Birth Control w/ strict parents

[jessica2040]

So, very uncomfortable posting this already, however

I’m (17F) living in New Jersey and I’m looking to get on the pill as a means of having lighter periods and hopefully more regular ones, as mine are eight days of excessive bleeding. However, I’m currently dating someone, and if I were to mention birth control to my parents they would absolutely freak out.

I’m looking to see if there is a safe option to get my hands on birth control. I’m guessing the pill might be the best option. I’m not able to go to a doctor because of life 360, and I’ve been careful not to use my number or address on any of the websites that provide birth control.

I have a feeling Planned Parenthood Direct is the best option, but I’m not sure how safe it is going on a random birth control pill and telehealth requires a phone number. However, I’m not entirely sure if there’s a pill that’s labeled as “generic” or something of the sorts.

I know NJ is supposed to have birth control OTC starting in the spring, but I’ve made this decision a while ago and I’d like to get a move on. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[mufudzi]

@jessica2040 You could try just telling your parents that you need to see a doctor about your heavy periods and let the doctor be the one to bring up hormonal birth control (I can pretty much guarantee they will). This would probably be the simplest option, although idk if it would work with your parents.

From what I can find, it seems like doctors are at the very least allowed to require parental consent for birth control in NJ. There may be some exceptions — you can find more info here.

If you need to use something like Planned Parenthood Direct, do NOT use your insurance. Your parents can see what your insurance pays for. Birth control is a pretty safe medication, so you don’t really need to worry about that! This chart shows contraindications for different types of birth control.

Most people just start with a cheap generic pill. However, if it’s possible that your parents could find your pill pack, a vaginal ring (such as a generic version of Nuvaring) may work better. If you’re able to access it at all, the most stealthy options would be the implant or an IUD. Could you maybe “forget” your phone at school/ a friend’s house and visit a clinic that way?

 

[jessica2040]

@mufudzi Unfortunately forgetting isn’t an option, my parents will likely investigate anyway. Is there a generic pill you’d recommend? I’m kinda of iffy on the information I’ve found online

 

[mufudzi]

@jessica2040 A combination pill would probably be a better fit for you, as compared to progesterone-only pills, they’re typically more effective at scheduling monthly bleeding. They can also be used to skip your period. If you want to shorten your periods, a combo pill with 24 active pills and 4 placebos (instead of the usual 7 placebos) may be a good fit.

But it’s hard to get more specific than that. There’s no “best” or “worst” pill. Different pills work better for different people. If you want to know the most common side effects associated with a pill, clinical trial results give a better picture than online reviews (people tend to talk about negative experiences more than positive ones, so reviews can give an excessively negative impression). Because you’re paying out of pocket, you might want to just start with whatever’s cheapest and go from there.

 

[jessica2040]

@mufudzi Okay, thank you!! That’s really good to know!!