As women, making the decision to have kids is an extremely personal choice, and that decision is in your hands.
I’m in my late 20’s and I’ve made the choice to put kiddos on hold because my health is still in a place that, quite frankly, needs a lot of care and attention. Having #type2diabetes and taking medications that have the potential to cause birth defects is one reason I use a long acting reversible contraception.
Not everyone has the same education, or choices that I did though, and that’s why this blog and my next few posts on Instagram are very important.
Did you know?
Let’s talk about some interesting stats around unplanned pregnancies in Houston:
While national rates are at an all-time low, rates of unintended pregnancy in Texas remain alarmingly high. In my own area of Houston, some unplanned pregnancy rates are nearly three times the national average. There are statistics more likely to be found in developing countries.
UTHealth recognized that there was value in working with communities – parents, churches, clinics and community centers – to help women feel more comfort in knowing their options when it came to their sexual health.
That’s how Own Every Piece started, and the goal is to hone in on what is most impactful for women, give them quality care, and help them feel educated and empowered. There was actually a huge gap in our city for this, and as you could imagine it led to shame, stigma and myths about what birth control is and what it does.
So why am I talking about this?
Every body is different, and women have many reasons for starting birth control whether they are career, health or lifestyle related.
My health is really important to me, but so is the health of any future children my husband and I decide to have.
When I researched birth control options with my doctor after I learned about some of the side-effects of my medications, I ended up with long acting reversible contraception, or LARC.
My specific long acting reversible contraception is called Nexplanon. It’s a plastic tube that’s a couple of inches long, and is inserted on the inside of your bicep. You’re given a local anesthetic for the procedure, so you don’t feel a thing. Once the procedure is done, you’re free to go!
I love my long acting reversible contraception because it works with my body, so i don’t have to remember to take another pill, and it fits in with my lifestyle. Once it’s done, my body goes back to normal, and we can work on trying!
In the next few weeks here in this community, I’m going to talk about why birth control ISN’T a taboo topic, how to talk about the topic to friends and partners, what the benefits of different types of contraception are, and how to feel autonomy over your body.
Birth control seems like a scary thing to talk about, but it’s totally normal, and we’re going to talk about it comfortably.
If you want to know more about what resources Houston has, visit owneverypiece.com to keep learning about the many options for birth control, and clinics that support respectful and empowering care for women of all reproductive age.
