You do not have to get a pap smear just to get birth control. If you are over 21, you do need to have your pap smear every 3 years, until age 30, then the recommendations change.

A great website is : https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Cervical-Cancer-Screening-Infographic

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“Will drinking affect my birth control?”

Great question! Let’s break this down:

• Alcohol won’t affect the way the IUD, implant, ring or patch works.
• Alcohol doesn’t change the effectiveness of the shot.
• Alcohol will only affect the pill if you throw it up because of drinking, or you drink so much that you forget to take it. (Drinking that much alcohol can be dangerous, so please be careful and be smart.)

Even though alcohol doesn’t mess with your birth control, mixing alcohol and sexual activities can be dangerous. Alcohol can cloud your judgment and make you do things you normally wouldn’t do sober (consent = a must). It can also make you forget to use a condom (or use one incorrectly), which can leave you susceptible to STIs and unplanned pregnancy.

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Nope, myth.

Birth control doesn’t change your ability to get pregnant once you stop using it. But other factors, like your age and your health in general, can affect your ability to get pregnant.

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One of the biggest obstacles to using birth control can be talking to your partner.

If you can’t talk to the person you’re going to have sex with about birth control, you might want to wait a little longer and focus on developing your relationship first.

The most common birth control methods that use hormones (chemicals that your body naturally makes to control things like your period, making sperm, dealing with stress) require a doctor’s visit. The doctor will tell you about the side effects from taking hormonal methods. The negatives include weight gain, acne, nausea, moodiness; however, there are also some positive side effects such as clearer skin, a more regular period or no period at all, and less cramping. There are several different hormonal methods to choose from depending on your lifestyle (are you good at remembering to do things every day or do you tend to forget?) and what works for you. These include the pill, regular injections, patches that go on your skin, and rings that go inside your vagina. If used regularly and correctly, all hormonal methods are very good at preventing pregnancy, and are completely reversible when you decide you do want to get pregnant.

Other methods that require going to the doctor or health center are the diaphragm, cervical cap, and IUD. Both the diaphragm and cervical cap are made out of rubber and go inside the vagina and cover the cervix, to prevent the sperm from entering. The IUD, or intrauterine device, is inserted into the uterus (womb) through the cervix and makes it nearly impossible for a fertilized egg to start growing into a baby. IUDs must be inserted and removed by a doctor or in a health center.

Another method that blocks the sperm from ever meeting the egg is the condom. There are both male and female condoms, and both can be purchased at a drugstore and usually even at grocery stores and convenience stores. You can buy condoms no matter how old you are – you don’t have be 18 or 21 to buy them. For guys, the male condom is one of the cheapest forms of birth control, is easy to use, and easy to get. Right now, there aren’t many other options for men. Male condoms are rolled down the penis before sex, and it’s important to use some type of water-based lubricant to prevent the condom from tearing and for comfort. Don’t use baby oil, cooking oil, lotion, petroleum jelly, butter, or anything else that contains oils as a lubricant because they will cause the condom to rip.

Female condoms are more expensive and are inserted into the vagina before having sex. Some women say that they can be difficult to use, especially the first time. Both the male and female condom also help prevent some STDs and HIV. It’s a great idea to practice both male and female condoms before you decide to have sex. When the time comes to use it in action, you won’t have to fumble around or read the instructions if you’ve practiced it a few times!

For more info, check out this helpful chart at Bedsider: https://bedsider.org/methods

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