If there’s one thing that movies manage to capture well, it’s a love scene. The moment the two leads gaze into each other’s eyes, the sudden build-up of desire, the pulling desperately at clothes. We sadly do not live in films, meaning that although they capture the passion pretty damn well, they often miss out that annoying break of the moment when one of them goes to find a condom, put one on and then try and regain that steamy romance. Suddenly, it all gets a bit clunky. You might even realise that neither of you have one; you either give up feeling entirely frustrated or go on a mad dash to Tesco, potentially in vain.

With one in three women on some form of contraceptive pill, I’m clearly not the only one who approves. In fact, I couldn’t find a single friend who was not taking it. My main wonder was whether any of them suffered any side effects; I wanted to check if I was alone in my struggles. I have tried three different kinds, and between the first that made me feel like a small whale to the last that made me feel almost Bipolar, I was feeling quite disheartened with this miraculous achievement in modern medicine. 

 Indeed, I am not alone – a friend of mine told me that she had tried five different pills and was getting the copper coil as a last resort. “I had to really struggle with my doctor,” a fourth year English student informed me, “they finally gave me a lower dose version of the pill I was on and my life improved so much, it was definitely worth having to get up so early for the open access surgery.” If side effects seem to be ruining your life, it is incredibly important that you don’t just accept the doctor’s word for what pill you should be on. With over 25% of women quitting their pill within three months, and many more after that time period, finding one you will stick with is certainly worth fighting for. Do your research before you ask them for a specific brand or ask them explicitly to try a different hormone and to have the dosage for you reconsidered. Netdoctor advises that often the first options given are higher dose brands, which may contain too much hormone for you.

If you’re really not happy with what you’ve been given, there are even brands like Yasmin which are available on the NHS in England but not in Scotland. They contain a different kind of progestogen which, although sparking some worries about increased health risks, seems to also come with added benefits for some women of an absence of weight gain. 

As I mentioned previously, this is unfortunately not available on the NHS here, but if it is something you would like to try you can go to a private GP to discuss it. Private doctor fees may trigger expense alarm bells, but appointments are generally around £100 for 15 minutes, longer than a standard NHS appointment, and for the relief and happiness this might cause, it may be well worth the cost of going private. 

Until I manage to find one that doesn’t make me look like I eat my own weight in butter every day, or my boyfriend wake up armed with tissues ready for the next emotional outburst, I guess that break in the moment is more than bearable.