can manually calculate their safe and unsafe periods. Even though this is risky, most women will get pregnant when they are the most fertile. Women are most fertile during ovulation and least fertile when they are on their period.

With the risk involved, why do women, both married and unmarried, subject themselves to such physical pain when men can simply use a condom?