Why Long-Lasting Birth Control Was a Game Changer For This Mom of 3

Birth control often seems like something to consider before you're ready to start a family, but for many women, it’s just as crucial after having children. Finding the right method of birth control allows you to press pause on getting pregnant again, giving you crucial time to think about what size family you'd like to have and even the age gaps you want to create between your children.

Take Mariam Way. After her first two children were born, she and her husband knew they wanted to wait a few years before having any more kids. Mariam had taken hormonal birth control pills in the past, but didn’t love the way they made her feel. Plus, having to take a daily pill seemed tiresome when both Mariam and her husband knew they wanted to wait a few years to expand their family. "I already had my hands full with two kids," she explained.

That's when Mariam discovered long-lasting birth control in the form of an IUD. Finding the right birth control for her meant that she didn’t have to worry about unintended pregnancies, or remember to take a daily pill.

Mariam even noticed some benefits in the bedroom. "I was no longer stressed out about the possibility of getting pregnant and could just fully enjoy sex for what it was," she explained. "It helped me live in the moment!"

Best of all, when Mariam and her husband were ready to have a third child, she was able to get pregnant soon after having her IUD removed. Now, she's the mother of a 9-month-old, a 6-year-old, and an 8-year-old, and she couldn't be more thrilled. "We are very happy with our decision, and we're really enjoying our time with the baby — especially since his siblings are old enough to help out!" she said.

An IUD worked so well for Mariam, she said that she felt empowered by the experience. She recommended that anyone interested in long-lasting birth control like an IUD research all of the options and talk to your doctor to find out which might be right for you. "I felt that I was taking charge of my body and myself," she explained. "I am grateful to be living in a time and place where birth control is easy to access. That in and of itself makes me feel powerful as a woman."

Another long-lasting birth control option you can control is ANNOVERA®. It’s a ring. It goes in your vagina. Notice we said “vagina” and not “the v-word.” Because when we talk like that about reproductive health, we’re apologizing for our bodies. So consider this an unapology, from ANNOVERA®.

ANNOVERA® is a first-of-its-kind birth control that's as effective as the pill. It's comfortable long-lasting birth control that puts you in control. You pick it up from the pharmacy. You put it in yourself and leave it in for 21 days. You pull it out yourself and leave it out for 7 days. Then repeat. And, it lasts a whole year or 13 cycles, which is 13 periods for those counting.

Want more info about ANNOVERA®? Click here to learn more.

IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION

• Do not use ANNOVERA (segesterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol vaginal system) if you smoke cigarettes and are over 35 years old. Smoking increases your risk of serious heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) side effects from hormonal birth control methods, including death from heart attack, blood clots, or stroke. This risk increases with age and the number of cigarettes you smoke.
• ANNOVERA does not protect against HIV infection (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted infections.
• The use of a combination hormonal contraceptive (CHC), like ANNOVERA, is associated with increased risks of several serious side effects, including blood clots, stroke, or heart attack. Do not use ANNOVERA if you have a history of these conditions, have reduced blood flow to your brain (cerebrovascular disease) or reduced blood flow or blockage in any of the arteries that supply blood to your heart (cardiovascular disease), or any condition that makes your blood more likely to clot. The risk of blood clots is highest when you first start using CHCs and when you restart the same or different CHC after not using it for 4 weeks or more.
• ANNOVERA is also not for women with high blood pressure that medicine can’t control or high blood pressure with blood vessel damage; diabetes and over 35 years old, diabetes with high blood pressure or kidney, eye, nerve, or blood vessel damage, diabetes for longer than 20 years; certain kinds of severe migraine headaches; liver disease or liver tumors; breast cancer or any cancer that is sensitive to the female hormones estrogen or progesterone; unexplained vaginal bleeding; are allergic to segesterone acetate, ethinyl estradiol or any other ingredients in ANNOVERA; or take any Hepatitis C drug combination containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, as this may increase levels of the liver enzyme “alanine aminotransferase” (ALT) in the blood.
• ANNOVERA can cause serious side effects, including: blood clots; toxic shock syndrome (TSS); liver problems, including liver tumors; high blood pressure; gallbladder problems; changes in the sugar and fat (cholesterol and triglycerides) levels in your blood; headache; irregular or unusual vaginal bleeding and spotting between your menstrual periods; depression; possible cancer in your cervix; swelling of your skin especially around your mouth, eyes, and in your throat (angioedema); dark patches of skin on your forehead, cheeks, upper lip, and chin (chloasma). Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical care right away if any of these serious side effects occur.
• The most common side effects reported in at least 5% of women who received ANNOVERA were: headache/migraine, nausea/vomiting, vaginal yeast infection (candidiasis), lower/upper abdominal pain, painful periods, vaginal discharge, urinary tract infection, breast pain/tenderness, irregular vaginal bleeding, diarrhea, and genital itching.

USE

ANNOVERA is a ring-shaped vaginal system with hormones used by females to prevent pregnancy.

ANNOVERA has not been adequately studied in females with a body mass index >29 kg/m².

The risk information provided here is not complete. To learn more, review the ANNOVERA Patient Information and talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist. The FDA-approved product labeling, including Patient Information, can be foundhere.

You may report side effects to the FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch or by calling 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to TherapeuticsMD at 1-888-228-0150.

ANNOVERA is a registered trademark licensed to TherapeuticsMD, Inc.

ANVA-20365 09/2020