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is there any birth control that dont make you gain weight?
I'm 14 and have terrible periods, bad acne, and sexually active. My mom has mentioned putting me on birth control before, I said no because weight is a very big concern of mine. I am going to the GYN soon and I want to ask her about it. But, knowing her, she will be stubborn and prescribe me a kind that makes me gain weight . Therefore, I would like to be able to ask her for a specific one. Any recommendations?
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Want to answer more questions in the Sexual Health and Reproduction category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Birth Control Pills?
First and most important is: If you live in the USA mom, now that you are 14, no longer has any say over your reproductive system and your medical needs for it. By federal law known as HIPPA which stands for, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Part of this act is to protect the privacy of patient medical information. When congress wrote this law they added to it a section for young people 14 years of age and older giving the confidentiality and privacy over their reproductive heath.
Congress did this not to give young people license to have sex. They did so to insure young people would see a doctor for problems with their reproductive systems. Problems that they may be to embarrassed or scared to talk to a parent about.
This law allows you to make appoints to see and be examined by doctors for anything related to your reproductive system. Your mom or any other family member may not be in the exam room with you unless you give permission. This is so you can speak openly to your doctor. Nothing you and your doctor discus can be said back to mom or anyone else without your expressed written permission to your doctor. This would include any and all medications the doctor may prescribe including birth control. Only you and your doctor can discuss this issue, mom has no say in the matter.
When you arrive for your doctors visit or call in advance and advice the doctors staff that you wish to invoke your privacy rights under HIPPA for all visits with the doctor. The doctors staff will take it from there. When it is time to see the doctor, mom will be told she can no longer be in the exam room with you and why.
Mom may not like it though their is nothing she can do about it. No doctor will risk their license to practice and 5 years in jail because your mom is upset. This is the law and no court will give her injunctive relief as the law has stood the test of the U. S. Supreme Court.
Short answer to your questions is: You do not have to know a specific medication to ask for it. In fact it is best to discuss with your doctor the side affects of the medication the doctor is recommending. You should always discuss with the doctor why the doctor is recommending this medication over others. Many times a doctor will chose a medication over another based on your individual physiology which is why asking for a specific medication is not a good idea. Let the doctor recommend one then discuss it with the doctor.
Note: As a minor under the law. Your parents are still responsible for your health safety and welfare. If mom feels you need to see a doctor it is her responsibility to take you to one. If that examination includes a female exam or anything to do with your reproductive system you rights under HIPPA override her rights.
Meaning you still have to see the doctor Once in the exam room it is just you and the doctor, mom still must wait in the waiting room. The results of the examination pertaining to your reproductive system are confidential between you and the doctor. Mom cannot be told of what the doctor found or did not find or what you may have been treated for.
If you have any questions concerning HIPPA and your rights you can write me a private message and I will try to answer them or research them on the web using a search engine and the word "HIPPA"
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For the vast, vast majority of women weight gain is not due to the birth control pill. The women whose weight gain is connected to their contraceptive use are the exception, not the rule.
Women gain, on average, 1-2 pounds a year as a normal part of ageing. This gain often get's blamed on birth control, as many women begin taking birth control just as they stop gaining heigh, and start gaining weight, but that isn't birth control's fault, that is just part of getting older.
The shot, Depo-Provera, is a different story. It has been connected to weight gain in about 1/4 of the women who use it. So that is one you will want to avoid.
Estrogen, one of the hormones in most birth control, can make it more difficult for women to loose weight they already have on. So if you are currently trying to loose weight, you'll want the pill that contains the least amount of estrogen. Low-estrogen pills have about 20 micrograms, the higher-estrogen ones will have between 30 and 40 micrograms.
So, you probably want to ask your gyno about low-estrogen options, but honestly, if you don't trust your doctor to listen to your concerns, you should probably just see a different doctor.
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Zane mentioned the Mirena IUD. I don't know if it has the side effect of making someone gain weight but it could easily do so because this IUD has hormones on it too. Its the hormones that cause the side effects among which weight gain is one of them.
The best thing out there then is the copper IUD, and you can read up on it at www.paragard.com
This article mentions not to use if you have a history of pelvic inflammatory disease which at your age is most unlikely or if you get a lot of infections. The most common infections are yeast or vaginitis. Both of which most infections can be prevented by understanding what the most common culprit is. Using of douches and soap getting in there is most common causes. So if you can relax and allow your body to naturally cleanse itself, it should be fine. too much washing kills the good bacteria that keeps the bad bacteria from growing out of control and causing infections.
So other than that, side effects could be cramping but the females in my family all used it including me and we never had that problem.
Read up on the copper iud and how it prevents pregnancy. Good luck dear and kudo's to you for wanting to take the control of your reproductive system into your own hands. I was 20 and getting married when I tried it. As far as I know, i havent heard of an age limit. If they're giving out the Mirena, there's no reason why the Paragard can't be used either.
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I had the best luck with Mirena IUD (Good for five years)
Depo shot made me gain 35lbs....
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Not all girls gain weight on birth control pills. It is a side effect but not everyone experiences it.
I have been on birth control pills for about 3 years and I have not noticed a huge amount of weight gain. (my weight fluctuates normally, though).
The estrogen is a big part of why people gain weight. Estrogen can cause you to retain water. But, retaining water is not actual weight gain, you can counteract that by drinking more water so that you body flushes it out more often. However, you can get pills that are entirely progestin now, or a very very low amount of estrogen. Ask you gyn about those when you go.
I myself had this same fear when i started taking birth control, so i did some research. As I understand it, some people are predisposed to that weight gain side effect due to an abnormal glucose metabolism. When you've got a higher level of insulin, extra energy that you get from carbohydrates will transfer to fat cells. BUT, you are 14, so unless you have diabetes, I doubt you need to worry about that.
Ultimately, none of us are doctors and we don't know your medical history, your gyn will prescribe you the best one depending on your physical. Just let her know your concerns beforehand and hopefully she isn't too stubborn!
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