About 6 months ago I started birth control to stop my period because I am nonbinary and menstruating gives me dysphoria and causes pretty severe emotional distress. This is the second type of birth control I've been on and even thoug I am skipping the last week of pills entirely, I am still randomly spotting and getting my period. When I bring it up to my gyno she dismisses it as just an inconvenience and that it's not a big deal. I'm not out to her, but I shouldn't have to be for her to understand that this is a problem. What should I do?
some types of birth control are more suited for skipping periods than others: it may be a little bit of trial and error to find one (and a dose) that works best for you. extended cycle pills are designed for skipping periods and may be more suitable for this purpose; some UIDs are also highly effective (sometimes even more so than pills) in this sense, though obviously also a little more invasive for you. your age also plays a role in terms of the effectiveness of birth control for skipping periods (teens tend to get heavier and more irregular periods that are a little harder to control than adults). in my experience, spotting does reduce over time and so it might take a while before you can see the actual results of the birth control you’re using. i think the time span to take into account for this is generally a year but i think after six months you should be able to tell if it’s getting less at all. that said, did you communicate with your doctor the purpose of the birth control? even without coming out, wanting to skip periods is a valid reason to get on it, and if your doctor knows this is your reason she’ll be able to help you better (people taking birth control for other reasons might not have an issue with lighter periods and spotting vs other side effects). sometimes with matters like this it’s important to be clear and persistent with your doctor - she may not understand your complaint but if you continue bringing it up, she’ll know it genuinely bothers you. be firm in your statements on this. but mind you, doctors are there to help you and if you feel like you’ve communicated your needs clearly and they’re not actually listening to that, it’s fair to switch to another one who can help you better.
I Did tell her why and my spotting has gotten worse over time. It takes me a very long time to get an appointment with her and I'm honestly worried for my own safety in the mean time because I have a history of self destructive and dangerous behavior. Menstruating tends to make it much worse.
