All of your personal questions regarding birth control and sexual health answered here.
How can I get into BC4U?
It’s easy! You can schedule an appointment online or just give us a call at 720-777-2248.
What if I need a pregnancy test or Plan B right away?
For pregnancy tests and Plan B, you can walk into our Aurora clinic anytime during these hours: 8am-11:30am and 1pm-4pm.
Does my mom or dad have to come with me to get birth control?
Nope! You never have to bring a parent and we do not need their permission to see you in clinic. Some people think it’s helpful for their parents to come, but that’s totally up to you!
I’ve never been to a clinic without my parents… How does this work?
For many of our patients, this is the first time they are doing something like this on their own. Don’t be scared, we got your back!
What will my parents find out?
Nothing! Whether they know you’re here or not, we can’t tell them anything about the appointment or what we talked about. You can get birth control and STD testing without them knowing.
For real?
Yep! This is your business and decision to tell. Not ours.
I’m really scared to come in. What can I do?
Adulting can be scary. But so can a pregnancy scare or STD scare. We get it.
How about bringing a friend? Or talking with our health educator first?
I can’t come to the clinic, my parents will find out. What can I do?
This one is tough. We know some parents track everything you do on your phone or at school. We suggest you text our health educator for help
720-443-2318.
While we can’t “beam” birth control to you, we’ll help you come up with a solution!
My period is late… What do I do?
Periods can be late for all kinds of reasons. Everything from stress to pregnancy can make a period late.
Should I come in?
Yes, the best thing to do is to come in and see one of us to discuss what’s going on. If you can’t come in or you’re scared, you can chat on the phone with one of our nurses.
Is it safe for birth control to change or stop my period?
Yes! It is perfectly safe NOT to have periods while on birth control and many people love this. But if something doesn’t feel right to you, give us a call we’ll chat with you.
Is it bad not to have a period every month?
We get this question a lot. When you are on a hormonal birth control, you do not need to have a period every month.
Why?
The methods are protecting your uterus, keeping it nice and healthy for when you do decide to get pregnant. But if you are not on birth control, it is important to have a period every month.
Will my partner feel the IUD?
There are tiny strings on the IUD that partners sometimes can feel, but most don’t. Usually they tuck behind the cervix, and stay out of the way.
But what if my partner does feel them?
If your partner feels them, and this is affecting your sex life and intimacy, come in and see us, we can talk about trimming the strings.
Can the IUD get lost or fall out?
About 3 out of 100 women who had an IUD put in will have their bodies “push the IUD out”. This is nothing that you did or caused. It just happens. The IUD can come part way out, or all the way out.
How would I know if it’s falling out?
Sometimes women feel the strings are longer or their spotting or cramping is getting worse. Some women don’t feel it at all. We can check for you.
Is it dangerous if the IUD is coming out? Is it still working?
The IUD coming out is not dangerous, or unsafe, but it can mean that your birth control is not working. If you have concerns that yours is coming out, come in and see us. We can check.
Can I use tampons with my IUD?
You sure can! It is nearly impossible to bump or pull out an IUD with a tampon.
Phew!
Yep, not to get too technical, but they “sit” in different places and get along very nicely.
Does birth control affect my ability to get pregnant when I want to?
Nope! None of the birth control methods that we use at our clinic affect your ability to get pregnant when you want to.
How long does it take until I am able to get pregnant again?
It is really important that most of the methods have an IMMEDIATE return to fertility – meaning, you can get pregnant the day you stop or it is removed.
So what else can I do?
If you decide to stop or remove a type of birth control, we can get you started right away with something else that works for you.
Does my body need a break in between, when I switch birth control methods?
Not at all! The biggest risk in “taking a break” is that you could get pregnant. There is no benefit or need for your body to “go back to normal”, have a period, or take a break between methods.
Does birth control cause me to gain weight?
What you put in your mouth and how you move your body causes weight gain. Some methods (like the shot) can make you feel hungrier.
So what happens?
If you eat more, and move less, you will gain weight. Most women gain 25-30 pounds when pregnant, so keep that in mind when not using anything…
Can birth control affect my mood?
In very rare occasions, birth control can affect your mood. About 1 in 100 women using birth control will have depressed mood or mood swings.
What should I do if it affects my mood?
If this happens to you, don’t assume there is something wrong with you or just “deal with it”, please come in and let’s talk.
How often do condoms fail?
It happens. Condoms should always be used to reduce the risk of STDs but they can fail when used incorrectly.
What if they are used correctly?
Even if condoms are used correctly every time you have sex, there is an 18% chance the condom will still fail.
Do I have to take the pill every day at the same time?
Yes. To be 99% effective, pills have to be taken at the same time every day. This can be hard to do.
How many days in row do I take it?
With some hormonal pills, you must take it every single day. With others, you take a hormonal pill every day for 21, 24 or even 26 days of the cycle. Then you have a hormone-free break of 2, 4, or 7 days where you take a hormone-free pill or don’t take any pills.
During this break, you will still be protected and you will have a period-like bleed.
Can birth control cause me to have acne?
Most of the modern birth control methods do not cause acne. But everyone’s body reacts differently. For most, it does not cause acne. For some, it will. But boy, pregnancy sure can cause terrible acne.
Does the birth control type matter?
Some are better at treating acne than others.
I was told not having your period will make me fat. True?
When you are using a birth control method that stops your period, it does not cause you to gain weight. What you put in your mouth sure does.
So what happens to your period?
Most methods thin the lining of the uterus preventing periods from ever happening. That blood is not “building up” for one massive period. Periods aren’t even being created.
So how do people gain weight on birth control then?
Well, weight gain is all about calories in and calories out. Some methods can make you feel more hungry. If you respond to this by eating more, then you can gain weight.
How do I prevent this?
As long as you are eating healthy and exercising, you should not gain any weight on birth control. Normally less than 1 in 100 women using birth control gain weight.
Got it.
Yep. Hot Cheetos and Dr. Pepper, my friend, are the problem.
Will the implant move?
The implant does not move when placed where it is supposed to be. It sits nicely underneath the skin right on top of the fat and muscle.
Tell me more.
It can be about 1 cm above or below the scar from where it is put in. That is really normal. If it is placed incorrectly (in the muscle) it can move. This is why providers are required to get trained to put it in.
I have an implant and have not had my period. Where is it?
With the implant you should expect changes in your period. It is perfectly normal. It is not “backing up” or “storing” blood inside your body.
Why not?
Remember sex ed? A period is formed by the lining of your uterus thickening and getting ready for a pregnancy (think of it as a nice fluffy pillow waiting for a fertilized egg). When a pregnancy does not occur, that lining sheds and come out as your period. While on birth control, that thick lining never happens.
What happens instead?
The lining stays very thin and your period is never created. The hormones protect the lining, keeping it healthy for when and if you do want to get pregnant.
How effective is the withdrawal method?
Withdrawal can be an effective method if used PERFECTLY. But this requires mad skills on the male side. He has to be in great control of his body and really has to know his body well in order to make it work. This is the method that makes us most nervous. It is an okay back up to a more effective method, but we see it fail for sure.
We’d love to help you use a more effective method alongside it. Plus, you get zero STD protection with withdrawal.
I have had an STD in the past. How do I know if I am infertile?
Many young women believe that because they’ve had an STD, they can’t get pregnant. If you don’t have any other medical conditions that affect fertility, it’s best to assume that you can get pregnant.
Can I get a test?
There’s really no way to test it except to “try and get pregnant” and see what happens. We don’t recommend this unless you’re ready to be a parent.
And scarring?
In some rare cases, STDs can cause scaring in your tubes and make it difficult to get pregnant, but NOT impossible. There is no easy way to know if you have scaring in your tubes. It is best to assume you don’t.
What are the chances I’m infertile?
For healthy women under age 30, the chances of being infertile are extremely slim. In the U.S., fewer than 1 in 100 women under age 30 get medical treatment because they’ve had trouble getting pregnant-getting audited by the IRS is more likely. (Do you know anybody who’s been audited by the IRS?)
What about women who have unprotected sex and do not get pregnant?
Some women may think they’re infertile because they’ve had unprotected sex and not gotten pregnant, but the bottom line is that this is usually luck, not infertility. For couples under age 30 who have sex once a week and don’t use birth control, over 95% of them will be pregnant within a year.
Can I use a menstrual cup with an IUD?
As long as you’re careful to avoid suction or pulling your IUD strings when you remove your menstrual cup, it’s fine to use a cup and an IUD together.
Any risk?
A recent study found that the “use of tampons or menstrual cups does not increase the risk of early expulsion of an IUD.” The packaging information for IUDs can be inconsistent, but women “can use whatever their usual menstrual product is and not increase their risk of expelling the IUD.”
Feel free to come on your own or bring a friend so they can get free birth control, too.