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Sheba tells us how she tries not to get pregnant despite being sexually active and having multiple partners.<\/p>\n
For many women, the journey to finding the right contraceptive isn\u2019t an easy one.<\/strong><\/h2>\nToday is World Contraceptive Day. So, we spoke to Sheba, who shared her experience with choosing the right contraceptive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I started having sex, one surprising thing was how men did not like using condoms, even with the fear of HIV. One guy once told me, \u201cDoes it look like I have HIV?\u201d It reminded me of that song I heard when I was growing up: \u201cHIV no dey show for face.\u201d There\u2019s a lot of stigma associated with being HIV-positive, and one of them is that people look sickly, but an HIV-positive person can look fat and robust. Another excuse I heard from men who did want to use condoms was \u201cI\u2019ve been tested before\u201d or that sex is better raw. I try not to fall for those things, but I have fallen once or twice.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cBut even when men use condoms, I still take the pill\u2014call it two-factor authentication\u2014in case the condom bursts or something. The responsibility of pregnancy and childcare will fall on me not him and if he doesn\u2019t like me enough for a relationship, having his child will be a mistake. I knew that I didn\u2019t want to get pregnant out of wedlock and that I didn\u2019t want to have to have an abortion, so I knew I couldn\u2019t be reckless with sex. The problem was finding the right contraceptive. I didn\u2019t want an IUD. I heard stories about how painful it is to insert, how it hurts even after insertion, and how it causes crazy mood swings. I didn\u2019t want to take the birth control pill every day; it leads to water weight, and I didn\u2019t want to look bloated. I soon realized that every contraceptive method has its<\/em>\u00a0disadvantages and advantages.\u00a0The only safe way not to get pregnant is not to have sex.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI usually use the morning-after pill after sex because it\u2019s quite effective, though it ruins my menstrual circle. When I use it, my period is a week late or even more and that makes me worried that I have gotten pregnant.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAnother thing that happens when I use the pill is that there is a lot of blood, and my flow is usually so heavy that I have to change my pad three times a day. There are times when I have a period twice a month.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cFor me, the positives of using the morning pill are that it reduces menstrual cramps and doesn\u2019t mess with my hormones or body by making me gain weight.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI have heard about women who used the pill and still got pregnant, so I am still scared whenever I have unprotected sex and use the morning-after pill. Contraceptives are not entirely foolproof; I just take the gamble and hope it pays off, though it won\u2019t protect me from sexually transmitted infections.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cBut even when men use condoms, I still take the pill\u2014call it two-factor authentication\u2014in case the condom bursts or something. The responsibility of pregnancy and childcare will fall on me not him and if he doesn\u2019t like me enough for a relationship, having his child will be a mistake. I knew that I didn\u2019t want to get pregnant out of wedlock and that I didn\u2019t want to have to have an abortion, so I knew I couldn\u2019t be reckless with sex. The problem was finding the right contraceptive. I didn\u2019t want an IUD. I heard stories about how painful it is to insert, how it hurts even after insertion, and how it causes crazy mood swings. I didn\u2019t want to take the birth control pill every day; it leads to water weight, and I didn\u2019t want to look bloated. I soon realized that every contraceptive method has its<\/em>\u00a0disadvantages and advantages.\u00a0The only safe way not to get pregnant is not to have sex.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI usually use the morning-after pill after sex because it\u2019s quite effective, though it ruins my menstrual circle. When I use it, my period is a week late or even more and that makes me worried that I have gotten pregnant.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnother thing that happens when I use the pill is that there is a lot of blood, and my flow is usually so heavy that I have to change my pad three times a day. There are times when I have a period twice a month.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFor me, the positives of using the morning pill are that it reduces menstrual cramps and doesn\u2019t mess with my hormones or body by making me gain weight.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI have heard about women who used the pill and still got pregnant, so I am still scared whenever I have unprotected sex and use the morning-after pill. Contraceptives are not entirely foolproof; I just take the gamble and hope it pays off, though it won\u2019t protect me from sexually transmitted infections.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n