Invisapeeps 2.0

EmmDee · Guru

BC - How young is too young?

Family Gal · Veteran Member

Going on the pill at age 18 was the best thing I ever did. Not only did it allow me sexual freedom, but it cleared my complexion, lightened my periods, and eliminated menstrual cramping.

I never really knew anyone who suffered from mood swings as a result. Those occur with young teens, with or without the pill. Besides, the hormones in the pill these days is so minute.

Family Gal · Veteran Member

Going on the pill at age 18 was the best thing I ever did. Not only did it allow me sexual freedom, but it cleared my complexion, lightened my periods, and eliminated menstrual cramping.

I never really knew anyone who suffered from mood swings as a result. Those occur with young teens, with or without the pill. Besides, the hormones in the pill these days is so minute.

EmmDee · Guru

Watching a tv talk discussion about putting young teen girls on BC and if it is good for the girl. The dispute is what does it do to a 14 yr old's growing body to introduce those hormones into the mix. Aside from the physical effects, emotionally is a 14 yr old ready to be on BC?

Family Gal · Veteran Member

If they are emotionally ready to have sex, they are emotionally ready to take responsibility.

EmmDee · Guru

I know BC messed me up emotionally, I was all over the board from the hormones being introduced to my body. I think I was around 16 when I started on BC for my periods not because I was having sex. It definitely made my emotions roller coaster all month long instead of just during the one week.

kapper · I am always right, unless I am wrong.

I think Family Gal has it right. If they're old enough to have sex they really should be on birth control. If it's for regulating a period then the side affects may be worth avoiding.

Mata Hari · Veteran Member

many teens are prescribed BC to control acne as well as a variety of other ailments- besides its original purpose.

I say stop with the tv nonsense and start reading up on the facts, that would help explain things better

Potatochiplady · Veteran Member

I had to take BC for painful cramping and I did not experience any issues from the hormones.

I've been on it for close to 20 years and I've never had an issue with oral BC

EmmDee · Guru

PCL, I have had issues with every oral contraceptive I have tried. I have been happiest on Nuvaring and Mirena. I wish the Nuvaring was around when I was a teenager. I'm just highly sensitive to the hormones. It was just an interesting laymen conversation about if we feel that it has a negative impact on the female body to start that early.

RichardInTN · I believe in I.D.I.C.

It's not very PC, but there's a saying: "Old enough to bleed, old enough to breed"

I don't think it's EVER "too early" for birth control for a female.

Saturn · Veteran Member

Family Gal wrote:
Oral contraceptives have been around 40+ years. That's long enough, IMO.

I do not know that giving a 9 or 10 year old contraceptives is a good idea, unless they are sexually active. I started when I was 11, but did not go on the pill until I was 18. But I was considered a late bloomer, sexually, in my locale.

WHAT??????

May I ask your locale?

eta - I reread this and misunderstood. I thought you meant you started having sex at 11 and that was considered a late bloomer. jeez, major reading fail.

-- Edited by Saturn on Wednesday 20th of June 2012 11:09:57 AM

Almostheretx · Member

Um Richard that is just wrong to even quote that.. gross gross gross

Family Gal · Veteran Member

That is an old saying. I never found it particularly cooth.

Saturn · Veteran Member

I won't quote it either but yeah, GROSS!

Girls are starting their periods earlier now than ever - some as early as nine. Do you think that is old enough to "breed"?

Back on topic, not sure of the ramifications of giving a 9 or 10 yo bc but she may need it due to health issues. They make bc with very low hormone content now. I started getting migraines on the first day of my period - every month - about 2 years ago. They took me off ortho tri-cyclen and went with a low dose pill instead. Still get migraines but not every month. I can tell the hormone level is lower and my mood swings aren't as extreme.

If I was a mom though, I would be concerned about exposing my child to unnecessary hormones at a young age. If a Dr recommended it I would do a ton of research on my own before consenting to it. (unless my child was sexually active, that is a whole other conversation).

EmmDee · Guru

I just don't feel that oral contraceptives have been around long enough for us to truly know what the long term effects are. It is one thing as an adult to choose to change our hormones in that way, but a child does not understand that, they just think, oh, "safe sex" if that is the reason for receiving them. I do realize that BC pills are being used for other reasons now, but fact of the matter is, it is still a hormone being introduced into a still forming girl

Saturn · Veteran Member

MD, I totally agree. I don't want to be on it now and wonder about the effect of having been on them for 20 years.

Family Gal · Veteran Member

Oral contraceptives have been around 40+ years. That's long enough, IMO.

I do not know that giving a 9 or 10 year old contraceptives is a good idea, unless they are sexually active. I started when I was 11, but did not go on the pill until I was 18. But I was considered a late bloomer, sexually, in my locale.

EmmDee · Guru

And I think when BC pills were first introduced it was with women 18+ as the target consumer. Creeping the age younger and younger can have different affects when we are talking hormones, this isn't ibuprofen we are talking about.

Family Gal · Veteran Member

No, sex at 18 was considered a late bloomer. I grew up in So. Cal, near Los Angeles/Hollywood.

Saturn · Veteran Member

lol. Yeah, pretty much the same here. Central IL.

EmmDee · Guru

Yeah, I totally read that as started having sex at 11, now I get it though. I was experiencing shock as well.

FrootLoop · Naturally Frootilicious

Family Gal wrote:
Oral contraceptives have been around 40+ years. That's long enough, IMO.

I do not know that giving a 9 or 10 year old contraceptives is a good idea, unless they are sexually active. I started when I was 11, but did not go on the pill until I was 18. But I was considered a late bloomer, sexually, in my locale.

I must admit I'm a bit confused by your posts, you seem to be saying that the only reason for using hormonal BC is for pregnancy prevention? Yet most of the very young girls on it are using it for other reasons than actual birth control.

One doesn't have to be sexually active to need it, not at all.

And I'm a bit conflicted over putting barely pubescent or pre-pubescent girls on hormones, only because I just don't know enough about long term effects on the body. I do know that for some young girls it can make a huge difference, but long term.. not sure and I'm okay with not doing the research because its not a burning question for me.

~FrootLoop

Family Gal · Veteran Member

Frootloop, I was addressing the OP's original question, which was whether they were emotionally ready for BC. If being put on BC was for a purpose other than it's original intended use, i.e., prevent pregnancy, then I do not see how the child's emotions would be an issue. Any hormonal balancing or imbalancing resulting from usage, would be a physiological issue, not an emotional one, IMO.

dqm either · Don't Quote Me

I do my best to avoid or minimalize my daughters' exposure to artificial hormones so I wouldn't put my kids on hormonal bc.

How young is too young? For me the answer is 17.

FrootLoop · Naturally Frootilicious

Family Gal wrote:
Frootloop, I was addressing the OP's original question, which was whether they were emotionally ready for BC. If being put on BC was for a purpose other than it's original intended use, i.e., prevent pregnancy, then I do not see how the child's emotions would be an issue. Any hormonal balancing or imbalancing resulting from usage, would be a physiological issue, not an emotional one, IMO.

Ah I think thats a matter of semantics then, I asssssssume that the OP meant actual reactions to the hormones resulting in emotional upheaval.

I'd probably label that as emotionally ready too, mainly because I'm lazy lol.

Hmmm and a sudden thought, most kids aren't good at secrets. I'm imagining Betsy at 12 being on the Pill for non sexual reasons and telling a friend. Friend spreads it around that Betsy is boinkable (that was only for the alliteration) even though Betsy has no real interest in boys. Now that could cause some real emotional harm to Betsy.

~FrootLoop

RichardInTN · I believe in I.D.I.C.

My apologies to any that thought my post "gross"... but the premise is absolutely true.

AND... More importantly, BC is NOT limited to hormones (the young lady could be provided with condoms, or a diaphragm and spermicide, or a chastity belt...).

There are other options, so I'll stick with my statement of "it's never too early".

dqm either · Don't Quote Me

Op specifically said hormones and girls. If we're talking about condoms then this has nothing to do with bleeding since boys are the ones who use condoms.

Almostheretx · Member

I can never imagine telling my daughter well if you bleed.. no no no... but thats just my opinion

RichardInTN · I believe in I.D.I.C.

dqm either wrote:
Op specifically said hormones and girls. If we're talking about condoms then this has nothing to do with bleeding since boys are the ones who use condoms.

Just because "boys use them" doesn't mean it's not a good idea for girls to carry them. What about the time they are doing "heavy petting" and she says "do you have something", and he reaches into his wallet to find his condom damaged... wouldn't it be better if she had "backup" instead of trusting them to "be in the heat of the moment, and remember to go no further without"?

And, yes, I know that the OP message said it was about hormones... I was answering based on the generality of the thread title.

RichardInTN · I believe in I.D.I.C.

Almostheretx wrote:
I can never imagine telling my daughter well if you bleed.. no no no... but thats just my opinion

You might not phrase it that way, but you might say "Honey, once you start having your monthly visitor... even if it doesn't happen every month, your body CAN get pregnant..."

Like I said, it's not PC, but the PREMISE (generally speaking, barring medical issues, if you can have a period, you can get pregnant) is sound

dqm either · Don't Quote Me

Fyi: you can get pregnant before you've bled.

You're cycle starts, you're the most fertile in the middle and then you shed. Once you're done shedding it begins again.

Girls have been known to get preganant without ever having a period.

Potatochiplady · Veteran Member

I wasn't trying to come off as "well I had no trouble so it must be ok for everyone" - I just expressed myself using too few words. smile

Considering the pain I endured until my parents finally took me to an OB/GYN, I would have LOVED to have been taking the pill at 14. As it was I did finally get on it at 17 so for me that it's just shy of 20 years that I've been on oral BC.

If I had been given it at 14, emotionally I would have likely viewed it as no different than taking Tylenol for pain - because for me, I was taking it as a painkiller.

In terms of my body, I haven't suffered any side effects so far. My OB/GYN is ok with me continuing to stay on it. My mammogram 2 years ago was negative for cancer and I've never had an abnormal PAP. Other than needing to get my lazy ass to exercise more, I am healthy and have had no negative health issues that can be related to being on hormonal BC for so long.

I don't know what the future holds so it's always possible that the repercussions of long term BC use just haven't manifested yet. I also don't know if my experience health wise is the norm for long term BC users or if I just happen to be the lucky outlier.

RichardInTN · I believe in I.D.I.C.

dqm either wrote:
Fyi: you can get pregnant before you've bled.

You're cycle starts, you're the most fertile in the middle and then you shed. Once you're done shedding it begins again.

Girls have been known to get preganant without ever having a period.

Exactly true. That's why I qualified what I said with "old enough to"... not "have at least once".

The first period is the expulsion of the first unfertilized egg (I remember that from Biology class!) {and the associated extra blood}.

uglydude42 · Senior Member

For my girls I will leave it up to my wife. I will listen to her concerns if there are any

I am not a woman nor have gone through the experiences you women have. I could do all the resarch possible and form an opinion but it all boils downs to experince. Women are the ones with that experience.

Almostheretx · Member

Very well put UD very well...

uglydude42 · Senior Member

Thanks

OHWaitress · Veteran Member

I would think unless there is a medical reason that before 14 would be too early IMO. I would also have to say that my opinion would also be influenced by the child and their behavior.
I don't care for the idea of hormones either (BC ortho novum made me have blackouts my body doesn't take hormones well at all) but if they gave any inkling of being or becoming sexually active I'd put them on it in an instant. Babies are forever!

1dog1cat1snake1rat_akaTheZoo · Veteran Member

My one sister and I were just talking about this today when she called. Her 14yo granddaughter is living with her; she hasn't seen her mother for a month and my sister has no idea where her daughter is or what she's doing. She has drug issues and this time last year we were so hopeful that she had kicked the habit. :(

My niece got pregnant at 16yo, and my sister is not going to let that happen with her granddaughter. Within the next couple of weeks she's going to make her an appointment for birth control, JIC. Since she's not sure that her DGD would take the pill daily she's going to ask about the shot that is good for 3 months. She wishes that Implanon would be an option, but has heard too many bad stories about it. Wherever she takes her DGD, they'd have to really sell the implant for her to consider it.

Whether 14yo is too young or not, she doesn't see any other reasonable option. HER daughter swore up and down that she wasn't sexually active, and look what happened.

indipit · Newbie

My DD went on the Depo Provera shot at 16 ( because she did not take her pill correctly even after many reminders, and she got pregnant).
The first week after the shot, she was an emotional mess. Immensely dramatic and would cry over a kind look, but the rest of the 3 months were fine. We all just had to brace for that first week. She stayed on Depo until she was 18, and moved out of the house.

dqm either · Don't Quote Me

If the girl isn't having sex and doesn't want to go on BC can her grandmother make her because of something her mother did? I feel sorry for any girl who has to live like that.

I wouldn't take the pills and I for damn sure wouldn't let them implant them in me!

No means no. That goes for fresh boys and overbearing grandparents alike.

RichardInTN · I believe in I.D.I.C.

Telling Grandma "I'm not having sex" and ACTUALLY "not having sex"... can be worlds apart though, even with a kid you trust.

RichardInTN · I believe in I.D.I.C.

dqm either wrote:
RichardInTN wrote:
dqm either wrote:
Op specifically said hormones and girls. If we're talking about condoms then this has nothing to do with bleeding since boys are the ones who use condoms.
I was answering based on the generality of the thread title.
Yes but the generality of the thread title doesn't specify gender. You mentioned a bunch of options that GIRLS could take like condoms and chastity belts. I was simply pointing out that bc isn't just a girl's issue. Nobody is talking about boys. Honestly, I'd much rather supply my child with condoms than make her take hormones. Pills and shots don't protect you from std's. But like someone earlier said, if they're old enough to have sex, they're old enough to take responsibility. To me taking responsibility doesn't mean Mom or Grandmom -making- you do (or not do) what they want. Taking responsibility means that you make the decisions yourself and you handle the outcome.

They make chastity belts for men as well.

ETA: But you are right... I did specify female. I caught "girl" in the paragraph as I was formatting my response in my head when the page opened up.

-- Edited by RichardInTN on Sunday 24th of June 2012 06:44:24 AM

1dog1cat1snake1rat_akaTheZoo · Veteran Member

"If the girl isn't having sex and doesn't want to go on BC can her grandmother make her because of something her mother did? I feel sorry for any girl who has to live like that."

I didn't want to write a book, though I easily could. They live in an extremely rural area in the mountains here in Pennsylvania; where everyone knows everyone else AND their aunts, uncles, cousins...

And my sister is not like that. She is neither making her granddaughter consider birth control or punishing her for what her mother did. DSis has been talking with her granddaughter about finishing her education and thinking about her furture. There is no future there; that is one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the state. But things do happen, kids do make mistakes.

The only thing there is to do is to hang around with friends. The biggest town in the county is 20 miles away and doesn't even have a mall or a movie theater; the population in that town is a little over 3,000. The nearest city - pop. 46,000 - with entertainment is 40 miles away. "Hanging around" with friends has gotten more than one couple pregnant before they were ready.

The last thing my sister wants for her granddaughter is for her to perpetuate a cycle all too common in that area. Teen pregnancy, poverty, welfare... Birth control is a medical tool that is used for many things. In my 30s, even though I'd had my tubes tied and didn't need if for birth control, it was prescribed for a few years to alleviate my heavy menses. In my 40s it was prescribed again to try and stave off my having to have a hysterectomy. My daughter who is not sexually active at 26yo, has been on it for 2-3 years for symptoms of Polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder. It is also used by many young women to control their fertility, until they are ready to start a family.

My sister loves her daughter, who cannot be a good mother right now. She loves her granddaughter who still has a chance, and will do whatever, and use whatever, tools as necessary to see that she gets it.

Apple · Veteran Member

Family Gal wrote:
If they are emotionally ready to have sex, they are emotionally ready to take responsibility.

I agree. Its just hard to put your daugher, your little angel on the pill. :(

dqm either · Don't Quote Me

RichardInTN wrote:
dqm either wrote:
Op specifically said hormones and girls. If we're talking about condoms then this has nothing to do with bleeding since boys are the ones who use condoms.
I was answering based on the generality of the thread title.

Yes but the generality of the thread title doesn't specify gender. You mentioned a bunch of options that GIRLS could take like condoms and chastity belts. I was simply pointing out that bc isn't just a girl's issue. Nobody is talking about boys. Honestly, I'd much rather supply my child with condoms than make her take hormones. Pills and shots don't protect you from std's. But like someone earlier said, if they're old enough to have sex, they're old enough to take responsibility. To me taking responsibility doesn't mean Mom or Grandmom -making- you do (or not do) what they want. Taking responsibility means that you make the decisions yourself and you handle the outcome.

Too Sensitive · Senior Member

I went on the pill at 19 when i became sexually active. I wish i had known that i could have gone on it earlier for painful periods. It would have saved me a lot of pain.

dinkyd · Wine, like women, gets better with age

I was put on them when I was 12 - for medical reasons. They helped - at least I was predictable physically and emotionally. 15 yr later they took me off - I was all over the place and simply couldn't handle it all. I thought I was going crazy. I could barely work. Went back on and leveled out again. After multiple proceedures to deal with issues related to DES- I had a complete hyst. that made life wonderful for my 30th Bday present.

My mother was horrified that the GYN put me on BC. She was sure people would find out and consider me a 'loose woman' and 'easy'. I lived in mortal fear of anyone finding out. (*Can you tell she was a Southern Baptist teatotaler? A Jewish mother would have been proud of her.)

1dog1cat1snake1rat_akaTheZoo · Veteran Member

I put myself on the pill when I was 19yo, even though I'd never had sex. My periods were soooo bad, with cramps that made me faint and bleeding that went on for 10 days every month. By that time I was in library science school (mid-70s) and had access to a college library and the time to do my own research. When I went home after my first year of school I told my family doctor I wanted on B.C. pills; didn't tell him why, let him assume I was sexually active. He told me he was proud of me for taking responsibility for my own fertility.

The pill worked so well that like others here I was sorry I hadn't gone on it earlier. I used it like a medicine, which is what it was. Put myself on it, it helped A LOT, took myself off after about two years. The effects lasted a good while. And, for what it's worth, even though I was 19yo at the time I went on it, I didn't automatically go into a sexual frenzy. It was a couple more years before I had sex, and I'd been dating that guy 18 months when it finally happened. :)

Over the years (I'm in my mid-50s) I was taking the pill off and on, to alleviate symptoms of my periods, which continued even after I had my two kids. There's nothing scarier to a couple of kids then watching their mother all-but faint onto the couch, and being asked to get her a drink and the bottle of ibuprofen. They're 28 & 26yo now, and they still remember that day. I'd been doing dishes and even though I felt so bad just wanted to get SOMETHING done. When you're a mom and working full-time, you just don't have time to pamper yourself. The housework still must be done. I just left it a little too long that time.

The BEST thing I ever did for myself was go and get some bloodwork done and take that to my ob/gyn to ask her if - finally! - with proof of severe anemia, couldn't I PLEASE have a hysterectomy? By the time I left her office that day her surgery-scheduling nurse had approval from my insurance company and I had a date - 7/31/2001 - for my procedure. By that time I couldn't even stand for 15 minutes, and her staff nurses couldn't believe that I could actually go upstairs multiple times a day to use the bathroom.

It took 3 years for my iron and hemoglobin (sp?) levels to get to low-normal. And even alllllllll these years later, when the thought of what I used to experience each month hits, and I remember that's a thing of the past, I still go YIPPEEE!! :D

Lady Wolf2 · Newbie

I only wish they had started me on BC when I got my period at 12. I had the worst time. Heavy bleeding, cramps that required narcotic pain relief and even then they didn't take all the pain away just make it bearable. I missed alot of school due to the bleeding. I was told that I would just have to suck it up because I was a girl and this is what we went through.(female obgyn). It turns out I have very severe endometreosis and if I had been started right away on BC it would have saved me years of heart aches later when I wanted kids. Granted I was eventually extremely blessed with my two boys but it took years of trying and fertility treatments. The endo had damaged my tubes and spread all over in my abdomen. At 22 I was told that by my RE that it would be a miracle for me to have another child and he had no idea how I managed to get pregnant without treatment the first time. He told me if I had been on BC since I started I would have never suffered the way I did and my fertility would not have been threatened. I am now on Seasonale and it is amazing. I no longer have cramps when I get my period though I am still miserable from the endo but its only 4 times per yr so I can survive for now.