Plausible Birth Control

[Euphony]

Note *I will try to update formatting as multiple posters have suggested it (Im off to bed now, apologies) . Content will remain the same. If you are brave enough to wade through it, thanks so much! If not, completely understandable. Hopefully you'll revisit later.*

Quite simply my sexually active years are completely within the AIDS era so condoms and then b.c. pills when monogamy graced my life. I (and anyone I could easily speak with) have the same usuals.

Story arc requires b.c. and I think I have some specific "would like to have" traits if the realities of said b.c. match up to real life. Heres a rundown. Any thoughts, ideas, comments are welcomed and most appreciated.

Rough time period: Early to mid 90s

Partners: May - December Romance -Ive not dialed in ages but 20ish (generation or so) apart seems logical. I suppose this would have my heroine
Born: 1950 - 1955
Sexually Active: Mid to late Sixties onward.

Im more "food for thoughting" out loud here. Im not trying to tie into the time period to her coming of age. Well, only so much as if that means it more likely/less likely shed chose one b.c. method over another. Theres 30 years of b.c. innovation shes lived through but if you think it more likely shes loyal to a certain method do let me know (and if you can explain why so, Ill love you even more.)

Framework so far:
- Not concerning myself with STDs here. Pregnancy prevention, thats it.

- Condoms out : reason above & shows more preparedness on at least one participants part than I want

- B.C. pill - Didnt like it because shes a widow/divorcee who has no reasonable need for it ( I toyed with hormonal balances or period regularity and while I could do it, Im not in the mood for salesmanship (well, anymore than neccessairy) Also, IIRC theres a bit of a "use other methods" period before relying on it solely.

- Not a popularity contest - Esoteric is fine so long as its understandable to the masses. I considered the Todays Sponge but while I know it was around still, Im not sure I understand trends enough to determine if a then 45 year old would be its target consumer or younger women. Also, it feels semi-condomish to me in that I feel its a tough sell as a "holdover" from sexually active days long passed.

I thought cervical cap or perhaps diaphragm but re: Planned Parenthood these are "up to two years" usable life devices. Anyone knowledgeable enough to explain its use life? (questions I worried I may not know the answer to but could break the "realism" glass wall

Is the two years based on use frequency?
Does the womans body change (as we all do) with time and need a refitting?
Is this even common knowledge? ( I guess its more the believability of a woman using a 4-5 year old device (in haste mind you, so we'll call her "semi-wreckless" here)

Any other things I havent thought of? (Im truly open to all ideas) Most other methods that I know of/researched all seemed to have the same issues to me.

Geared towards currently sexually active women (shots, bc pills, IUD, Vaginal Rings (I feel like those werent in the time period either)

I know this all may seem research heavy but I get thrown out of stories when a hint of unreality comes around. Its a personal failure, I know but as a long time sufferer I understand how hard it is to "let it go" so I try not to force it on my fellow readers unless theres just no other way around or Im clueless.

Thanks so much for any thoughts. Dont feel the need to stick to a question equals an answer pattern. If you feel like riffing something sort of on the periphery, please do.

Thanks again all. Euph

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

My head hurts from reading your post. I thought maybe Rainman made the post.

Shitcan the PC orthodoxy and write about experience/feelings/outcomes.

 

[Euphony]

More thinking, more questions

More *things I need to consider* (so hopefully the kind souls helping me will do so too)

Whatever method chosen would have to logically be on the market for the span of the 5 years I think (if the sex takes place in 1995 she cant have a cervical cap she got when she was last active in 1990 if they werent around to be had)

The cap/diaphragm ideas all require a spermicide correct? Being drugs essentially, they are going to have expiration dates and probably of a short-ish term right?

So much to consider. If she were barren it be so lovely but what a cruel fate to inflict on her for my own selfish needs.

*Any and all thoughts on the matter welcomed. Also, where your "glass wall of believability" breaks would be most helpful too.

 

[Euphony]

My head hurts from reading your post. I thought maybe Rainman made the post.

Shitcan the PC orthodoxy and write about experience/feelings/outcomes.

Done, done, and done. Thanks


Experience = JBJ has some wonderfully insightful post occasionally but more typically says things of little to no value to me.

Feelings = I feel that he doesn't read most post so much as skim them to find his agenda/jumpmg off point then goes full bore into JBJ-mode (patent pending)

Outcome = Added to my ignore list. Its better for us both.

 

[NaokoSmith]

I also find it a bit difficult to read your post.

However, here are my thoughts on the cap.

It does need spermicide. Two years, forget it. In a short period the thing becomes so stinky and disgusting that you want to barf when you have to pick it up to put it in.

It comes in a very boring plastic box, not a bit sexy.

It has a hard springy metal ring around it which is quite tough to hold and spring into place, you're always worrying you'll let go at the wrong moment and go: "Ouch!" as it boings about your sensitive bits.

Yuck yuck, so unsexy it's unbelievable.

You could use the coil. This is fitted by some GP and there are a couple of kinds, I forget the details but you could google. Apparently there's a small string dangles down from them so they can be extracted after the requisite time period or if no longer needed. This occasionally tangles round the man's dingly dangly causing excruciating pain . I have a friend who swears by the coil but I did think the tangly dangly string was a bit alarming myself.

I swear by condoms of course (see my thread, LOL).

 

[Euphony]

I also find it a bit difficult to read your post.

Thanks for the heads up. I need to work on the formatting apparently. I was trying to rush the thoughts out before I lost them. Got hasty and its the wee hours so Im not at my finest.

Thanks for the knowledge. Helpful.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Done, done, and done. Thanks


Experience = JBJ has some wonderfully insightful post occasionally but more typically says things of little to no value to me.

Feelings = I feel that he doesn't read most post so much as skim them to find his agenda/jumpmg off point then goes full bore into JBJ-mode (patent pending)

Outcome = Added to my ignore list. Its better for us both.

Your post made me think of Rainman obsessing about his K-Mart briefs.

Feelings are these: mad, sad, glad, afraid, tired, sleepy, horny, hungry, thirsty, pain
I FEEL THAT HE DOESNT READ etc isn't a feeling, its a thought.

Prospectors don't look at the dirt in their pans, they look for whats bright and shiny.

 

[xelliebabex]

You could use the coil. This is fitted by some GP and there are a couple of kinds, I forget the details but you could google. Apparently there's a small string dangles down from them so they can be extracted after the requisite time period or if no longer needed. This occasionally tangles round the man's dingly dangly causing excruciating pain . I have a friend who swears by the coil but I did think the tangly dangly string was a bit alarming myself.

I swear by condoms of course (see my thread, LOL).

I have a friend who swore by th e coil until it was time to have it replaced and they couldn't get it out. She has to go under a general to remove it before it does her harm

I am a big fan of Implanon, the rods in arm that last 3 years. works for me so far. But of course with anything relatively new long term studies are still out.

I have friends who have the 3 monthly injections... depo pravera... and love it!

Not everything has to be inserted, pills needles or rods are all viable options these days.

Having said that I wrote a story recently in an Post apocalyptic style where i used a douche after sex as their only way to minimize risk, (no condoms or anything else available of course) and got a commenter giving a sex ed class at the end of my story....

I am happy enough to leave it there for unwitting young ones who don't understand that is not a form of contraception but i feel the commenter missed the whole setting of the story.

Each to their own and you can never make everyone happy Trying to do so will just make you crazy!

 

[lovecraft68]

I think the next wave of story lines will not even feature sex at all.

What better birth control than celibacy?

We can write about intimate handshakes and risque stares.

I'm sorry, but A all this time you're trying to make your tale realistic could have been spent writing and B.

This is a damn erotica/porn site. Jeez is it getting so impossible for people to check real life at the door anywhere?

Tell you what, post this on facebook and you'll get a thousand answers.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I think the next wave of story lines will not even feature sex at all.

What better birth control than celibacy?

We can write about intimate handshakes and risque stares.

I'm sorry, but A all this time you're trying to make your tale realistic could have been spent writing and B.

This is a damn erotica/porn site. Jeez is it getting so impossible for people to check real life at the door anywhere?

Tell you what, post this on facebook and you'll get a thousand answers.

LIT writers are obsessed with avoiding criticism. Reminds me of Soviet literature of the 30s. Comrade Stalin murdered writers whose stories he approved for publication! No one ever accused him of being rigid and stubborn.

 

[lovecraft68]

LIT writers are obsessed with avoiding criticism. Reminds me of Soviet literature of the 30s. Comrade Stalin murdered writers whose stories he approved for publication! No one ever accused him of being rigid and stubborn.

I do like to add a degree of realism in my work. I like to revolve my stories around real life situations and reactions.

But....we are writing fiction which means at some point it is not just okay, but expected to deviate from reality or its simply not fiction anymore.

Sorry, but this new wave of safe erotica is annoying.

I watched a porn the other day that was two girls getting ready to go down on a guy. They put a condom on him to give him a blow job. Are you kidding?

I used to feel porn was one of the last genres safe from Political correctness, but the herd has now infiltrated it as well.

 

[SkylarFalling]

I'm not sure if this helps, but even a widow could have a plausible reaosn to be on the pill, eg a medical one. Stuff like this: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/features/other-reasons-to-take-the-pill

My sister and I took them from relatively early to control acne, for lots of women it does wonders for period pains/ridiculous heavy periods.

But if you use that you would then have to consider whether or not you really want to explain all that.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I do like to add a degree of realism in my work. I like to revolve my stories around real life situations and reactions.

But....we are writing fiction which means at some point it is not just okay, but expected to deviate from reality or its simply not fiction anymore.

Sorry, but this new wave of safe erotica is annoying.

I watched a porn the other day that was two girls getting ready to go down on a guy. They put a condom on him to give him a blow job. Are you kidding?

I used to feel porn was one of the last genres safe from Political correctness, but the herd has now infiltrated it as well.

If you think too much about how to ride your bicycle you cant do it. And the obsession part is little more than identifying your critics as your target audience.

I'd handle the birth control thang the way a girl handled it with me, she handed me a condom and said, I GOT ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITHOUT LOOKING FOR MORE, DO ME A FAVOR, PLEASE? I didn't need a sex ed film from the health dept.

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm not sure if this helps, but even a widow could have a plausible reaosn to be on the pill, eg a medical one. Stuff like this: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/features/other-reasons-to-take-the-pill

My sister and I took them from relatively early to control acne, for lots of women it does wonders for period pains/ridiculous heavy periods.

But if you use that you would then have to consider whether or not you really want to explain all that.

Good point. One of my daughters had to be put on the pill at 12 because she would have three periods in one month then miss a month.

Good point about explaining things like this. The anal under age rule may not even allow you to say "I started taking the pill at 14"

 

[SkylarFalling]

Say she'd been on the pill since her supposed teenage-acne never cleared up, as happens to some unfortunate souls.

 

[damppanties]

I'm not sure if this helps, but even a widow could have a plausible reaosn to be on the pill, eg a medical one. Stuff like this: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/features/other-reasons-to-take-the-pill

My sister and I took them from relatively early to control acne, for lots of women it does wonders for period pains/ridiculous heavy periods.

But if you use that you would then have to consider whether or not you really want to explain all that.

Isn't this well-known enough to mention it and leave it at that without explanation?

Good point. One of my daughters had to be put on the pill at 12 because she would have three periods in one month then miss a month.

Good point about explaining things like this. The anal under age rule may not even allow you to say "I started taking the pill at 14"

Really, LC? Taking the pill at 14 has nothing to do with underage sex in this case so why would it interfere with the rule?

 

[SkylarFalling]

I think it is definitely workable. It's a problem with the audience if they can't possibly stretch their minds enough to find a plausible reason for a widow to be on the pill. Are you allowed to just leave stuff like that to the readers? Dunno if that is considered to be bad writing.

 

[lovecraft68]

Isn't this well-known enough to mention it and leave it at that without explanation?


Really, LC? Taking the pill at 14 has nothing to do with underage sex in this case so why would it interfere with the rule?

Note that I said "Anal" when I mentioned the rule. The word/# 14 alone can get a story rejected. Remember, the one editor here barely skims each story.

I had one rejected because the second paragraph started with, "Back when I was sixteen, I used to have horrific nightmares..."

Rejected.

So, um, yeah...really.

 

[lovecraft68]

I think it is definitely workable. It's a problem with the audience if they can't possibly stretch their minds enough to find a plausible reason for a widow to be on the pill. Are you allowed to just leave stuff like that to the readers? Dunno if that is considered to be bad writing.

Honestly? I think you make a great point here. I don't think there needs to be a long winded detailed explanation here.

She's on BC, end of discussion, now let's get to the actual story.

Less is more, especially with tedious real life details like that.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Note that I said "Anal" when I mentioned the rule. The word/# 14 alone can get a story rejected. Remember, the one editor here barely skims each story.

I had one rejected because the second paragraph started with, "Back when I was sixteen, I used to have horrific nightmares..."

Rejected.

So, um, yeah...really.

I'm tempted to pull a Clive Barker, have an old marble monument come to life in a story. A 2000 year old sculpture of a teen goddess. Laurels head will spin around on her shoulders...IS IT HUMAN? IS IT A KID? IS IT A GIRL? IS IT ART?

 

[lovecraft68]

I'm tempted to pull a Clive Barker, have an old marble monument come to life in a story. A 2000 year old sculpture of a teen goddess. Laurels head will spin around on her shoulders...IS IT HUMAN? IS IT A KID? IS IT A GIRL? IS IT ART?

As you go along you will realize that "non human" is an end around for not only bestiality, but generally under age as well.

 

[MichaelWest]

Realistic details help ground the more fantastic fictional bits. Ian Fleming peppered his writing with real products and details because his story was pure fantasy. But that is not to say the product chosen needs to be more than plausible. For example, he had a villain driving a purple Bentley, a rare color but a real car.

It sounds like the woman here is about 40 and a widow yet needs for purposes of the story to be on some form of birth control. If she has not had children, and not had reason to have surgical means or parts removed, or medical reasons to be on a daily or renewable medication, then I would think an IUD is the best chose. Although becoming popular after 2000 or so, product wise they go back into the 1950s and are plausible as early as the 1990s as you demand. Since they last for years and are relatively forgettable, it is plausible to have had one inserted, become a widow and simply neglect to have it removed.

Ultimately it is your story, I suggest you write what sounds plausible to you. Explain the details if you must, it might add realism and richness to the story. Make the birth control choice part of the character's development, it reveals the inner workings of the character. Is it sexy? Maybe not, but this is erotica, you are still allowed to tell real stories with less than sexy parts. Your readership doesn't own your story, you do, tell it, let the chips fall where they may. That is at least two-pence worth.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

As you go along you will realize that "non human" is an end around for not only bestiality, but generally under age as well.

I dunno. It all puzzles me. I mean, murder is serious bizness most places but OK to write about. Teen sex is common the world over, not so serious as murder but prison bait. And all of it is fiction!

 

[JackLuis]

Give her an IUD and let'r rip!

Unless your writing a sex manual, don't explain, don't whine, just let the poor woman fuck SOMBODY!

Sorry I'm still obsessing about Roberta's mom, poor woman's a widow these last three years and her cucumbers are just not doing it for her anymore.

 

[sr71plt]

You do realize, I hope, that this is fiction and I'd venture to say that most come here for arousal not a visit to their local clinic.

These posts are about the best protection against sex that I've seen in a while.