The Dangers Of Birth Control: How To Safely Stop Taking “The Pill”
Birth control is the most commonly used drug in the world, with over 100 million women currently taking “the pill” and millions of women using alternative methods such as “the patch,” injectables, and implants. In the US, pharmaceutical companies generate $2.8 billion in annual sales from the pill (source). Medical doctors prescribe birth control to females as young as 12 and fail to mention the potential side effects. Years later, once these children become women and learn about the threats the pill poses to their health, it can be equally as terrifying to come off the pill as it is to continue taking it due to the potential side effects. If you’re unfamiliar with the dangers of taking the pill, here’s how it can harm your body: At the age of 13, my doctor gave me a prescription for the pill, explaining that it would help regulate my menstrual cycle and mitigate my acne and painful cramps. As a young, impressionable child, I took my doctor’s advice. My body quickly changed after that (because of the spike in my estrogen levels), but my doctor assured me my new-found curves were a “natural” side effect. Nine years later, I discovered that nothing about birth control is natural, yet I continued to take it out of fear of how my body would react. Medical doctors told me I shouldn’t stop taking it, society told me I would disrupt my menstrual cycle or get pregnant, but I refused to continue to damage my body. My moon cycle completely stopped for 3 months (no, I was not pregnant). I eventually got extremely painful cramps 2 weeks prior to my first period, which was likely during ovulation. Once my period finally came, I experienced a regular cycle, although it is slightly heavier and occasionally syncs with other females’ (which is kind of cool). My already thick head of hair got even thicker and I experienced acne for the first time in 10 years. I lost weight, particularly from my breasts. My mood became more stable (I was already an overly cheerful individual, but now that is more constant) and my sex-drive increased.
These are all symptoms that many other women detoxing from the pill reported, so I wasn’t concerned. Other common side effects I luckily didn’t experience include: weight gain, sensitivity in breasts, intense cravings, and nausea. When the pill was commercialized in 1960, it represented a landmark in the feminism movement. Although there were strict regulations surrounding prescriptions, including having to be married to obtain one, it fuelled positive changes within society and the workplace.
The average number of children women had decreased and women started earning more money.
The pill was viewed as a step toward gender equality; women would leave pharmacies feeling empowered. Little did they know, the FDA approved the pill despite the life-threatening side effects it could have on users (source). Now that further research has shed light on the dangers of birth control, I would argue that taking the pill is anything but empowering. Young, sexually active women are shamed into taking the pill because society deems us irresponsible if we choose not to. Isn’t it more irresponsible to jeopardize our health, just to conform to societal views and social norms? The responsible choice would be to use a safer form of contraception such as condoms, natural fertility, barrier methods, spermicides, and sterilization. .
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References:
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-k-comstock/the-pill-and-what-else_b_877875.html
- http://www.theholykale.com/2012/03/the-birth-control-pill/
- http://natural-fertility-info.com/birth-control-fertility.html
- http://www.theholykale.com/2013/03/getting-off-birth-control-pills-now-what/
- http://ecochiclife.net/detox-birth-control/
- http://saje.ca/moon-cycle-4311.html
- http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/health/a-brief-history-of-the-birth-control-pill/480/