Hi ladies! Next year my partner and I are planning an extended trip from our home (Canada), through Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, etc., and we are trying to work out the small details.

I am currently taking birth control pills, and am wondering if any other ladies out there went travelling while on the pill. That sounds strange, but I was wondering how you dealt with carrying supply. 12 packs of pills doesn't take up a lot of room (enough, but not loads), but you can't store them at high heat temperatures. Someone suggested 'the patch' but that also needs to be changed weekly, and I am concerned it might melt off in the heat.

Think about a mirena coil. Also negates the need for a 'pill check' every six months.

I'd be wary of buying supplies in third world countries as some are counterfeit.

No easy solution that one but it has been discussed before in this forum.

See last post of this thread (page 4): http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ellers-36533-4

Useful info.

Cheers,

__________________
Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

Hi,

Interesding topic. Friends of my got new pills oin tansania or so after the 6 months supply from europa was finished. Somehow they did not work and they came home with a child. Other travelers (dont want to tell the names her) told me the best option would be sterilisation or spirale...

Have fun, Tobi
Riding the rough west coast through Africa part 3

Thanks for the advice, everyone! Guess I should try the Search function first...

I wouldn't believe your doctor 100% when he says medicines are not authentic. At least in Mexico if you go to a large drug store they will be fine. If you are really concerned buy the medication you need in the Drug Store of a Wal Mart. You can get almost all medicines over the counter without a prescription except anti-biotics. I imagine but am not sure the situation is similar in other countries in Central and South America.

Hiya

My wife wrote the following a few years back if any help?

Girly Stuff
Being blunt about it, I have more personal medical concerns to think about than my male partner. There's not many, and they're not necessarily a big deal, but they need to be thought about.

First and foremost, there's the Pill - and if we're planning on being away for a couple of years, that's a lot of Pills! I did ask the GP, just in case, but he flat out refused to give me any more than 6 months worth of tablets, so that's that avenue closed.

Being sensible about it, the next best thing to rely on is implants. I've not had one before, but I'm assured its a simple matter of a local anaesthetic and a little widget shaped like half a matchstick is snuck under the skin on the inside of my bicep. This will carry on releasing all the hormones it needs to for up to three years, ensuring we don’t end up with a little Burkina or Cameroon (in the Posh and Becks 'Brooklyn' etc style).

By September, I'd had a chat with the doctors about an implant, and they put me on a Pill called Cerazette for a month - its the same hormone that’s in the implant, and is a much better way of finding out if you're ok with the drug before someone takes a scalpel to your flesh! Unfortunately, it made me really queasy most days and apparently a little bit grumpy, although I find that hard to believe! My skin also went bonkers, which was nice. I had a chat with the doctors just in case this was a settling--in thing my body had to do whilst it got used to a different drug, but apparently not - whatever you get with Cerazette, you'll get with the implant, and possibly even more so. So, its a great idea for some people, but not really an option for me.

On the upside though, my doctors have now agreed to give me a 12 month supply of my usual Pill, so that helps a lot.

And what about non-Pill related girly stuff? How many tampons should I really take with me?? There's not really much in the way of optional alternatives here, other than the charming (and apparently slightly nauseating, according to Jason) 'Mooncup'. Go and have a Google - if you haven’t seen one before, its basically a little rubber egg-cup thingy that goes the same place as a tampon, and when its full, you empty it and put it back!! I'm assured by lots of people on its website that its a marvellous creation and they wouldn't be without it, but frankly I'm not sure I'm convinced