smart: Hi, I am a 22 year old virgin who's planning to lose it to my boyfriend soon. Do you think it's a smart move to start on the patch already before actually doing it?Is it smart to use a BIRTH CONTROL PATCH prior to losing virginity?Here are a few links if you'd like to learn more about the Big Announcement on Friday December 15th that, WITHOUT A DOUBT, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) causes breast cancer. Since the time when women were discouraged from taking HRT back in 2001-2002, breast cancer rates have sharply dropped by an unprecedented 7%! In the scientific community, this is a bombshell proof positive of the connection. Note that breast cancer rates originally started increasing rapidly when birth control pills and now other forms of hormonal birth control began to be widely used. Hormonal birth control methods contain the SAME hormones that are also the most widely used in HRT (estrogen and progestin). Hormonal birth control methods include; The Pill, The Mini-Pill, The Patch, some types of IUDs, Nuva Ring, Depo Shots, and Nor-Plant. Hormone levels in HRT are actually lower than levels found in hormonal birth control methods. Consider that on top of the fact that hormonal birth control methods are used by young healthy women with already normal levels of naturally occurring hormones. They鈥檙e getting MASSIVE dosages, even with the more modern low-dose pills being used. How long will we have to wait before the medical community admits to women that hormonal birth control methods are just as dangerous as HRT? I have a feeling that it will be much longer, as hormonal birth control is considered to be the "holy grail" of "women's reproductive freedom". Never mind that women are dying of breast cancer at alarmingly increasing rates since 1974, around the time when landmark cases were decided and BC pills began to be more widely used. Thirty years later, we are reaping the "benefits" of artificial hormones that are used to suppress and tinker with the natural processes of the female body. The female bodily functions of ovulation, pregnancy and menopause ARE NOT ILLNESSES. Medications should only be taken when it's absolutely necessary to prevent or cure ILLNESS, and then ONLY if the benefit outweighs the risks. If you have a medical condition that your doctor wants to treat with hormones, make sure to do YOUR research and challenge his or her opinion. Get a second or even a third opinion. Explore alternative treatments. Doctors are not infallible and in the end, only YOU can determine the best course of action with regard to your health. Only after you鈥檝e exhausted your other options, if it is apparent that hormones are the only treatment that makes sense, then by all means, DO IT. If you must practice birth control and cannot try abstinence; condoms, diaphragms, or cervical caps used correctly with plenty of spermicide gel or foam, are STATISTICALLY JUST AS EFFECTIVE as hormonal birth control. Condoms also decrease your chances of contracting an STD and they don't work by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg, like hormonal birth control does. If you are pro-life and believe that life begins at conception, this last point should be of particular interest to you. Abortifacient types of birth control also include non-hormonal types of IUDs, which work exclusively by preventing implantation of a fertilized egg鈥hey don鈥檛 even ATTEMPT to stop ovulation and subsequent fertilization鈥nd they can cause uterine perforations and other complications. Even if you DON鈥橳 have any moral objection to the abortifacient birth control methods, at least stop using hormonal birth control and IUDs for the sake of your own health! HOW HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY AND HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL METHODS HAVE NOW DEFINITELY BEEN SHOWN TO CAUSE CANCER http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/102519鈥?/a> http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/12/15/gup鈥?/a> ALTERNATIVES TO HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY http://www.womentowomen.com/bioidentical鈥?/a> http://www.power-surge.com HOW SOME TYPES OF BIRTH CONTROL CAN CAUSE ABORTION WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE, ALONG WITH INFORMATION ABOUT NON-HORMONAL BARRIER BIRTH CONTROL METHODS THAT ARE JUST AS EFFECTIVE http://abort73.com/HTML/II-D-2-types.htm鈥?/a> THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BIRTH CONTROL AND HOW IT IS ANTI-WOMAN http://www.the-edith-stein-foundation.co鈥?/a>|||It is very smart. You have to have it on for at least 1 week, before having sex, so that it has had time to be in your system. But, remember it doesn't protect against STD's, just pregnancy.Is it smart to use a BIRTH CONTROL PATCH prior to losing virginity?Yes. That is the easiest answer all day. Yes, yes, yes. Why would you start after you've lost your virginity? Be safe--get on birth control now.|||That would be a good idea,its always good to prepare and it will help regulate your period.The patch is the best! Ive been on it for 2 years and i loove it! its so simple,you dont have to worry about taking a pill every day.And it stays on even when your swimming or taking a shower.I would definetly talk to a doctor about it too.Is it smart to use a BIRTH CONTROL PATCH prior to losing virginity?if you still are a virgin.. but you do make out and he does ejaculate.. there is a chance that you get pregnant.. (although a tiny tiny number) but i know several girls who got pregnant while still virgins !! so it is smart to use birth control ALWAYS :) best of luck ;)|||DEFINITELY! However, you should use a secondary method of BC as well (condom) which will protect against pregnancy AND STDs.|||Yes, I was on the pill/patch for *years* before having sex. It helped regulate my hormones, which steadied my cycle and cleared up my acne. Personally I prefer the patch much more than the pill (which made me naseous). But, conversely, some people have a bad reaction to the hormones in the patch - if you smoke or have a family history of high blood pressure, it could be dangerous, so stick with the pill. You should DEFINITELY use a back-up method of protection, like a condom - the only thing that can absolutely guarantee you won't get pregnant is abstinence, and birth control won't protect you from any STDs your boyfriend may unwittingly be carrying. Good for you for thinking ahead!|||YES! Excellent.. I am so proud of you. Perfect example of a responsible young adult. If more people were like you the world would not be filled with such sadness when if comes to crimes against children.. Let me just say Thank you! You go.. and get u some! No worries!