I first tried birth control at 18 to help with painful periods (and prevent pregnancy). After trying 3 different brands by the time I was 21, I just gave up. None of them worked for my body, and the side-effects interfered with my life too much to make it worth it (hello, 2 straight months of breakthrough bleeding!). It was really disappointing because I had always thought the pill was supposed to be empowering—to make life easier, but for me it was the opposite.