Lovelyish

I don’t know. If I found birth control pills in my daughter’s room, I wouldn’t be thrilled, but I would be relieved that at least she’s taking a precaution to not get pregnant.

I went on the pills when I was 18. And I’d not do it if I were younger than 15.
Your body needs to develop for a few years before you can start changing its dynamics.

Giving birth controls to 10 years-old just seems very … wrong. Why should they need it when they literally just start their periods for the first or second month? If the cramps are too pervasive, there’s always pain-killers. I am not a birth control hater but I just don’t think kids need it that young.

I’ve never been on BC. I don’t think 15 is too young, but I don’t know about younger than that. Unless symptoms are terrible or they have moderate acne, I don’t see a reason for it unless they’re having sex, but God forbid a girl that young already be sexually active.

I almost went on BC last month, because although I just turned 20, my acne just will not slow down. I already use a 10% wash, prescription topical med, and antibiotic. Also, my period is not regular anymore. I started when I was… 13(?) and until last fall, it was always like clockwork. Now it may be every 3 weeks instead of 4, and it may be a week early, week late, I never know. It’s a pain in the ass. I got a prescription for a generic brand, but I had a beach trip last week and didn’t want to “mess up” my week. o.o

It doesn’t affect when you have sex.  It regularizes your periods, clears your acne, and leaves you safe at least from pregnancy when sex is forced on you unasked.  This happens to enough young girls before they’re ready for it that any mother or daughter have the right to be fearful of it.

I was 20, but that’s when I started having sex. If you’re doing the deed, you better protect yourself. I think there are people way too young doing it, but if they are. PROTECT!

And some girls can other health issues at that age that BC can help.

@TequilaKisses@xanga - My aunt went on birth control as soon as she got her period because she would get so sick that she would miss school the whole time she had her period. I was pretty much astounded when my mom told me on multiple levels (I didn’t know they had the pill in the early 60′s, but I was also like 13 at the time lol so that also shocked me), but looking back I know a lot of girls who had really bad periods from the get go.

I lucked out and my periods have never been super painful, but they were really irregular, so I went on the pill at 16 (I wasn’t having sex yet– I didn’t have it for another two years). I’m really glad I did! It’s so nice to be able to expect it, and it’s super short now  

@TequilaKisses@xanga - I agree. I’m 100000000% for birth control to teens because 1) not everyone is having sex & 2) feeling the olympics go on in my uterus every month due to dysmenorrhea, it’s necessary for some girls to function.

I think under 15, for the same reasons you stated, is true. Plus other options are prescription pain pills for the 2-3 days the period is usually intolerable. Atleast that’s how it is for me.

I started birth control when I was 17. I think that’s a decent age. A doctor wanted to put my sister on birth control when she was 12 because she had really long, heavy periods but decided against it because she was so young at that time.

I’ve never been on birth control. I’m 21. Yea my cramps are painful and periods are annoying, but women were born to have periods for a reason. It’s natural. And I don’t think stopping nature from happening is a very good idea. There are risks to your health when you take it. It can hinder your chance of getting pregnant when you go off the pill. It’s not that way for everyone. But, my friend had to go through multiple miscarriages before she actually carried a baby to full term. The doctors linked it back to her birth control. I’m honestly not a big fan of it, but to start taking it as young as 10? That can’t be safe at all. Your body is still developing drastically. If you are going to take birth control, I would say wait a few years after you get your period to start…

Also, I know that just because someone is on birth control doesn’t mean that they’re having sex. But, the though of that extra protection does linger at the back of your head. It makes it “easier” to give in, I guess.

I started BC approx. a week ago, and I am 22.

(other reasons for taking birth control aside) i think there should be no stigma about birth control at all. if you’re having sex, you should be on the pill. because teenage pregnancy is a lot more detrimental than being on the pill for a couple extra years. 

i started when i was 13 because i was on Accutane and my mom figured it was easier for me to be on birth control than find the time take me in for pregnancy tests every month.  it also helped with my extremely heavy periods… even when i first started (age 12) i’d bleed through a super plus tampon in 2-3 hours.  i also had cramps so bad i’d get physically ill and miss class.  

i didn’t have sex until i was 16, and the fact that i was already using contraception didn’t influence my decision much.  it seems like if you’re weak enough to use that as an excuse, you’d just find another excuse to have sex.  but if i hadn’t already been on the pill, i simply would have asked my mom for it.  

damn i’m definitely alone in this one but here it goes . i was 9 when i got my period. i’ve been on birth control since i was 13 . i didn’t start taking it because i was having sex. i took Yaz because my periods were extremely irregular as well as painful. i don’t think 15 is too young for birth control pills . and if you are using them at that age for sex then at least you’re being smart and taking the steps to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.

I started it when I was 15. Been on it 9 years now- no problems.

I went on them when I was 19 for a couple months, but I was also married. I personally feel like 15 is way too young, but having said that, many girls that age are starting to become more sexually active so at least they’re being careful I guess. 

@Ampbreia@xanga - Exactly. It has more functions than that like you stated besides not getting a woman pregnant. 

@xhalesx@revelife - Except when there are disorders that need to fixed with bc or some kind of other condition etc; It all varies I think. 

OP:

I wasn’t on it till I was 18 or so. I needed it because (I still) I have PMDD (google it) and horrible cramps that sent me to the hospital most of the time. 

I got put on birth control at 15, before I’d even had my first kiss. I had periods that would last 2 weeks and make me so anemic and weak I’d miss school for days. Birth control is the best thing ever.

I was 17, and I went on because I was sexually active on a regular basis. I continued to be for 3 years, but then once me and my ex broke up 5 months ago I stopped taking it. I’m going back on it soon even though I’m not currently having sex. The reason I’m going back on it is because i took it for 3 years straight so my body adjusted, and now that I’ve gone off it I’ve started developing acne problems (which I’d never had before in my life) and my bleeding has been extremely heavy (soaking through a regular tampon in one to two hours) and I PMS horribly and get really painful cramps and headaches. I talked to my doctor and he said eventually my body would adjust again to being off the pill, but it would take a long time, and since I probably will eventually have sex again anyway in the next six months or so, I might as well just go back on if it I’m going too once I get a boyfriend again anyway.

So yeah, remember if you’re thinking about starting the pill, if you’re on it long term, your body will adjust and may act weird you decide to go off it.

It really depends on the girl her body, health, and reason for use.  If a 10 year old girl has extreemly painful heavy periods she may need to use them for a while to stabalize her body.  If a 10 year old is using them to not get pregnant there is a huge issue there.  Its really up to a doctor to decide what pill is suitable for a patient there are different strengths of pills and some have a variety of different types of hormones in them some now can even keep you from having a period at all.  I have never been on BC and dont really plan to be i have been with my husband for 2 and a half years.  In the begining of our relationship we used condoms to prevent pregnancy we eventually stopped and went to the pull out method which worked great for us for over a year.  Then we decided we wanted to have our first child and a few months later i was pregnant with our baby (of course i do not reccomend pull out method to anyone especially teens who are new to sex or anyone not in a stable relationship. it does not always work and your could very easily make a baby without the intention of doing so or contract an STD).  My cycle is stable its not a average 28 day cycle but a 32 day cycle i know birth control would force my body to go to a 28 day cycle which im not entirely comfortable with considering i have had no issues with it.  Personally if it were my child i would try to wait it out and see if the kid improved over a few months sometimes the first few can be really bad and heavy i would also stay in touch with the family doctor on the situation and research anything she would be put on.  I would never give a child prescription pain killers (as someone recomended) for period cramp unless she was hospitalized for them.  Birth control pills are used to stabalize hormones not kill pain thats not the answer in that situation.  However if my child were on the pill i would definitely attempt with the doctors help to wean her off of them as soon as she was regular as long as the really severe side effects did not come back, if that were to fail a couple more attempts would be made so my child would not have to be on the pill that young.  I was 19 before i had sex i feel younger than 18 is just not right your still a kid even and 18 and 19 your still developing enjoy being young sex is not nessesary at a young age.

I think it depends on the girl.  Each person is different and goes on the pills for different reasons.  Personally I started using the pills when I became sexually active at 18, to avoid getting pregnant.  If it is to control the excessive menstrual symptoms, one might start sooner, but if one’s periods are relatively short and managable, but she’s taking them because it MIGHT clear up her skin, well, maybe that’s not a great reason.  A girl and her doctor knows what’s best.

hm..I took it when I was 15 or 16 for my periods. They would last two weeks and come every two weeks. And the pain was so horrible, I wouldn’t be able to do anything the whole day. They helped lessen the severity of my period. So grateful.

I was newly 15 when I started on the pill, and it was because I had such miserable friggin cramps! It didn’t make me suddenly think oo yeah, time to have sex. If anything it was a comfort to know that when I felt ready for sex I would be as safe as possible. I think it’d depend from girl to girl, I know plenty of girls who started on the pill young and were responsible about it and others who uh, I think influenced their early sex lives.. >.>

I’ve been on BirthControl for about three years now, starting when I was thirteen, I originally started taking the pill to help regulate my period, keep it lighter-on the fact that it was nine days, and I had to stay home from school to cope with the pain-, and help my overwhelming ance. I didnt have sex until a year ago, and my BirthControl didnt have any affect on my opinion on having sex or not. I believe you should take it if you feel it necessary. Before the BirthControl I had tried acne medicine, different brands of pain meds for the cramps, and excersizes recommended by the doctor-I tried these for a year-, and they did nothing to help. So, no matter the age, as long as your doctor believes that it will help, [reguardless if it's for sex, or other things] you should see about it on your own terms.

I started birth control when I was 12. It was the last resort to deal with acne, and it worked.

I was 13, because that’s when i started having sex.

I started when I was 15 because I still didn’t have a regular cycle after nearly 3 years of having my period and my cramps made it nearly impossible to go to school for 2 days a month.  However, I know a girl that started the pill at 12 because she would get soooo incredibly sick every month and would literally bleed through a super maxi pad in an hour.  I think that anyone who needs the pill – for medical reasons or sexual reasons – at any age should be able to go on it.

I say as soon as the girl starts having sex, she should go on birth control. I would just hope that was not before fifteen (maybe fourteen)! Or if they are just on the pill for acne & such, then I am unsure because ten does seem a bit too young. As for when I started on the pill, I don’t use it but I have had Implanon in for about four months now.

I went on BC when I was about 19 for a year.  I really hated it but I had really bad cramps.  After that one year I never got cramps again.  I’m not sure how young is too young.  I could have used it earlier to stop the cramps.  But it’s hard to mess with hormones too young, IMO.

@MochaMoose230@xanga - besides missing school this is me exactly!!!

I started BC when I was 13 because I’d had 3 and a half years of bleeding for over a week and it was doing my head in. When I stopped it at 16, I was able to predict exactly when it would start to the hour. I knew when it would stop. Having a two and a half day bleed was preferrable to 9 days. I’m off it now though because it made me gain soooo much weight.

My mum thinks it’s why I didn’t grow any more. She’s probably right. Putting more progesterone in there probably activated the sex hormones 100% and… well ya don’t grow after that.

I can’t really answer this question as some others have because I didn’t have any issues of heavy bleeding. If anything, for quite a few years in my teens I’d end up skipping months (I wasn’t and am still not sexually active). Even now I still forget when “that time of the month” is supposed to come. Sometimes I get cramps, sometimes I don’t. I don’t feel the need for birth control so I can’t say at what age others should be taking it.

I started on the pill when I was 16 but that is because it’s when I started being sexually active. But when it comes to stuff for horrible periods and acne I think the youngest they can start out should be 13. Any younger would just not be good for them I think. Although if you got your period as young as I did(10) and you had cramps as bad as I did there might be alternatives to help with that. I actually remember laying in my bed crying because they hurt so much =/

Younger than 18. Kids shouldn’t be having sex!!

I guess, under the age of 15 seems a bit too young to me but, considering birth control can be used for medical reasons, I’d leave that up to the girl and her parents to decide.

I’ve never been on birth control. My sister was, when she was in highschool, for medical reasons.

I got my period when I was 11… ugh that wasn’t fun. Anyways, I didn’t go on birth control until I was 16 (2 months before I was 17) because I wasn’t getting my period every month (probably 9/12 during the year) and I didn’t think it was a huge concern. I went to my gyno because I had outrageous symptoms of PMDD and depression. She gave me medication for depression (diagnosed me with clinical depression) and put me on BC because my blood work showed signs that I had PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). I show no physical markers for the disease – acne is sooo so mild, I’m not outrageously hairy, I’m not manly looking, and yeah I was 15-20 pounds overweight but I’ve lost 40 since and it can be difficult for people with PCOS to lose weight. Bottom line is I went on it because I wasn’t getting my period every month. I think it’s completely reasonable for someone to go on it for a medical concern such as that, but 10 years old? No way. 

I don’t think there is a “too young” as long as you are actually menstruating. Birth control made high school bearable for me because I had bad cramps. And I’m sorry, but wouldn’t you rather your daughter be on birth control just in case? If she wants to have sex, she’ll have sex. Just discourage her from letting it be known to guys she is on birth control since they might be more pushy.

@rusethemuse@xanga - They shouldn’t. But they do. Kids can be tricky, and wouldn’t it be better
to find out your daughter is having sex without her holding a positive
pregnancy test? Plus rape happens, sadly, but I’m not going to say THAT is a reason to put your daughter on birth control, at least not in the US (but maybe in some countries where it’s a major issue).

First of all, to the girl who went off birth control because she broke up with her bf and will probably go back on it soon because she will probably be sexually active soon … If you’re relying on BC for pregnancy protection you need to go back on it NOW. It can take 3 full months for your body to adjust to the pill and for it to be fully (which is still only 99%) protective.

I went on birth control when I was 18. It doesn’t help my skin AT ALL and I still (at 25) have acne. When I was taking a week off every month, I’d spend most of my period on the bathroom floor with a migraine. My doctor advised me to take the pill continuously and when I do get a period to only take 3 days off. By doing this, my 2 periods a year are light and about 3 days with minimal headaches.

I don’t think kids should be having sex, but they seem to be doing it younger and younger. If you have uncomfortable periods, or are thinking about being sexually active, I don’t think any age is too young.

I’m not sure about the age thing, but I’m a little fed up of the amount of girls who keep saying “ohh, my period was SO heavy!” or “the cramps were TERRIBLE!”- yeah, join the fucking club. you are most definitely not the only female to have gone through this, but not all of us jump on birth control as an immediate solution. i think at the back of a lot of people’s minds, they know that if they go on BC, they are free to have sex in the near future, which could be why people are having sex as young as 12 and 13.

Unless you are suffering from endemetriosis or something (which I doubt everyone on this page is), I don’t think you should unnecessarily pump your body with shit it does not need.
Just because your period didn’t automatically regulate within the first three months of you getting it doesn’t mean you should seek medical help! I first got my period at 12- I am now just two months from turning 18 and am still nowhere near regular. I don’t take birth control, because as far as I am aware, the pill is used to prevent pregnancy, so if i’m not sexually active, why should I take it?

I’m not knocking anyone’s reasons for taking the pill, because everyone’s situation is different, but I do believe that more kids than suspected are using “bad periods” as an excuse to go on the pill.
(and YES, i know that a lot of people actually DO need it, so don’t start attacking me in your responses.. I am just stating my opinion, and I believe I make a valid point.)

I’m going to the dissenting voice and say that 15 is too young.

I’m not a big fan of artificially regulating hormones that young. A woman’s body can continue to regulate and deregulate itself into her early twenties. Most of the time, a woman’s menstrual cycle is within the norm, and doesn’t need to be regulated with the pill.

Any time anyone goes on the pill, they need to do it under the observation of an OBGYN, not just prescribed by a GP. An OBGYN will have a better idea of what kind of birth control one needs to be on, if one should even be on it, and how to deal with the all of the hormones that one is messing with by taking the pill.

I started the pill when I was 12.  My periods were lasting for two weeks or more at a time and the gynocologist recommended them.  Although I didn’t start having sex until I was well into HS, I don’t regret going on them at all.  I just decided to go off them now at age 24.  My periods (luckily) have gone back to being normal, although much less unpredictable of course.

I went on BC when I was 17. I just had my daughter and definitely did not want another baby for awhile so I got on them right away. If I had known about them earlier or if someone had educated me on them, I would have been on them sooner.

Hormonal birth control is more serious than most doctors like to say. A parent can make decisions for their minor child regarding medication, and I won’t say that anyone should interfere with that right. I don’t think it’s always the right decision. Doctors love to pass out pills to kids, and downplay the side effects. We have to remember that they get perks from pharmaceutical companies and take that motivation into account when we are prescribed something.

I wouldn’t put my child on birth control unless there were a good medical reason to do so. If acne can be managed some way other than hormones, I won’t allow it for that purpose. And I definitely won’t get it for her without telling her dad, that’s f’ed up.

Having sex and getting pregnant is way worse than just taking the pill. I have known people who have had sex at very young ages (hello, 12 years old). And even if kids aren’t having sex, BC has other affects/uses besides preventing pregnancy (as others have mentioned in the comments here already). I think the responsibility should actually be the parents’ to TELL their kids what a period is and does and explain the birds and the bees and all of that. I mean, when a girl gets her period, that has to be the time. You can’t keep a 10-13 year old in the dark about stuff, especially the way young people can be these days. Until someone tells me that taking BC when you’re 12 years old eitherly severely fucks up your body/insides or kills you, I’m going to support it wholeheartedly. 

By the way with most modern pills it doesnt take 3 months for the birth control aspect to kick in.  Look up your own pill and find out to be sure but some are immediately effective or only take a week or two to become effective i have done a lot of research on the topic my husband and i were serirously considering using the pill in the beginning of our relationship, the possible side effects and negative consequenses were enough to desuade me.

15 is definitely  not too young for birth control. I first learnt about it at 13 in school, I don’t think you can put an age on it.. if you’re having sex then you should be on birth control if you don’t want a baby. If you need to control your periods, go on the pill it’s only like taking medication.

@Hinase@xanga - I had ammenorrhea and birth control fucked me over big time. so how does birth control help???!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! to me, it’s a big waste of money and it’s a risk to your body’s health. 

@kidoncocaine@xanga - right on sister. right on. my periods = throwing up, skips three months, heavy periods, feel like i’m giving birth…..
am i on birth control? no. i’d like to not suffer the long-term future side effects.

I’m not on birth control (despite how crazy irregular I’ve been for the past 3 years) because I’m not really one to take medication for anything at all, let alone my hormones. I’m not sexually active, so I feel a bit strange being on birth control for reasons besides contraception, but that’s me personally. I don’t think it’s wrong to be on birth control for other reasons.

I do think it’s a bit inappropriate for younger girls because, as mentioned before, they are still developing and their bodies are still undergoing a lot of changes. It just doesn’t seem like the right course of action to me.

@shes_lump@xanga - EXACTLY! so glad someone else has their head screwed on!
i hate that a large majority of the female population think they are the only ones that face periods and all the nasty things that come with it. we all deal with it (and some of us more naturally than others), so why should anyone else feel that they are more entitled to whingeing than the rest of us?

I’m 20 and I’m not on birth control + have no desire to be on it (anytime soon, if I do decide to take it later).  I would freak out if I found birth control in my teenagers room.  The only time I’d let my child be on birth control is if her cramps are really bad (like my friends), to the point where she’s getting sick & can’t go to school for days, and even then I wouldn’t let her until she’s 16.  

I was 22 when I started on the pill…because I was getting married…and didn’t want kids right then…(and still not ready for them now)

I have been married for 5 and a half years—and it’s still workin’…no surprise babies…

probably within the next two years though, I will probably go off of it and try to have a baby…but I wouldn’t say no to going back on it after having a child…because it worked so well the first 5 and a half years that I have been on it…

oh…and my period is only 2 DAYS!!! (ROCK ON!!!)—as opposed to 5 days of craziness without it…

I started my period when I was eight and a half. I didn’t start the pill until I was fourteen though, and that was because my doctor recommended it for me as I had cysts on my ovaries which were making my periods extremely painful.

@shes_lump@xanga - For some people it does. One of my cousins and even one of my bestie are on bc to regulate periods because they can’t have them and they also use it to ease the pain of it. And they have serious medical conditions. Though bc treats women differently. When I was on the pill, I had no side effects really. But I’m sorry that happened to you ;/ I hope you get well. 

I was 15 when I started having sex, and I went right down to the clinic to get birth control days after my first time. I didn’t tell my mom.

She found them…

She was mad at me …….. for NOT telling her.

My mom prided herself on keeping an open line of communication with me, which she did, but I made the choice not to tell her, I wasn’t in fear she would be upset, at that time I just self it wasn’t her business.

A doctor will tell you if it is too early to take birth control, my guess, is once you have started your cycle, you can safely take it, but again, this person would need to seek a professional opinion.. I only work at a Medical University, I’m not a doctor.

I feel that anything younger than 18 is too young. It took me a while until my period was regulated but our bodies are designed to regulate themselves (unless its an extreme circumstance like periods for 3 months straight then I’d think you’d need a little “guidance”). I was on the pill for a couple of months but it made me crazy. I became extremely emotional. I was placed on the pill to help with my PMDD but apparently it just caused it worsen and I couldn’t take it anymore and I stopped the pill. 

So my answer to the very last question… I was 21. But, I stopped after a while because it did nothing for me. 

We should rename them to Uterus Equalizers. 

My doctor suggested the pill to me when I was 15 because my menstrual periods needed to be straightened out. I said no because I was afraid it would remove the main barrier to me having sex (I didn’t want to get pregnant.)  However, once a girl is sexually active, I think she should be given the pill as well as condoms (and a good long talking to by a responsible adult.)  I have a niece who is 11 and is headed for trouble. Her mom is already letting her wear heavy eye makeup, her sister was pregnant at 17 and her mom (who is 44) is dating someone 18.  Needless to say, the girl is living in a less than ideal situation.  She is one that will probably need the pill very young.  Otherwise, I fear she will end up pregnant before she is 15.

I had horrific period experiences. They would last at least week, I would never know when it was going to start, so much of a heavy flow that I changed ultra tampons at least 4 times a day, along with an overnight pad at least 2 or 3 times a day (while I had both on at the same time), and had cramps like you would not believe. I had to stay home multiple times because of the cramps, which we later found out that I was having small contractions along with cramps (I’m fucking scared for labor now, if those were just small contractions). At first we tried the pain pills, but they didn’t do much. I still felt nauseous a lot and I still had a good amount of pain, but it was lessened enough that I could tough it through a day of school (then pass out for the rest of the day once I got home from exhaustion). So, we put me on birth control at age 14. Best. Decision. Ever. No more cramps whatsoever, my flow is almost nonexistent, and my period only lasts 2 1/2 days, and I can time it down to the hour when my period is going to start. I definitely think it was the best decision for me.

The pill is not for every one.  It can help some and hinder others…

@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - Alright. I’m coming back to you because my period does last 8-9 days, and I am extremely uncomfortable for the whole time I’m actually on my period, a week before and a week after. And I’m not talking just uncomfortable, I’m talking hard core cramps. I went to the emergency room one time because I was having cramps so bad that my parents thought my appendix had burst. This was a couple days before I was actually on my period. So, it’s not like my period is easy and I think everyone else who can’t handle theirs is a wimp. And my flow is extremely heavy, especially for the first few days. I don’t eve know how many pads and tampons I go through in one month. I used to just use pads (because I was scared to use tampons). But, once I started using tampons, it got a little easier. I agree with you about the exercise. It does help with the cramps A LOT.

As for using BC for your period? women got along just fine before it was invented. I mean we were created with this natural thing called a period, and I don’t think it’s something we should mess with.

It’s not my life and it’s not my choice. If my daughter came to me at 15 and wanted BC, I’d tell her of my experience, the average experience, the side-effects, and let her decide for herself.

At 10, I’d suggest she wait due to her hormones, but it’s her body, and I’d just want her to be safer than she would be without it. I can ask her to not have sex until my face turns blue; it doesn’t mean she’ll listen.

@xhalesx@revelife - Saying that women “got along fine” before BC was invented is like saying pioneers “got along fine” without hospitals. 

@Mangonese@xanga -  Once again, messing with something we were born to do and saving lives are two completely different things. I say it’s not okay. I don’t see it as safe at all. That doesn’t mean that everyone will agree with me, nor do they have to.

I think we would first have to establish under what circumstances would a
young girl really NEED the pill. There are other acne medications out
there, and there are girls who don’t need the pill to regulate their
period. I started birth control when I started becoming active but I
started my period long before then (well, seven years prior). Yes, I did
have acne problems back in middle school, and there were some period
mishaps as well. However, the pill was certainly not an option when there are other solutions. 

I’m not a doctor, so i am only basing my opinion off of limited medical knowledge and personal morality… I think once her periods normalize (or if a few years after her first one they don’t), a girl should be able to use BC. If I had a daughter, that’s what I’d do. No grandchildren before middle age for me!

@shes_lump@xanga - Same issues and pain… I was Diagnosed with Dysmenorrhea.

I started taking birth control pills when I was 15 and it never bothered me. Without it, my period could easily last 12 to 14 days.. which is hell for a 15 year old. I wasn’t sexually active then but whether or not a child is sexually active shouldn’t even matter, since them choosing for birth control pills in that situation is a very sensible and adult decision. Not that I condone 15 year olds (or children even younger) having sex. 

The reason for a girl to start taking birth control pills is of vital importance, since every reason requires a different pill. So, taking birth control pills is something a girl should (be able to) discuss with both her parents and her doctor. Having said that, parents should stay open minded and engage in the conversation. Try not to judge your daughter, she’s coming to you with a very personal matter. At that age, it’s a pretty heavy subject to discuss and I was very lucky to have understanding parents.

I don’t think that taking birth control necessarily makes a child sexually active, though it is easier (and safer) to start having sex as soon as you start taking BC pills. Though that counts for women of all ages, not just teens. Again, I think a lot of the responsibility lies with the parents. 

The question SHOULD be- How young is too young to start having sex? Though a lot of people who start taking bc pills aren’t on them simply because they are sexually active- many are on them for medical reasons. However, if you know you are going to have sex you might as well take precautions. If you are 13yrs old and think you are mature enough to have sex then you better be mature enough to handle the consequences if you don’t use precautions to not get pregnant. I was 15 when I lost my virginity, and I told my mother I needed to be put on bc because I didn’t want a kid. I am now 20 yrs old and married, and I am still on the pill because I know we aren’t ready for children.

Never been on the pill, and I’m 24.

I was 16.

I was 15 for severe cramps and because I was missing school. No pain killers would work. 15 is good, but if I had a daughter and she was in the pain I was (at 13 or 14 no younger than that), I would take her to the gynecologist immediately. 

I got my first period at 11. I was put on BC pills at 14, but it was to help with acne. I took it for 7 years and then went off it because I was sick of all the sh*t (weight gain, fatigue, still had acne). And now for the past 2 years I’ve been on and off it every couple of months but I’ve finally made the decision to never, EVER take BC pills again.

Better to be on BC than to get knocked up. Cause we all know teenagers are likely going to have sex with or without BC pills (for the girls); blame it on the hormones and lack of brain development in the reasoning department.

And, like the OP said, BC pills are useful for things aside from being a contraceptive. Taking BC pills doesn’t automatically mean you’re having sex. I’d be worried about messing up hormones at such a young age, though…

I was 15 when I started taking them but it was because I started having sex. I think unless a young girl’s period is extremely off then she should wait as long as possible before starting the pill. I also think she should wait as long as possible before having sex but in this day and age that age seems to be getting younger and younger. I know looking back now that I was too young.

it’s smart to put your kids on birth control

@xhalesx@revelife - I missed school like hell and I was falling behind before my birth control. One quarter I had like a 72 in classes I got a 95+ in because I was in so much pain. I’m happy with my birth control and I don’t like when woman act like it’s the worse thing in the world. It’s not; it’s useful for pain relief when you’ve exhausted every single option. 

I’m not on birth control because I’ve never had sex but I would rather have a young girl on birth control than a young girl pregnant. So in that case, whenever she is having sex and needs protection is fine.Thought I think everyone would prefer, like, 13-year-olds wouldn’t have sex in the first place…it’s just not reality bleh.

I’ve been on birth control since I was 14 and I definitly wasnt having sex! Apparently it was to help with my mood swings lol

I have a friend who took her daughter to the doctor at 13 for heavy periods.  The doctor put her on the pill.  She began having seizures, passing out, seeing double vision, and trembling.  Immediately the doctor took her off the pill, but the damage had been done.  She’s now 18 and was taken out of public school going back and forth to the mayo clinic for treatments of all the complications going on in her body.  She was a normal young girl before going on the pill, now she’s struggling to have a somewhat normal life.  

I was 13 when I went on the pill. 

I think the youngest age where it’d be acceptable to be on BC is probably 14, and that’s only because I know a few girls who started having sex at that age.

I started my period when I was 10. It fucking sucked. 

I didn’t start having sex until I was almost 20 and I have only ever used NuvaRing for birth control but it made me gain weight so I never want to use hormonal birth control again. My boyfriend and I use condoms.

@Ashley Nicole Anders@facebook - my periods last 10-12 days and are ridiculously heavy… i don’t use birth control, and i agree with xhalesx. periods are natural, how do you think women dealt with them before they invented the pill? they just toughed it out. it’s part of being a woman.

I started birth control when I was 15, but it was only to reduce acne.  I didn’t need it for preventitve measures until 3 years later, so I think it depends.  If a girl under 15 is taking birth control to not get pregnant because she’s having sex  that is too young imo.  If it’s for another reason than no obviously.

I was 13 but I went on it for medical reasons. Being a competitive figure skater and borderline anorexic meant no periods for me They put me on the pill because I hadn’t had a period in over two and a half years. That being said, being on the pill did absolutely nothing to change my attitude towards sex. I waited till I was 19 years old. I don’t think there should be an age, everyone matures differently and just because a girl is on the pill does not mean she’s going to go out and have a bunch of random sex. Girls go on the pill for so many different reasons nowadays, oftentimes birth control is just an added bonus to the other benefits being on the pill provides.

If they’re sexually active and past the age of menstruation, they should be on the pill.

@misswildflower@xanga - I’m sorry, but to some women it is the worst thing in the world. Birth control is immoral to some women. Some women don’t understand the point of it. It goes against nature…I don’t think it should be used to control periods and such. It causes your body to go against nature and it does cause health problems in a lot of women (including infertility, and that is NOT something I’m willing to risk). That doesn’t mean every one has to agree with me. And that also doesn’t mean that everyone has to agree with you. This is a minor issue compared to the hundreds of more important issues that should be discussed.

@xhalesx@revelife - Well ,I advocate it and I don’t necessarily agree with you. I was raised Catholic and taught how bad it apparently is. It’s good for my body and I much rather take it than ruin my chances of getting into law school. I don’t care about infertility at 18 especially since I’m unsure I will ever have children because of my other health issues plus children aren’t on my agenda for 10 years. It’s not right for you to tell others it’s so wrong and that it’s bad to control periods.

@misswildflower@xanga - And I told you that you don’t have to agree with me. So, there is really no point in you getting worked up about this. It’s bad for you to tell me that I can’t express my beliefs and opinions. I, along with other people have different ambitions. While yours include getting into law school and not having kids for another ten years, mine include getting married and finishing school, unless my husband and I get pregnant before that happens. And if that’s the case, then I won’t finish school until ALL of my kids have at least finished middle school. Different people. Different lives, Different beliefs, Different ambitions.

I think that if a girl as young as 12 or older is taking birth control, it is totally normal (IF, they are taking it to help regulate their menstrual flow.)
But, if they are this young and they are taking birth control pills because they are sexually active, that’s wrong and inappropriate. xox ~S

Fifteen is way too young for a MULTITUDE of reasons. I’m just throwing this out here and letting all the other comments do the explaining.

The pill is a much better choice than prescription pain killers because your body will built an immunity to it. Pain IS there for a reason. They also have new pills (in Canada anyways) that is the exact same as the pill except it isn’t a strong enough dosage to protect from pregnancy.

I got my first period when I was only 9 years old.
I went on the pill when I was 13 because I had always had horrible, 7 day, gut wrenching periods. I would miss days of school, bleed through my clothes, and spend hours in the bathroom. Ugh. I wouldn’t wish my experience on anyone.