A community for childfree people to discuss the issues of being and staying childfree
How do you stay childfree?
A thread to share your experiences with the various methods for not getting pregnant and not causing pregnancy - whether that's pills, surgeries, not having the types of sex that can lead to pregnancy, however you do it let us know how it works for you!




(32 year old cis woman)
I have been on the pill - specifically Microgynon, a combined pill - since 2011 when I met my current partner (they were my first sexual partner).
My partner and I don't use condoms, and have had no scares so I'd say it works pretty well for me - I've also had no bad side effects, just less periods (I run about 3 packs together before a break). I possibly suffer from a reduced libido, but as my current partner was my first sexual partner I've not had the experience of being off the pill and having regular sex so I may just naturally have a low libido - hard to say and I'm obviously not keen to experiment with time off the pill!
I'm certainly tempted by more permanent methods like tubal ligation - but I also would want to have no periods as well so that would mean combining that with something like an endometrial ablation as staying on the pill would be pointless apart from the nice side effect of no/fewer periods!
I'm so glad I'm not the only one hesitating on something more permanent for period convenience reasons!
I remember seeing an article about Holly Brockwell's sterilisation surgery and the editor or someone had put this weird chart at the bottom with pros and cons of tubal ligation and one of the pros was "doesn't effect period" and I was like, really is that a pro? Similar to the fact that pills are set up with 3 weeks on, 1 week off by standard because they thought people would still like their period frequently - it's a bizarre concept to me!
I've always thought the only "pro" about having a period is knowing your birth control is working. So keeping it around once you're sterile? Whyyyyy?
I reckon that since no contraceptive method is always absolutely 100% efficient, having regular periods is one way of checking for sure that you're not pregnant.
Other than that - although the effects vary by person so nothing guaranteed - I'd recommend the hormonal implant, if you've nothing against hormonal contraception. In my experience, it tends to do away with most people's periods.
Being gay helps. Um, a lot.
Pretty effective I'd guess :)
Yeah, I was about to say! I'm bisexual, not gay, but my current partner--for fifteen years--is a fellow woman, so yeah, that helps a lot. ;)
I mean, where to begin. I'm on the pill, but that's for my PCOS. Between that and another health condition, I understand it would likely be very difficult for me to conceive. But that's not really an issue lately in my life. I identify as gray asexual (among other things) and have been abstinent for the last 6 years. So unless someone, like, leaves a baby on my doorstep, I'm not really in danger of unexpected children ;)
This late in life (I'm 50) both hubs and I have a low libido and I'm on the pill, just in case. Doc has suggested I may be menopausal and only way to know is to stop taking the pill. So. We'll see.
i'm fixed
30 something. Usually on the pill but currently off it to sort out some medical crap so we're using condoms.
Considering a long term surgical solution on either myself or my partner.
No babies for me!
I haven't had sex in 7 years, sooo...
Thirty-mumble-something, and I'm on the pill now but recently had Mirena (iud) and before that had Implanon (the implant that goes in your arm). Have been contemplating Essure or the like lately. If anyone's had it done, I'd appreciate hearing about it.
Probs going to be TMI sooner or later, just so you know. ((have some wine with me))
I'd love to get Essure or a similar procedure done (sterilisation), but alas, national legislation says I must either have three underage children or be 30 years of age, or other complicated situations that require several doctors' statements for verification. (I kid you not, pun very much intended. FInland can fuck right off.)
Actually, I've a phobia of being pregnant. It's bad enough that when there was an Accident with a rubber once, it took two pregnancy tests and two periods to convince myself that I was not preggers, even though the chances were very small.
You know Alien? Think Alien. It's that bad.
For the past five years or so, I've used the Nexplanon (formerly Implanon) contraceptive implant, and it's worked wonderfully for me. My periods are either regular and light, or non-existent, as they mostly are. Before they were highly irregular, painful and heavy, but the pain's mostly gone as well. I haven't really gained weight or got spots or anything like that either.
By the way; they had me on a mini-pill with the same hormone before the implant for three months to see if it was suitable and, let me tell you, the effects were way different. There was spotting all the time, my migraines got more frequent and my mood swings were something awful. Then I switched to the implant and BLAM, from regular to no period, no migraines whatsoever, and very mild mood swings pre-period.
I'm also queer (think homoromantic and demisexual, or something like that) with a tendency for drunken heterosexual one-night-stands because I enjoy that kind of sex, too. Having the implant has worked wonders for my phobia and enjoyment in that aspect.
It's so great to see someone else with a phobia of pregnancy! I've got that, one of childbirth, and another of having responsibility for a tiny human that can't communicate effectively on top of asexuality, and it's often a chicken and egg problem to figure out my life