Intro to Herbal Birth Control & Missing Period Inducers

I’ve been meaning to work on this post for quite some time.

The “ladies only” link in the sidebar doesn’t bar men from clicking, of course, it just seems to concern a woman’s body more than a man’s. the options are also more limited for men. anyhow, that link sends you to Sister Zeus’

Living with Our Fertility
A Women’s Guide to Synergistic Fertility Management

which is packed full of information on women’s reproductive health, and alternative methods of birth control and options when menstruation is late or absent. We don’t have to be controlled by our bodies if we’re knowledgeable.

For any one wanting something easy, there is always the option of polyurethane condoms, without spermacides. They are significantly thinner than latex condoms, and of course you don’t have to worry about adverse reactions to latex. I’m a super-sensitive (MCS) and the worst trouble I’ve experienced with these is the need of some extra lubrication after a while. I recommend these for the masses only because of wide-spread availability, social/cultural acceptance, and simplicity. When you get into herbal contraceptives and other alternative methods, you’ve got to understand what you’re doing. Unfortunately not every person out there may be willing to take the time to learn. So go for this condom at least. (Sheepskin condoms would probably be fine as well, I personally am a bit repulsed by the idea. I’m vegetarian. I can’t get past the dead sheep part. Not exactly what I want to be thinking about during sex.)

Spermacides, particularly those containing nonexynol-9 (N-9) which is the most common, cause irritation, and can even break the mucus and/or skin layer in the genital track. Not very pleasant, especially since it increases the risk of contracting HIV and other STDs. Even better, eh? Not really the kind of chemicals I want to be inserting into my body on a common basis. Remember too that though many spermacides have been around for decades, the standards for FDA approval were even less than today’s….and personally, I wouldn’t trust any FDA approval as far as I could throw it, and I suck at pitching!

I myself have used a few methods of herbal birth control. My best success had been with a combination of pennyroyal and blue cohosh root teas. I have successfully turned positive pregnancy tests with very early pregnancy symptoms into periods on two occasions. I was unsuccessful one time before those, simply because I mistook pregnancy pangs and other signs as pre-menstrual. Don’t be fooled yourself, the signs can be deceptively similar. Of course, that was the first time I was pregnant enough to be noticed (you never know when something aborts itself almost immediately!), and had I begun the teas on time instead of 5 days late, I wouldn’t have had to go the surgical route. But, you live and learn.

The most important thing to remember (besides researching before you try anything) when deciding to go the alternative/herbal birth control route is:

=TIMING IS EVERYTHING=

In order to avoid a horrendously long post, which happens on occasion when I am trying to aid in the dissemination (haha) of information, I will be dividing this topic into multiple posts, linked below:

• Some easy (but maybe not so tasty) HERBAL BIRTH CONTROL RECIPES
• Other types of HERBAL & ALTERNATIVE BIRTH CONTROL METHODS
• And WHY I’D LIKE SOME MORE INFO ON NEEM

I also don’t have a completely negative view of the Plan B/Morning After/etc pill. Basically this is just a higher dosage of the commonly used Pill and is highly effective when used within 12-24 hours after a condom breaks or you miscalculated your cycle or you want extra assurance or whatever reason….I don’t recommend long-term use of any sort of drug/chemical (this includes cleaners, perFUMES, etc), but if absolutely necessary, Plan B is a lot cheaper than having to go the surgical route—and a lot less painful. The PILL however, is a long-term steady alteration of your body’s natural cycles and hormonal levels, which I feel will have far-reaching negative consequences on your health. I would liken the Pill to a chronic illness, while Plan B would be an acute and soon to be recovered from illness.

Please refer to my disclaimer and remember that nothing here is intended as any sort of health advice—please see your doctor for any health concerns or decisions, etc blah-blah-blah.