I've been on pretty much every pill there is, with varying success. If you can't remember to take a pill every day, your choices are:
1. Barrier methods- you have to think about this every time you have sex, but they're pretty reliable methods that don't really have side effects.
2. Nuvaring- a lot of my friends have had success with this. I haven't heard too many bad things about it.
3. Ortho Evra Patch- I've heard talk of this having much higher levels of hormones than they report. There's some talk of it causing some pretty bad health effects.
4. Depo Provera shot- last 3 months. I don't know a lot about this one.
5. Implanon- Tiny rod implanted into your arm that releases hormones. Lasts 4 (?) years.
6. Paraguard IUD- lasts 10 years, VERY reliable. Can be painful to insert and can cause heavier periods and cramping.
7. Mirena IUD- lasts 5 years, has a low level of hormones, VERY reliable. Can be painful to insert. I'm getting one in a few weeks. I'm 21, no children and my OBGYN had no reservations about giving me one. I'm excited about it because the low level of hormones means that (hopefully) my endometriosis will be under control still, but my sex drive should return.

Ultimately, you should talk to your doctor. Your body chemistry HUGELY affects how your respond to anything hormonal.

I have the Mirena and LOVE it. My periods have stopped completely and I don't have to remember to take a pill every day.

There is an IUD community on LiveJournal called IUD_Divas. I really recommend checking it out and hearing the stories of the divas there. They don't hold back about the good or the bad points about having an IUD. Plus, they're full of information and ways to broach IUD's with doctors and finding resources for a lot of women.

My advice is to gather as much information about IUD's as possible, make the decision, then talk to a doctor very frankly about what you would like. IUD's are one of the places that some doctors are way behind on the current research, so you really need to be able to advocate for yourself.

Good luck!

I was on the NuvaRing for a while because I knew if I went on the pill I was going to miss a lot. It worked fine for me, although I've heard other people report unpleasant side effects. It's a wonderfully low-maintenance BC method, but it is more expensive than the pill--my insurance barely covered it and I went off it after it hit something to the tune of $65 a month.

Hey FerrahsFacets. There are several community posts just from the last few months alone with folks sharing their experiences with different forms of birth control. Do a search for "birth control," "IUDs" etc to read through lots of helpful comments.

I would caution you though not to make your decision based on these alone. Some folks have negative experiences and attribute them to their birth control when the bc wasn't a contributing factor at all (ie they attribute their weight gain, change in skin condition, change in mood etc to the form of bc when there's no way to know for sure).

Get different folks' stories, talk to your doctor, and don't be afraid to try several different things until you find what works for YOU. Different women have different experiences, and what's right for someone might not be right for you.

Also, if a form of bc isn't working out right away, stick to it for a couple months before giving it up. You might find that you get better at remembering to take the pill, or that negative side effects wear off after the first few months.

Good luck! :)

I had the Mirena, and while it was the easiest method ever (I didn't have to do ANYTHING! It just WORKED!) I had it taken out after a year. It lengthened my cycle but didn't really lessen it like the pill does, and I had weird sexual side effects which aren't even mentioned in the literature. Basically, even though the hormone levels are super low, it is a hormonal method just like the pill, and women react differently to each pill, sometimes well and sometimes disasterously. Do wait out the first 3 or 4 months though, as those may be bad but settle out.

Implanon and the shot are similar: both hormonal, beloved by some women, hated by others. The implanon can at least, like the IUD, be taken out as soon as you can get an appointment to do so, if you so decide. The shot, however... if it disagrees with you, you are stuck with the symptoms till it expires in your system three months later. That said, many, many women are on Depo and love, love, love it. Lots get no period at all and have no side effects, but some have lots of or irregular bleeding, or some weight gain... which actually goes for all the hormonal methods, anyway.

Good luck! And the NYT says the withdrawal method isn't that bad, statistically, anyway; don't feel bad! Lots of women use it, and it can actually be as effective as condoms if used scrupulously.

hey. I think you really should go speak to your gyno. He or she could be able to tell you what the best method would be with your medical background. If you and your partner are sure you don't ever want children the best option would to either have your husband go and get a vasectomy or you to get a tubal ligation. Otherwise just as a general thing the nuvaring is the best thing since sliced bread. And don't forget about condoms, they are always safe and relaible, with no side effects either, and they have the added benefit of keeping both of you from getting std's

ive had a mirena iud and i am so in love with it. ive joked to my fiance that i may leave him for it, i love it that much. its worry-free and totally idiot proof because you never have to do anything - its just hanging out in your uterus. the insertion felt like a sharp but quick period cramp - just one cramp and it was over. i havent had a period since, just some mild spotting once in a while.

you shouldnt have a problem getting one since you fulfill one of the two common requirements: you are married or are in a very long-term committed relationship. the other common requirement is that you have had a child, but the notion that a mirena will not fit in you if you have never had a child is outdated and plain old incorrect. im proof. *waves* if a doctor tells you this, find a new doctor because the one you have if horribly misinformed and outdated.

as a side note, the pull-out method, when done correctly, IS an effective method of birth control. i believe the effectiveness rate is somewhere between a low 70% to a mid 80% range. it is not a method many women, including myself, would necessarily want to solely rely on, but it is a real method.
here in a link to an article about a recent study that suggests that pulling out works better than once thought. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Economy/story?id=7688558&page=1

Before you talk to your gyn, make sure they're as pro-choice as they come - GWB's HHS regulations allowing GYNs to refuse to give information on methods they find distasteful are still in effect, so you can't trust anything out of a GYN's mouth unless they're pro-choice. Personally, I switched my GYN care to my local Planned Parenthood, and now I am confident that the information I'm getting is medically accurate, reliable and complete. I'm not trying to call GYN's out to the carpet or anything, but just be careful about who you're getting your information from, because it's easy to run scare campaigns and leave out important options about contraception, and nothing is more important than being able to avoid unwanted pregnancies!