"I got it for SEX reasons" In which we discuss the many forms of birth control and our experiences. There are highs, lows, horror stories, and Maisie apparently thinks 60 years old is old (??). Also, vaginas are bumpy. Wild. What Birth Control Are We On? Some people get it for their acne, some people have periods that suck a little too much, and some people, like Lucy, got it for sex reasons. Whatever the reason is, let's discuss what each of our Throbbers' birth control situation is. (We're going to be presenting a lot of birth control terms without context, so for anyone confused, here's a good basic resource. And here's another one!) Sissel has an IUD (Mirena) after wanting one for many years. Before that, she tried the pill for three years, and also the Nuva Ring. Maisie tried the Nuva Ring and then switched to the Mirena IUD after Trump got elected (just in case lol), and now she has Nexplanon. Hannah got the generic pill in college, but had lots of mood swings on it, and then got Implanon (which was the standard goes-in-the-arm thing before Nexplanon). She's now on her second rotation of the arm birth control. Kelly has never been on birth control, but has considered getting it for acne (but her skin's better now, thanks Hyram). Gina has been on the same pill since 18, though it has been through several rebrandings. She also, unusually, has never had a placebo week, and doesn't particularly remember having hormonal changes. Lucy got on "the pill" at 18, and didn't notice anything strange during 3-4 years of taking it, but then took a break from it and got very hormonal when she got back on. After that, she switched to the Nexplanon arm implant, which she still has now (and which, she says, has probably worn off now). Why Did We Pick That Birth Control? Lucy has had her ups and downs with Nexplanon, but she especially loves that you don't have to remember to take pills. Gina has incentive to remember to take the pill because as soon as she stops the period starts, so she's more careful about it than she is about other things. Lucy prefers the lack of human error that comes with the arm implant since sex, she says, involves enough human error as it is. Sissel agrees. She's generally late as a person (we, the rest of the Throbbers, can attest to this) and kept taking the pill late. It also caused her to gain weight and give her "emotional ridiculousness." (Not taking it consistently also contributes to that). The Throbbers add the caveat that Sissel's emotional issues also probably had to do with her shitty roommates at the time, but that's a rant for a different day. Maisie's Horror Story Her body doesn't like birth control, she says. But periods and PMS depression are inconvenient. It hasn't changed with Nexplanon, and in fact it's made her acne worse, hooray.