Are the implant very used over there

[Rotsne]

For some time the Contraceptive Implant has been the most used method here in Denmark when underaged girls are caught having sex with boys of their own age. There is no pregnancy for three years and all the social workers recommend this until further therapy can solve the problem if possible at all.

I bought one for my daughter too regardless of the fact that she is not on the market (There is no interest at all), but tides can turn so easy. If she does as everyone else she will be 17,5 years before the first intercourse is done (As parent I would like not to even think about that).

How used are they in the States?


http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069137/

 

[goldenguru]

I think you are referring to "Norplant" which is a contraceptive devise that is placed under the skin.

This form of BC is used in the states.

How old is your daughter?

Personally these 'long term' types of BC scare me because I think they give a false sense of safety (especially to young teen girls). Just because they are protected from pregnancy, they feel safe from much more potentially dangerous sexually transmitted diseases. I also don't like the idea of subjecting young girls to long term doses of hormones. I just don't think that there have been enough longitudinal studies to understand the effects of such treatments.

Do your homework. Read the empirical studies before placing your daughter on hormones. Then make an educated decision with your daughter.

 

[BusynMember]

I think they are common for young adults. My daughter takes it (she's 24). I'm not sure how often younger kids are given BC or what they take. I'm leery of BC too because estrogen was proven to be dangerous. We certainly don't give it to kids as a preventative (at least nobody I know). I wouldn't want to put those hormones into my kid's body unless she was going to enter a sexual relationship and nothing was going to stop her. And then I'm not sure about the long acting type...

 

[BusynMember]

I just read your post again. If your daughter isn't sexually active why put her on anything, especially if she has no boyfriend and isn't interested? Not everyone has sex at 18. Both of my sons were older than that (not that they can get pregnant...lol). I don't like the idea of putting that stuff in our bodies unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Lothlorien]

There's the Norplant and then there is an injection that I don't know the name of. The Norplant is an implantable device that has been known to break, especially in active girls. I would be cautious about using it. I didn't realize that it was still available in the states, since the injections have somewhat replaced it.

Regardless, I also would be cautious about putting a 12 year old on hormones.

 

[Fran]

Because of STD's I think there is a lot more emphasis on condoms than there was when I was a young adult/teen.
I have son's but they were encouraged to know where to purchase them and how to be prepared soon after they were 18.

If I had a daughter, I would probably encourage her to be safe before being sorry and to use birth control and a condom.
The implants are brilliant when used for someone who does not have adequate intellect or understanding to practice abstinence or birth control.

 

[hearts and roses]

Our gyno strongly disuaded difficult child from choosing the norplant. I suggested the newer IUD, but that was shot down also as they prefer to put those inside a woman who has had at least one child - something about the size and shape of the uterus.

We finally decided on the depo-provera shot every 3 months. It's been quite effective in preventing pregnancy. However, it does nothing for protection against STD's, etc. I've strongly urged both my girls to use double protection anyway - in my mind nothing is failsafe - but since I'm not in the room/car when they are in the throes of passion, I have no clue if they use a condom in addition to their other birth control.

The reason we stopped pushing the birth control pills on either daughter is because they both were constantly forgetting and had a lot of breakthrough bleeding and then there was the monthly worry that they were pregnant. easy child used the ring, also very effective.

I put difficult child on the pill before she was sexually active because I felt in my gut that the time was near. I'm glad I did because I was right and after exhastive conversations about BC, she was still so very ignorant in the ways her body worked. easy child asked to go on the pill.

I think you are wise to take precautions ahead of time if you think the time is near when your daughter will become sexually active. Preventive care is the best care. Good for you. Just do your homework about which method is best suited to her and her schedule and lifestyle.

 

[compassion]

difficult child 15 got the shot a few weeks ago. I researched a lot of the options. Stable wise, emtionally she is not anywhere reasdy for a sexual realitonship and really was sad about having to this . I do not like hormonal methods. I am sitll highly supervisng, talking,etc. Compassion

 

[compassion]

Scarlet teens is a great website on this topic and lots of info. Compassion

 

[susiestar]

Our doctor says she NEVER recommends the norplant because the risks are quite high. It is a higher level of hormone than she feels is needed and it can break, and also it has a rejection risk. all of this is straight from her mouth - I have done no verification of it.

I know the depo-provera shot can cause horrendous migraines, but does provide 3 month coverage. There are all sorts of pills that are taken daily, each made up of different amounts of hormones. Some of the pills eliminate the period, which I think many females would jump and cheer over, LOL, because it can be quite painful.

Condoms are a BIG deal here. WAAYYY back in the late 80s I did AIDS/HIV education/awareness rallies, including demos on how to properly put a condom on. We used anatomical models, cucumbers, big carrots, etc... Usually had 5 or more of us there ready to help - this was in Austin at the University of Tx. OF COURSE there were religious protestors in booths right next to us each time, but we all got along quite well, surprisingly.

We spoke to my daughter's gyn about hormones for her, not because any fear of sex, preg or disease, but because her periods are really really rough. She is not a candidate for ANY type of hormone treatment. Period. (This was even before we knew she had epilepsy, since the NO has gotten even stronger)

There are some real risks with hormones. Strokes, heart problems, and so many more. My daughter has migraines where her hands get tingly or go numb. This is called "neural involvement" according to both her docs and mine (I had it from an very early age with-my migraines also). If you have migraines with any tingling or loss of feeling in one hand then you are totally NOT a candidate for hormonal birth control.

My daughter's epilepsy would also make hormones a "no". And two negs don't make a positive, unlike in math!

With norplant and the depo shot, taking antibiotics can mean you can still get pregnant. So that can be a problem that docs overlook or forget, AND that it would be somewhat easy for a young woman to forget.

There are a LOT of risks to hormonal birth control, but there are to a lot of other things also. Do some research. LISTEN to your child. It may not be popular, but if your daughter is against the implant, I wouldn't force it. I would make sure that there were condoms in the house though, that she could get to with-o asking or explaining.

Personally, I even showed my older 2 all the "how tos" with condoms. thank you is still too young, but he will be shown too. and it IS unusual here, at least among parents I know, for a mom to do that. But I even now stick a box of condoms in my oldest son's bathroom occasionally (he lives with my parents for certain reasons, and they have no objections).

I am sorry you feel such pressure about the implant. It is a tough thing for a dad to consider.

One thing to remember is that it is entirely possible that hormonal because won't work for a woman. I could not have conceived my kids WITHOUT birth control pills. And it is not as uncommon as the pill companies want you to think.

 

[Rotsne]

Condoms are the best. No question about that. But in an environment where a kid it regarded close to be the off-spring of Bin Laden himself there is not a bottle of alcohol in the hand, the condoms can get lost or break. That's is the reality here. We are at war. Every little sign that a person is out of the ordinary means that people tend to keep distance from this individual. Within the last months she had learned how to drink wine which make her fit in, but she is still not very comfortable in the party environment.

Second, the bleedings every month are very powerful. She (the 15 year old) is almost dizy due to blood loss every month for one or two days where she can not ride a bike due to the risk of falling off. We have tried a lot of different pills without success so the reason for the implant in our case is not boys but to break the cycle. Because she was basically forced into the party environment and we were in the process of taking this option anyhow, we did it. Her mother suffered from the same for more than 20 years.

I acknowledge that I have no idea of the long-term effects of having this thing in her arm all the time, but given the various options and the fact that she can protect herself about pregnancy with this solution, we have decided to go with it until she is an adult.

 

[DDD]

GFGmom gained alot of weight when taking the pills (not daily, by the way) and with the implant. My girls who took bc pills in the 70's all did aok.

easy child/difficult child is a very popular young man and I am amazed that there has only been one pregnancy that resulted from his romances...that one terminated. The girls around here seem to be content to be known as someones "baby's Momma" in lieu of Mrs. XYZ. Even the "educated" older girls are not using any birth control other than condoms for fear of having weight gain and/or hormonal problems.

I don't get it! "Back in the day" we would have given up our bobby socks,spike heels and trips to the drive-in to have an alternative to condoms and the cloud of impending marriage over our head!!!! DDD

 

[BusynMember]

Rotse, I thought you were in Denmark. Why did you say you are at war? War with whom? I am not understanding. Is it considered terrorism not to put your 12 or 15 on birth control? I would NEVER put a 12 year old on birth control and would only consider it for a healthy 15 year old once it was established that sex was going to happen or had happened. I took the Pill and it made me sicker than a dog, so it has to have the potential to do that to kids as well. I had to be rushed to the hospital. Now, granted, I am very sensitive to medication, but I don't like younger children being on birth control. I admit I don't "get" your country's ways. Why is using a condom being a social outcast? Why do the children, as young as 12, get put on birth control pills? in my opinion, this isn't healthy nor is early drinking. Are you sure you are just not overly sensitive? Is it really true that everyone has to act the same? I remember my uncle went to Denmark once and he said he loved it more than any other country he'd been to (and he'd been everywhere). He did not seem to think everyone acted the same. It is hard to believe that all the children all have to act the same or the country's people think you are sympathetic to Bin Laden. Am I missing something...lol?

 

[totoro]

"If she does as everyone else she will be 17,5 years before the first intercourse is done"

I am sorry but I do not understand this statement? Is this also *mandatory*? Is this when most kids have intercourse? Is this some kind of *initiation* into the real world?

 

[Rotsne]

According to statistics Danes have their sexual debut around 17.5 year. It is the average. Some are older, some are younger. See: Waiting for Mr. Right

When it was discovered that a lot of girls aged 10-14 was on the pill, we all thought that we should look after our girls as never before. But the reason was that the doctors were giving pills for extreme menstruation cramps. See More kids on contraceptive pills

During the last 30 years the girl have their first period earlier. I believe that it is rather normal for the first period to happen when they are between 10 and 12, but I saw a case where the girl was 8. Our researcher believe that it is polution from the Ruhr district, which is to blame, but it is only a theory.

As for the war. We are actively a part of the war against terrorism. In a country without homeland security and no water between the terrorists the population is recruited. Everything which is out of the ordinary is avoided. It is the only way we can protect ourselves. It is almost a war of religion and if you take the cartoon war which we all support, you can see how far we are ready to go.

Youth who dont drink are avoided and are according to our police in fact responsible for a larger part of the crimes among youth than the "normal" youth. That was the reason for the family coachs concern about our oldest not being active in the party environment but the reason for the implant were the combination of her concern by being in that environment combined with the poweful bleedings.

 

[BusynMember]

Wow. I think we're in the War against Terrorism too, but I doubt most of us think about it. And our government doesn't do anything about people who are different unless there is cause. I guess I should appreciate my country more. The US very much values individualism and the right to be who you are. If you drink you drink. If you don't like to drink, you don't drink. That doesn't make one a suspicious person. And conforming isn't really seen as that great a thing unless you are talking about breaking the law, which is frowned upon. I can be pretty critical of the country, but at least our children can behave any way they like and still fit in somewhere and not be seen as a future terrorist. I doubt my kids even know who Bin Laden is...lol. I'm serious too. Neither are all that interested in world events, and terrorism doesn't seem to be a worry they have. We kind of live in a small town area. If our country is hit again, it is unlikely to be here, so, as a result, I don't think most of the people around here give it too much thought. Maybe in some parts of our country it is of great concern, but I don't think people are ostracized or seen as possible terrorists if they are just different from the norm. That just isn't the way we are.

 

[flutterbee]

Actually, I am very much aware of the War Against Terrorism. Afterall, it's the reason we have troops in Afghanistan and was the supposed reason for invading Iraq. The big difference between the US and Denmark, however, is that we have Homeland Security and an ocean between us and the terrorists. It provides much more sense of security and we become complacent. I think Danes don't have that luxury. Further, their culture is much different than ours to begin with. If I'm correct, they're culture is much more insular. I think it's important to respect members' cultural differences. You have to remember, also, that the US is a melting pot and that our culture is actually a mixture of many.

Rotsne, as far as the implant, it's not used much here, to my knowledge. It was pushed hard when it first came out about 20 years ago (gosh, has it been that long?..maybe 15 years), but there have been too many complications. The depo shot has been good for some women, but I personally would never use it. I don't like the idea of having to live with the consequences of the shot for a minimum of 3 months if you don't react to it well. But, then again, maybe the implant you are referring to is different than what we have. It's not uncommon for European countries to have medications in use for years before they are approved in the US.

 

[BusynMember]

Wyntersmom, I meant no harm. I really thought European countries were a lot like us. I knew there were differences, but not to that degree. I do think it's interesting. As for the War on Terrorism, I really don't hear it discussed much here. It wasn't even talked about much during the election. Maybe it's just our area. We lost so many jobs, that all we discussed was the economy. Many places are closing up and people are in a panic over that.
I like hearing about Denmark, but I'm really shocked at how very different it is. That doesn't mean bad. It just means different.

 

[Rotsne]

I have to admit that I also are surprised with the level of inpatient treatment and imprisonment. In our culture imprisonment is the absolutely last resort because it is costly (385 dollars per day). Next there is the recidivism rate, which is 25 percent here. We have about 1 out of 1000 people in prison. Then to my surprise I saw that the number here is 10 times higher - (Pew Report Finds More than One in 100 Adults are Behind Bars)

Instead we have a costly outpatient system. Each school down to elementary schools have their own system of psychologists and anti-bully system. When our children did start in school we didn't know what class they were in or what classmates they got before the first three months had gone because when new classes are formed, they use the first three month to fix the kids in different combinations until they get the classes that functions best both academically and socially. Every week one hour is set aside for group evaluation of the class performace and any personal issues inside the class which could influence the environment inside the class in a negative direction. I remember that my daughter were assigned "bodyguards" - two of the strongest girls when my wife was very ill. They felt that she could be an easy target for bullying when our household was marked by the illness.

As a CIO I have also ordered people home with pay if illness makes an employee perform poor. Until last month the number of unemployed people in Denmark was about 50,000 so we were ordered by the management to hold on to good employees because they could find a job as easy as nothing.

Our youth culture is different. We have no curfews, no drinking / tobacco minimum age - only purchase laws. Youth can appear before court once they turn 15, until that it is the DSS that functions as court. Alcohol is accepted and it is normal to introduce alcohol to our children as a part of the confirmation (They are aged 14-15 at this time). We have no secrets regarding alcohol consumption so we can address it if we feel it takes over their lives.

The only thing we fear is drugs, because the court system has to declare a person "permanent addict" to allow the hospitals to give them drugs free of charge. Unlike alcohol you cannot see how strong a certain drug is. They can die from one pill.

It is morning now, so I have to get to work. I will provide more info about how we are tonight.

 

[susiestar]

It is fascinating to hear how your culture functions. I think maybe your family gets more attention because you are not a native citizen, but that may just be an impression from earlier posts.

I was put on the pill at age 15 for migraines - my dad was SO embarrassed when the pharmacist started giving him all the instructions! I was home sick with a migraine, we had tried about everything available and they were certainly linked to my periods.

Many medications are different here than in other countries. My dad wanted to get some peroxide for a cut when he and my mom were in London. He had NO idea that it was very closely regulated - mostly because here it comes in a bottle for very little $$ and no one ever talks about harmful effects. It is far less diluted in London, apparently. And it is easier to get narcotic pain medications and also medications like phenergan (anti-nausea medication here - used for allergies as well in Europe).

There are just a LOT of differences between countries. Here in the US we don't have 1 single culture to follow the traditions of. We are made of so many cultures, that it is harder for us to imagine a country where people are considered "outcasts" or almost terrorists if they don't drink. But alcohol is a big deal here in the reverse.

I hope the implant has little problems for your daughter and helps regulate her cycle so that she isn't so sick. I wish we could do something for my daughter's cycle as she is about where your daughter is. But my daughter cannot have ANY hormone therapy due to other health issues. Docs say it is jsut too risky for her.