Expert: Diane Cheryl - 11/4/2007

Question
I just turned seventeen last week but I've been weighing the options of birth control for several months. I am sexually active and in long term relationship... We both want children but certainly not now.

The problem is I am terrified of gaining weight, as I'm recovering from an eating disorder, and also, my parents wont let me get a job so I have no money and i'm not willing to leg my boyfriend dish out 30 bucks a month.

Is there a certain brand or type of birth control that you can reccommend to me? I want one that is cheap but doesn't cause much change in my personality or weight.

Thank You!

Answer
Hi Jessica,

Thanks for your question and please know that I am not a medical professional. I always recommend consulting your own personal physician about this and any health questions.
In my opinion, any kind of hormonal birth control method could have side effects and would affect your health. As I said, your physician would know about your eating disorder and how that would affect your health and birth control. No method of birth control is 100% safe from pregnancy so if you are sexually active, there is always the risk of becoming pregnant. I recommend condoms, Natural Family planning or abstinence. Only abstinence is 100% worry-free from pregnancy. Condoms and Natural Family planning or any hormonal method could have a small percentage of pregnancy risk. Non-hormonal methods are the only methods that wouldn't cause change in personality or weight gain (in my opinion). If you want to email me at DCHERYL51@yahoo.com we could talk more.

Sincerely,
Diane Cheryl