[goottastic]

I recently turned 18 and my mother brought up the question of whether I wanted to get on birth control. I know very little about the subject though. My boyfriend and I have been together three and a half years and been sexually active for about a year. We have always used condoms so I'm a little nervous about switching I guess. I've also heard rumors that birth control can make my boyfriend and I less attracted to each other? So I guess my question is more of me just asking for more information. Thanks.

[Gernald]

The use of birth control is ultimately up to you. But getting the facts straight before you make a decision either way is a good idea.

First off birth control won't change how much you're attracted to a person, so much that you totally hate each other and no longer want to have sex. There are some studies that suggest that the pills make you attracted to 'more feminine' men, but like I said I don't think you'll have to worry too much about that- it's possible, but not likely to affect you too much.

Second, the only thing it will protect you from is getting pregnant, but it will probably do a bit of a better job than condoms as a condom can break. Using condoms is still a good idea, because you're still susceptible to STD's and other things like that.

Finally, some women do experience symptoms from their birth control pills/injections namely weight gain, sore breasts, mood changes, and menstruation symptoms.

I hope this answers some of your questions, if you have any more please feel free to ask!