Recently, I wanted to make a simple change to my birth control pill. So, I called my OBGYN office to request the change. The problem is that I wanted to change to a pill I haven't tried before, but they insisted that I make an appointment before they prescribe something different. They seem to be taking appropriate precautions by asking me to make an appointment, but let's analyze the process a little.

I'm 30 years old. I have been taking birth control pills for 15 years now. Some new pills have come out, but not a whole lot has changed. The informational packets are always on the websites exactly as they are appear in print for the doctors and patients once they are prescribed, and seem to be informative enough for me to decide what pill I'd like to take.

I also have other insider knowledge about my body that the nurses and doctors do not have. I know that some pills make me cry a lot, some cause me to grow too much hair in the wrong places, some interfere with sex drive, and so on. I recently found a website that discusses the differences between the types of hormones in the pills.

http://www.wdxcyber.com/ncontr13.htm

In this website there is excellent advice on what pills would best suit you based on the types of side-effects you usually get. For instance, it suggests that for acne, the basic principle to go by is to get a pill that is generally higher in estrogen, and lower in androgen potency. (Read the website for specifics on what that means.) After it states the basic principle, it gives the types of pills that have that makeup. They suggest Yasmin, Demulen 1/50mg, Ortho-Tri Cyclen, etc. This is excellent information!

How does this differ from the process that my nurse practioner or doctor will use to decide which pill is best for me? This one is better! Why? Because I can compare the side-effects that are most important to me. At the doctor's office you are usually rushed in and out, and you are left with a guess on what pill would be best. They say it's "trial and error" when choosing a pill. Wouldn't a great educated guess be the best "trial."

After all of the research I did, I decided on a pill that looked like the best for me. I read the packet insert from their website, and I wanted to call in my prescription. Instead, I'm waiting a month for my next appointment and I'm on a pill previously prescribed to me using random choice for another month. Is this good healthcare?

Who owns my vagina? Who says what birth control I take? Who says when and whether I want an exam every year. I should have a choice. It is my body after all.

When the medical community says something is "highly recommended" it often turns into mandatory. If you want birth control options, you need an annual exam. As adults we should have choices, though. Instead we're being treated as if we do not know about our own reproductive health. We are often ordered to proceed in a certain way that takes away our rights and ends up feeling very invasive.

I'm not saying that healthcare is useless. It's great that annual exams catch most vaginal cancers. It's great that they can give one a diagnosis on green discharge, itch, and foul odor.

It is not great that we must make an appointment, and take time out of our busy days for a simple prescripton change. They shoudl take the co-pay if that's the issue, but just give the prescription as needed!