A good doc or nurse practitioner should be able to discuss all the pros and cons of your various options. I've been on the Pill for a about 12 years. The last five years, I've been on Loestrin-24, which has rendered my periods nearly nonexistent. It's a 24, rather than 21, day program. My period, such as it is, lasts two to three days. I was extremely irritable the first couple of months on it, but it passed. I also never gained weight from it. Most of the side effects seem to pass after a couple of months. Certainly the side effects were better in my mind that an unplanned pregnancy.
I've never really had trouble remembering to take it. I've probably forgotten it five times in 12 years. Of course, there are risks to nearly every method.
Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.
--Mary Anne Radmacher