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Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby: Hormonal Contraception & Libido

Published on April 4, 2024

10.1K views

“If sexuality is one dimension of our ability to live passionately in the world then in cutting off our sexual feelings we diminish our overall power to feel, know, and value deeply.” –Judith Plaskow

This quote raises an interesting question. If owning our sexuality gives us power, then who benefits from limiting that power? And why is limiting that power an acceptable side effect of hormonal contraception?

During the Nelson Pill Hearings, Dr. M. James Whitelaw testified (page 6015): “How many adult males would be willing to take an oral contraceptive faithfully if they were told that instead of a possible 50-plus adverse side reactions only one remained, that being the possible loss of sex drive and libido? [Laughter]”

What is the implication here? Women can be denied their full sexual capability but the idea of men suffering the same is laughable? Holly Grigg-Spall speaks to that in her book Sweetening the Pill (page 50):

“The pill’s impact on the libido has been publicized but it is generally dismissed with humor. The libido is seen as distinct from women’s emotional and physical health, whereas with men it is linked. The female sex drive is not celebrated or seen as essential to her femininity or sexuality… Research that indicates that lowered libido is experienced by a large number of women on the pill is undercut by the cultural assumption that most women have little real interest in sex regardless of this drug.”

Sexy But Not Sexual

And she’s right. Women are constantly told to be sexy but not sexual. It would seem that hormonal birth control would provide exactly that type of woman. One who could have sex without the consequence of getting pregnant, therefore highly desirable to men; but one who could not fully embrace the power of her own sexuality due to a medication-induced lack of libido. Is this really what we want? A society of women that are physically available for sex but completely disconnected from the powers of her own sexuality? Again I will ask, who benefits from keeping women in that robot-like state?

“The quality of a woman’s sex life, unlike that of a man’s, does not seem to concern the drug companies or the (male) research establishment… Women who reported changes in their sex drive often heard that old refrain: ‘It’s all in your head.’ But the male sex drive is considered so important by the drug companies that it is always studied in conjunction with new male contraceptives, just as it is almost always mentioned in arguments against the condom.” –Barbara Seamen in The Doctors’ Case Against the Pill

It’s true. We hear the argument that condoms lessen sensation during sex. But for whom? Men. Yet for women who use hormonal birth control, low libido and loss of sensation during sex are some of the least dangerous side effects they can expect. Heather Corinna put it so well in her article “Love the Glove” that even Grigg-Spall quoted her:

“If we’re going to talk about condoms changing how sex feels, we need to remember that something like the pill does too, and, unlike condoms, it changes how a woman feels all the time, both during and outside of sex… Other methods of contraception can cause pain and cramping, unpredictable bleeding, urinary tract infections, depression and a whole host of unpleasant side effects. Condoms are the LEAST intrusive and demanding of all methods of contraception, even though some guys talk about them — without considering this perspective — like they’re the most. If guys could feel what life can be like on the pill, use a cervical barrier or get a Depo shot, they’d easily see condoms for the cakewalk they are.”

It’s not just the pill that is damaging to women. As Grigg-Spall explains, Depo Provera (“the shot”) is specifically used to decrease sex drive in sex offender rehabilitation programs. There is something seriously wrong when a birth control option offered to women is the exact same medication used as pharmaceutical castration for sex offenders.

FSD – Female Sexual Dysfunction or Female Sexuality Discouraged?

According to a study of female German medical students published today in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, women taking non-oral and oral hormonal contraceptives were at highest risk of Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD). Interestingly, women using non-hormonal contraceptives were at lowest risk for FSD, more than women not using any contraceptive.

“Sexual problems can have a negative impact on both quality of life and emotional well-being, regardless of age,” said researcher Dr. Lisa-Maria Wallwiener of the University of Heidelberg, Germany. “FSD is a very common disorder, with an estimated prevalence of about two in five women having at least one sexual dysfunction, and the most common complaint appearing to be low desire.”

Side Effects – Affecting More Than Just the Patient

Why is this okay? Why do we accept this? If a woman is experiencing sexual dysfunction, it not only affects her but it affects her partner as well.

Dr. Philip Ball testified about this very problem at the Nelson Pill Hearings back in 1970 (page 6493): These unhappily newly married women do not know if it is the wrong man, the wrong town, the wrong job, the wrong year, the wrong apartment, or yet something else, when it is really many times the wrong pill.

And he’s not incorrect. Research now shows that taking birth control pills affects women’s taste in men. According to this article from the Scientific American, women on the pill seem to prefer men who are genetically similar to themselves.

“Women who start or stop taking the pill, then, may be in for some relationship problems. A study published last year in Psychological Science found that women paired with MHC-similar men are less sexually satisfied and more likely to cheat on their partners than women paired with MHC-dissimilar men. So a woman on the pill, for example, might be more likely to start dating a MHC-similar man, but he could ultimately leave her less sexually satisfied. Then if she goes off the pill during the relationship, the accompanying hormonal changes will draw her even more strongly toward more MHC-dissimilar men. These immune genes may have a “powerful effect in terms of how well relationships are cemented,” says University of Liverpool psychologist Craig Roberts, co-author of the August paper.”

How any of this is connected to relationship issues, divorce rate, infertility, one can only speculate. But it’s clear that the sexual side effects caused by hormonal contraception are no laughing matter.

Sex is a big part of life. The ability to connect with each other and derive great pleasure from sex is not just a perk of being a human. It is our birthright. And to deny that birthright is to limit our power as women. That’s not what I consider an “acceptable side effect.”

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More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

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This article was published originally on July 14, 2016.

Nexplanon Side Effects: A Case Story

by Jeisel S.

Published on March 5, 2024

7.1K views

As a mother of 4, having had all of my children in my twenties, birth control was always a part of my life. I tried birth control pills, shots, the ring, and lastly, the arm implant, Nexplanon. In 2019, at the age of 35, I had the Nexplanon inserted in my left arm. I was excited about it because it was a birth control that was hands off and there would be no need to think about it. I would be protected for three years.

The First Signs That Something Was Wrong

In the summer of 2022, after three years of use, my OB said I should get it replaced with a new one. I had it replaced in June of 2022. I noticed right away that the implant site on my left arm was itchy. I didn’t experience that with my first one. Then a month later, I started feeling like my throat was closing at night. I wasn’t sick and I didn’t have allergies. It made me nervous to have that feeling, like I would choke and not be able to breathe.

In August, two months later, I had a full blown panic attack while in the car on my way to a Yankees game with my husband. I was so excited about going to the game, but while in the car, I felt like I couldn’t swallow my saliva properly, like my throat was closing again. We ended up in the ER instead of the game where I had an MRI of my neck to check my throat and nothing was wrong.

On September 30th, I woke up with a clogged feeling in my left ear, and lost my hearing a day later. I went to the ENT and they mentioned I had to get on a high dose of steroids for 3 weeks in order to try and restore my hearing. I experienced terrible side effects, such as anxiety, panic, fear of death, heart palpitations, heart racing, dizziness and blurred vision and extreme nervousness and depersonalization. I wasn’t able to work, drive, or go outside. Thank God, that after the first week of steroids, my hearing was restored. Now I just had to taper off the steroids, which were still giving me all the side effects even with the lower dosages.

As of November, I was no longer on steroids, but the side effects I was feeling, kept getting worse. I would cry all day, all night, and lost 15lbs in a month because I couldn’t eat. I went to the ER multiple times thinking I was having a heart attack from the chest tightness and palpitations. The doctors all said that I shouldn’t have any side effects from the steroids since I had stopped taking it months before. I had my vision checked, a full cardiac stress test, bloodwork, all with normal results. I didn’t understand and no doctor would help me. My primary care doctor recommended anxiety medications since that’s what I was exhibiting for the first time in my life. I refused them completely and just decided that I would continue waiting.

Was Nexplanon Causing My Health Issues?

It was then December, and no symptoms had improved. I was still having panic attacks daily, still having palpitations, heart racing, dizziness, blurred vision, depersonalization, and now muscle weakness and internal tremors. My legs would shake going down the stairs. I was only getting worse. I sat down and prayed one night, just hoping God would give me a sign. The next day I received an email from a family member saying her friend tried Nexplanon and was having severe panic attacks, so she removed it. I was excited. Could it be the Nexplanon? I never thought of it because I had used it for 3 years before the replacement with no side effects. I then looked up forums online and I found hundreds of comments with women experiencing the same side effects as me. It was unbelievable.

I made an appointment with my OB for December 15, 2022 to get it removed. A week later, no symptom relief or improvement. Two weeks later, still nothing. I became discouraged thinking it wasn’t birth control and I was feeling devastated and nervous, thinking the worst. But finally, after 3 weeks, almost every single side effect was gone. No more panic attacks, no more blurred vision, no more fear of death, heart racing, palpitations, throat tightness, nothing. Only one symptom remains, even now, over a year later and it’s the internal tremors. It was the last symptom to develop and I’m sure it will be the last to go. It is definitely less severe than before and I find that deep breathing makes the tremors go away. I am grateful that I was able to figure out what was causing all of my issues since even my OB said that it was not possible for the Nexplanon to give me the severe anxiety and every side effect I was experiencing. I am finally back to my normal self, happy go lucky, loving life and appreciating every minute of every day. I am grateful first to God, for answering my prayers and for all of my family and friends that supported me through this difficult time. I hope my experience helps other women that may not know to look at their birth control if they ever go through something like me.

Medication Side Effects?

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More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

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Hormones, Birth Control, and Insulin Resistance

by Brandy Searcy

Published on September 18, 2023

7K views

Little known fact. Your reproductive hormones influence how your body responds to insulin. The artificial hormones in hormonal birth control also play a huge role in how your body responds to insulin. And, your body’s response to insulin determines how well you are able to use glucose to supply your daily energy needs.

In this article, we will discuss the basics of how your body creates energy. In this first section, we will unpack:

How your body creates energy from glucose
Glucose vs. fatty acids as an energy source
How insulin resistance impacts the shift between glucose burning and fat burning
How glucose enters your cells to become fuel for energy
How insulin resistance interferes with the transfer of glucose into your cells

Then, we will tie in how your natural reproductive hormones, estradiol and progesterone, impact your body’s use of glucose as a fuel source and discuss how hormonal birth control disrupts this natural balance.

How the Body Creates Energy From Glucose

Many of your cell types are designed to run on glucose, a metabolic product of carbohydrates, as their main source of energy, and in fact, certain cells that don’t contain mitochondria (or contain very few mitochondria) like red blood cells and cells of certain parts of your eye (lens, retina, and cornea) rely either exclusively (as is the case for red blood cells) or primarily on glucose as an energy source.

The reason for this is that mitochondria are responsible for aerobic (oxygen required) energy creation processes within your body, and cells with no or very few mitochondria rely mostly on anaerobic (no oxygen required) energy creation by glycolysis in the cytoplasm of the cell. As we will discuss in more detail later, when your body uses fatty acids as a fuel source, this pathway is purely aerobic, so it is not possible for fatty acids to be used in anaerobic energy creation processes within your cells.

When you eat a meal containing sugar (sucrose) or carbohydrates, enzymatic processes begin breaking the sugar and carbs down into their basic structures within your digestive tract. The structure of both sugar and carbs contain glucose.

Glucose fuels the creation of ATP in a process known as glycolysis, which happens within the cell, and through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), which happens within the mitochondria (substructures within the cell). When ATP is broken down within your cells, it releases energy, which is harnessed to power your mitochondria and other important cellular functions. The by-products of that ATP creation (pyruvate and ATP) fuel additional energy production cascades within the cell.

How the Body Switches From Glucose to Fatty Acids for Energy

Even when particular cell types prefer carbs (glucose) as their energy source rather than fatty acids, most cell types are capable of using either of these macronutrients (and also, when necessary, amino acids) as a fuel in order to survive periods of fasting (including overnight fasting).

Insulin plays a key role in regulating whether your body uses glucose (glycolysis in the cell’s cytoplasm and OXPHOS in the mitochondria) or fatty acids (lipolysis in the cell’s cytoplasm and fatty acid oxidation in the mitochondria) as its preferred fuel source. This is because insulin impacts the ratio of two key enzymes (malonyl Coenzyme A and acetyl CoenzymeA) that determine which of these energy pathways is preferred (here and here). The ratio of these enzymes is dynamic, changing throughout the day in response to when and what you eat, and in response to this fluctuating ratio, your body preferentially uses carbs (glucose) or fatty acids as its fuel source.

In an insulin resistant state, your body does not easily shift between glycolysis/OXPHOS (glucose as fuel) and lipolysis/fatty acid oxidation (fatty acids as fuel) and instead remains in a state of using fatty acids as fuel. We will talk about why this is the case in the next section.

How Glucose Gets Inside Cells

The glucose released in your digestive tract from the food you eat is absorbed into your bloodstream, and when your blood glucose levels start to rise following a meal (or any drink containing carbs or sugar), it signals your pancreas to release insulin.

Insulin is the messenger that lets your cells (specifically, your skeletal muscle, fat, kidney, and liver cells) know there is glucose available in your bloodstream. Insulin does this by binding to the cellular membrane, and this activates glucose transporters on the cellular membrane.

Once blood glucose levels start to drop, a healthy body clears insulin fairly quickly so that it can maintain adequate blood sugar levels. Insulin must be cleared so that blood sugar doesn’t drop too low.

What Is Insulin Resistance?

A number of factors influence how your cells respond to insulin. External influences (like stress, diet, and lack of sleep) along with internal factors (hormonal fluctuations) play a role in how the cells respond to insulin. And, different types of cells respond differently to insulin. Skeletal muscle cells are the most sensitive to insulin. Fat cells and liver cells are also sensitive to insulin, and so these cell types (skeletal muscle, fat, and liver) are the quickest to take up extra glucose from the bloodstream.

When your body becomes more insulin resistant, the cells are not as able to respond to insulin. My favorite analogy for this is to imagine that you are at a rock concert. You cannot easily hear the person next to you because the volume in the venue is so loud that your ears are overloaded by the background noise. In order to carry on a conversation, you must move to a quieter place. In this scenario, insulin is the background noise or the decibel level. When you are insulin resistant, your pancreas releases extra insulin to try to get your body’s cells to respond. This would be the same as somebody yelling at you in a concert hall so that you are able to hear them speak.

When you restore insulin sensitivity, it is like taking your body out of that loud concert hall and placing it somewhere quiet. Now, you are able to hear and carry on a conversation without any problems. When you restore insulin sensitivity, the cells are capable of responding to a much lower amount of insulin much more quickly and take the action of absorbing glucose from the bloodstream.

Insulin Resistance Begets Insulin Resistance

With insulin resistance, the cells are used to the high insulin environment (partially deaf to insulin), so they stop responding to insulin’s call. This prompts the pancreas to release more insulin in order to get your cells to hear the message to soak up the extra glucose circulating in the bloodstream. When insulin is unable to be heard because of the high background noise (because there is so much circulating insulin the cells are deaf to it), then glucose isn’t taken up by the cells. This then creates the false message from your cells to key organs to start releasing stored glucose (in a process called gluconeogenesis) to supply the body’s energy needs.

When we are talking about diabetes, this feedback loop often, but not in everyone with diabetes, results in a perfect storm of upward spiraling blood sugar levels.

insulin resistance cycle common in diabetes showing increased insulin resistance triggering gluconeogenesis resulting in higher blood sugar levels which increases insulin resistance — Figure 1. Insulin resistance begets more insulin resistance.

Even in conditions besides diabetes where blood sugar levels are dysregulated, you might have one condition (for example, insulin resistance), without the other (increased release of glucose from your body’s reserves).

With all of that in mind, let us take a look at how reproductive hormones impact insulin resistance and gluconeogenesis, the process of releasing glucose from stored reserves.

Estradiol, Synthetic Estrogens, and Insulin Resistance

Reproductive hormones play a key role in insulin resistance. Most scientific studies agree that estradiol (the endogenous estrogen produced primarily in the ovaries throughout the reproductive years) boosts the release of insulin from the pancreas. While at first glance, this looks like estradiol might contribute to insulin resistance because it prompts release of extra insulin, the opposite is actually true.

Estradiol is widely accepted as a potent compound to restore insulin sensitivity. Whether this is because of upregulation of insulin from the pancreas or whether it is also because of the influence estrogen has on the cells when it binds to estrogen receptors or a combination of both of these is not clear. What is clear, is that estradiol encourages cellular uptake of glucose and more rapid reduction of blood glucose levels after a meal. Estradiol also reduces gluconeogenesis in the liver suppressing the release of free glucose into the bloodstream from the body’s reserves, and this supports healthy blood sugar levels (here and here).

Estrogen Concentrations and Insulin Resistance

How estradiol affects insulin resistance is concentration dependent. Estradiol concentrations in the bloodstream within the normal circulating range (not more than 1 nanomolar abbreviated 1 nM) are associated with healthy insulin sensitivity and healthy blood sugar levels while concentrations higher than 1 nM are associated with insulin resistance. This may be why gestational diabetes is a common condition during pregnancy with up to 10% of pregnant women in America developing gestational diabetes. Progesterone also plays a key role in gestational diabetes as we will discuss in more detail below.

Non-bioidentical Estrogen and Insulin resistance

Ethinyl estradiol, the most common synthetic estrogen used in hormonal contraceptives here in America, also impacts insulin resistance, but like endogenous estradiol, the relationship is not straightforward. Ethinyl estradiol has been shown to impact insulin sensitivity and gluconeogenesis differently depending on:

its concentration in the hormonal birth control
what progestin (synthetic progesterone) it is paired with

Just as high concentrations of endogenous estradiol increase the chances of dysregulated blood glucose control, the synthetic estrogen, ethinyl estradiol, also increases chances of dysregulated blood glucose control. Chemical diabetes caused by hormonal birth control is also well documented in the literature. This is one of the reasons why, since the 1960s, the concentration of artificial estrogens in combined oral contraceptives has been dramatically reduced from upwards of 60 micrograms per pill to as low as 10 micrograms. Currently, most birth control options contain from 20 to 35 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol per pill.

Estrogen Binds to Insulin Receptors Affecting Insulin Resistance

Estrogens, whether synthetic or endogenous, affect blood sugar regulation differently at different concentrations because of their ability to bind to insulin receptors. This concentration-dependent effect of both endogenous estradiol and synthetic estrogens is often overlooked in the conversation regarding the impact of hormonal contraceptives on blood sugar control. Inasmuch as estrogens play a role in insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and in gluconeogenesis, and because estrogens are combined in hormonal contraceptives with a wide range of synthetic progestins, the effects on blood sugar regulation are quickly compounded and convoluted.

Progesterone, Progestins, and Insulin Resistance

As with estradiol, the concentration of progesterone also impacts whether progesterone improves or diminishes insulin sensitivity. It is generally accepted that higher concentrations of progesterone during pregnancy are a major contributor to gestational diabetes. Similarly, high concentrations of progesterone, even after menopause, are linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The actions of progesterone on glucose metabolism is very much related to carrying a pregnancy to term, promoting glucose storage (rather than consumption of glucose for fuel) and promoting ketogenesis (fat burning) within the body. Even when not pregnant, progesterone is the dominant hormone during the luteal phase (second half of your cycle), and this effects how your body uses glucose and its sensitivity to insulin. This ties into common experiences during the second half of your cycle including carb cravings, potentially diminished appetite (if you are like me), and also weight gain.

Unlike artificial estrogens, of which there is only one used in the combined hormonal contraceptives available in the United States, for progestins, the synthetic forms of progesterone, there are four generations of progestins, with each generation containing progestins of different molecular structures. The class of molecules used in synthetic progestins are similar in structure to the endogenous progesterone molecule, but they are not the same. In other words, they are non-bioidentical.

Progestins bind differently to the progesterone receptors within the body (and also bind to a variety of other receptors), than the endogenous progesterone and their specific structure contributes to how much and whether insulin resistance increases. The molecular structure also affects how the body conserves glucose (increases glucose storage) or uses glucose (in the process of gluconeogenesis). It is generally believed that the androgenic nature of progestins determine their role in reducing insulin sensitivity (here and here).

Hormones and Body Composition

An interesting note, whether we are talking about natural reproductive hormones, estradiol and progesterone, or artificial hormones, ethinyl estradiol and the various progestins, these are all fat-soluble hormones. That means, these hormones may be stored in, and thus, impact the behavior of fat cells. One study evaluated the response of fat cells (adipocytes) in the presence or absence of treatment with artificial hormones and found that in the presence of artificial hormones, the adipocytes were more insulin resistant. This suggests that fat cells may serve as a reservoir for artificial hormones and endogenous hormones alike. They essentially soak up circulating hormones from the bloodstream, and these absorbed hormones in turn impact how the fat cells behave.

This finding means that body composition affects how you respond to hormones, whether endogenous or synthetic, and vice versa. It also suggests that, among other things, we ought to consider dosing hormonal contraceptives relative to body composition. Women with higher body fat may store more of the hormones than those with lower body fat and this may initiate or exacerbate insulin resistance.

Summary

In summary, reproductive hormones are intricately intertwined with metabolism, both with how the body creates energy and how it stores fats and carbs to meet energy demands between meals. Hormonal birth control impacts this finely choreographed dance between reproductive hormones and insulin sensitivity, and this seemingly small influence has a dramatic ripple effect. Insulin sensitivity dictates things like weight gain, oxidative stress, and even, as we will discuss in the next article, susceptibility to UTIs and UTI like symptoms.

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More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

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Ding, Dong! Hormones at Your Door!

by Raquel Latona

Published on June 20, 2023

5.7K views

Online birth control pills delivered to your door

The side effects of hormonal birth control are notoriously under-recognized. So much so, that I filmed a documentary about them, entitled, Hormoneously Alone, highlighting the severe lack of research since the 1950s. What I learned was shocking. Because hormonal birth control has been available for over 60 years, everyone, doctors included, presume these drugs are completely safe and have very few, ‘rare’ side effects. I spoke to experts in women’s health who have researched the effects of the pill and other forms of hormonal birth control and, contrary to the general consensus, these drugs do elicit many ill-effects that are detrimental to health. These side effects can develop while on the pill but also upon withdrawal as the body struggles to adapt to the loss of synthetic hormones.

My original post on this website documenting my own experience is what drove me to investigate the side effects of hormonal birth control, and ultimately, make a documentary to inform other women. Over four years, hundreds of women have left comments indicating they had similar experiences with hormonal birth control and even more have reached out to me personally for advice. Research on this website and other case stories concur.

With all of the potentially negative health consequences attributed to hormonal birth control, imagine my surprise when I learned that these drugs can be ordered online, without so much as a physician consultation. Of course, since most physicians do not recognize the side effects, I guess ordering online is no less safe than from a physician who ignores the health or experience of his/her patients.

My goal is that women will research and educate themselves about the risks they are taking when ordering birth control online. I hope my articles and my documentary will encourage them to speak up, and ask questions, but what if that does not happen? At least when these drugs are prescribed by a physician there is a small chance the more serious side effects will be recognized. When ordered online, with no health intake or counseling of any sort, the possibility for potentially dangerous health interactions between the pill and the patient increases. This risk is increased for young girls, who do not have the experience to understand the side effects associated with these drugs.

Ordering Birth Control Pills Online

Anyone can order hormonal birth control online. While doing research for my documentary, I investigated the process. There are no safety mechanisms in place to determine whether the information one inputs is truthful or not, or whether the individual might have a family medical history that can affect the choice of the type of hormone prescribed. I know this because I tested it. I went online and created a fake profile with fake information and submitted a request for a three month trial. It took me about five minutes from start to finish. I tried multiple vendors, some of the more popular ones, and none of them had any issues with prescribing a pill for me. Surprisingly, none of these vendors asked when my last OBGYN appointment was or if there was a family medical history for any cancers that the birth control pill may help promote or any other health issue that might be exacerbated by the pill. A genetic predisposition may increase one’s risk for certain illnesses and cancers. Breast cancer, for example, may be exacerbated by certain synthetic hormones. Autoimmune disease may also be exacerbated by these hormones.

I wanted to see how far I could push the dial, so I also falsely claimed to smoke cigarettes daily, had high blood pressure and migraines with aura. These are all cases where hormonal birth control is clearly contraindicated because of the elevated risk for blood clots. And yet, even with these risk factors, I was able to order a prescription. There was no dialogue with an online doctor or chat system. It was just me, my mouse, and my keyboard.

I am all for women’s rights and easy access to medications, but as a woman who understands the risks of these drugs, who has experienced some of them, this enraged me. Why are women not told of these risks? Online prescriptions seriously lack the ability to oversee a patient’s full chart and medical history, to understand a patient’s concerns, and to have the foresight to avoid a medication that may catalyze a genetic predisposition. This seems totally careless.

Women’s Rights

In today’s highly politicized landscape, it is difficult to talk about birth control safety and side effects, especially with the current onslaught of attacks against women’s health care options. Recently, over the counter hormonal birth control has been approved by the FDA. This eliminates any and all preliminary precautions and the online ordering has become even easier. Regardless of where we are buying these pills, I think we have to acknowledge that talking about safety and accessibility is not an attack on women’s rights, rather a concern for their well-being. I believe the ability to order medication online is generally a good thing. The accessibility of these online birth control pills not only allows a user to obtain them quickly, but also, discreetly, and inexpensively. It is, for the most part, hassle-free. This works well for the quick-click generation and society that we have evolved into. Women should always be in charge of their bodies, and this new technology affords them that opportunity, which is a really powerful and important idea in and of itself. I do, however, struggle with the idea that we might be missing possible interactions that could result in serious side effects and health issues. These websites do not have a warning anywhere, just, in my opinion, a vague questionnaire. As you will see below, there is little to no health intake when ordering and no counseling regarding side effects.

The Age of Consent

In my research for the documentary, I wondered about the accessibility of online ordering to young girls. As I flipped through the magazines that I once read religiously as a teenager, now, from an adult’s perspective, I see just how targeted the ads can be. In the most common teenage magazines, there are ads almost every 5 pages that push ordering hormonal contraceptives online. These ads are impossible to miss and can be very persuasive to young girls.

Imagine a parent and not knowing what medications your child was on. Imagine a child not understanding the seriousness of the birth control pill and taking too many because they missed a few? Imagine a child taking the pill not knowing why they are feeling poorly, suddenly getting migraines, a possible sign of neurological issues including stroke, or having labored breathing, a sign of pulmonary emboli. These side effects are more common than you would think. Is it smart to have such accessible medications with potentially severe side effects available online without so much as a health warning? Will teenagers read the fine print? Yet, the FDA allows online ordering. It would be easier for a child to click and order rather than having the uncomfortable conversation with their parents or their doctor. A fake profile and credit card is all that is needed.

Since most patients do not ask questions when being prescribed the birth control pill by a physician and, from my experience, most doctors do not offer this information up, what would prompt the conversation online? Is a child who is taking the pill going to read the pamphlet, and if so, will they understand it?

Candy From Strangers

When the package of hormonal birth control came to my door about a week after placing the order, it had some candies and chocolates with it. This felt ironic. “Don’t take candy from strangers,” feels oddly similar to “Don’t take pills from the internet,” or the idea of candy not being healthy for you accompanying the controversial birth control pill. It all felt wrong. Because of the emphasis that providers put on the safety of birth control pills, it seems to negate the impact these pills have on the female body. The pill may be generally safe to take every day, but what are the effects that we are missing under the surface? Are they actually safe even if we do not see the effects immediately? Is the pill for everybody?

It is extremely important that women be in charge of their bodies, but having autonomy means having an understanding of the full picture. Women should absolutely be able to order pills online, but they should also be given adequate information to make that decision and protect themselves against possible harm. Omitting critical health information in favor of accessibility does nothing to serve women’s health interests. Women need to understand the side effects associated with these drugs in order to make an informed decision.

I believe we, as a society, are sacrificing leniency on a topic we truly do not know much about for quick and cheap pill availability. I think we need to revisit the accessibility of these pills and take a step back to understand the potential harm we are causing.

Hormoneously Alone

We Need Your Help

More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

Yes, I would like to support Hormones Matter.

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Why I Made a Documentary About the Birth Control Pill

by Raquel Latona

Published on December 27, 2022

5K views

hormoneously alone - birth control documentary

I began using the birth control pill in my early 20’s. After 3 years of using the pill, I decided it was time to stop. I didn’t expect the process of coming off birth control to be so harsh. I was wrong. The withdrawal symptoms were unlike anything I had ever felt before. I developed extremely high blood pressure, had tingling and weakness throughout my body, brain fog, and a frightening sense of depersonalization. Not a single doctor could give me any information about what was causing these symptoms, when they would end, or even if they would end. In fact, most of the physicians I saw denied that pill withdrawal was a thing. They said that my symptoms were anxiety and suggested an antidepressant. I knew that couldn’t be the cause of these unique, first-time symptoms. I felt like there was no hope in sight. Through research, I found that I was not alone. There were many women who experienced similar symptoms while withdrawing from hormonal contraceptives, In fact there were thousands of women just like me.

I wrote an article about my full experience coming off the birth control pill and published it on this website, here. Since then, the article has received hundreds of comments from women who developed similar withdrawal symptoms. I decided to make a documentary about hormonal birth control in an effort to help spread awareness, and, to comfort other women who were struggling. Filming a documentary with no crew, no production money, and no experience, will fully test one’s sanity, but I was determined to uncover and document the health effects of hormonal contraceptives. After 4 years of work, I released the documentary entitled, “Hormoneously Alone,” on YouTube. It can be found here. I learned a lot from filming this documentary, and over the next few months, I will be writing a series of articles about the topics discussed in the film as well as other information that I was not able to include.

Ninety-eight percent of the female population will use a hormonal contraceptive in their lifetime. This is likely because it is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when taken regularly. Using the pill alleviates worry and it is easy to use. In the US alone, this means that about 13 million women use hormonal birth control, with 6 million between the ages of 15-24 and 7 million between the ages of 25-34. I also learned that about 60% of women who have taken the pill have done so for other issues unrelated to pregnancy. Acne, bloating, and cramps are some of the main catalysts for using the pill.

What you may not know, and what I did not know before I began taking the pill, is up to 60% women who use hormonal contraceptives, whether for the prevention of pregnancy or for other reasons, stop taking the pill within 6 months because of side effects. Unfortunately, there is little research on pill withdrawal and why it effects some women and not all. Through my own research, I’ve personally estimated that about 15% of women will experience withdrawal symptoms. This is troubling because these withdrawal symptoms seem to only be recognized by the women who use these products. There are few experts in women’s health who understand pill withdrawal. Most doctors and gynecologists seem unaware of these effects. This leaves most of us struggling to recover on our own.

If a significant amount of women use hormonal contraception at some point in their lives, and the side effects both on and off the pill are not well studied, do we really know enough about the well-being of the girls and women who use them? With teenagers especially, are we doing more harm to the developing brain and body when we prescribe artificial hormones for things like acne and painful or irregular periods? Given the large number of girls and women who use the pill, do we as a society, not just as women, understand what we are committing to when we take the pill? From what I experienced and what I learned while producing the documentary, even though the pill has been on the market for over 60 years, we still do not fully understand the implications of using artificial hormones. Over the next few articles, I will be tackling some of these big issues that many women wonder about while on the pill, and off the pill. Hopefully, what I have learned will help others make more informed decisions and feel empowered to know what’s right for their body, and their body only.

Hormoneously Alone – A Birth Control Documentary

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More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

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I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now About the Pill

by GR

Published on December 14, 2022

7.9K views

Growing up and going through womanhood, birth, periods, our cycles, and hormones seem to be shoved under the rug as some deep, dark, and gross secret of society. Looking back, I wish things were different. I feel as though women would feel more empowered by these things, rather than looked down on.

At 19 years old, I was about seven years in on heavy periods, bad cramps, and PMS like no other. Out of a hasty decision, I figured, why not start birth control? This day in age, there are a lot of websites that make it extremely easy to get on any birth control. I found out about the app Nurx and got the ball rolling. The process of getting on the pill consisted of an online health test, some other questions, and what type of birth control you want to be on. I figured to be on the one my friends were on, thinking it was the best option.

Severe Mood Swings, Painful Breasts, and Intense Hunger

I selected Junel Fe as my pill if choice. The first few months were horrid. I napped a lot, my breasts grew TWO cup sizes and were painful all month, I was hungry 24/7, and was severely anxious and depressed. Only plus side was no cramps or heavy bleeding.

I was already prone to anxiety before the pill, but this was another level. I had horrible intrusive thoughts and was scared for my personal well-being. I contacted Nurx (they had doctors available for chat), and they switched me to Lutera. I felt much better after this but wouldn’t notice what the pill was doing to me until two years later.

Looking back, the pill put me in a state of being super low or super high. I was extremely sporadic in my moods, emotional, and shut myself out from the world. It put a huge strain on my relationships with friends, family, my boyfriend, and myself.

Skipping a Period and New Onset Headache

I took my pill each day at the same time, followed the rules, everything. Forward to summer of 2022, I was getting ready for vacation, and noticed I’d be on my period the week of. I never skipped my period before, but decided it was best for this vacation. Following advice from a friend, I skipped my period (giving me a five-week cycle) then continued as normal (which would give me a three-week cycle next).

Everything was fine until the week after I skipped (my new period week). I developed a headache that lasted a week. The week of a headache, turned into a month. Though my cycle was “back on track”, the headache worsened. It was a sharp pain in my left ear, or a constant dizziness/pressure feeling that prevented me from doing anything. I tried talking to my chiropractor, took multiple visits to the ENT and PCP, I was prescribed antibiotics, told it was stress, and there was nothing to be done.

A loved one made a point, “what if it’s from skipping your period two months ago?”. I brushed it off, but it always stuck in the back of my head. I was now three months into a headache that I had every day. My dizziness got so bad to the point I went to the ER. I was taken in for a CT scan and was given a “migraine cocktail”. As someone with a lot of anxiety, especially regarding her health, I thought the worst case possible, whether it be cancer or a debilitating disease. My CT was clear, thank God. However, I had no answers. I cried every night and felt so defeated. We ruled out nerve problems, TMJ, and major trauma. I then thought of the pill.

After a conversation with my therapist and boyfriend, I decided I wanted to see if this tiny pill truly caused all this damage. I had a neurology appointment coming up and tried to detox my body from the synthetic hormones.

The first few days off the pill (unsure if it was a placebo effect or something) but I felt great. The mental clarity was amazing. My head still hurt, I was still scared, but I felt more “human” again.

I was finally able to see a neurologist. I told her my story, and she agreed the pain could be triggered by the hormonal changes. My blood work came back clear, my MRI and MRA were clear, and my EEG was clear. This made me feel a lot better, but I was still terrified. Luckily, we found a method that worked to help my pain.

Though we managed the migraines, about three months post-pill, the anxiety emerged. I am going to be honest, in my nine years with anxiety, this is the worst it has ever been in my life. Along with physical symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, weakness in my limbs, heart palpitations, hair loss, acne, and being tired 24/7, I truly have never felt worse.

Though I read a lot of this can happen post-pill, I was so terrified for my life. Constantly feeling like something is wrong physically and mentally spiraled me into depression. Part of me still gets scared it is something more serious, and that there is no way the pill, and coming off it, could do this to me. But there is NOTHING else that I have changed besides this.

The feeling of doom and helplessness has been hard, and I know it is a huge process in getting my body and mind back to my pre-birth control self. I am working with a holistic practitioner, therapist, and gynecologist to bring me back to where I once was.

The Pill is a Band-aid

I wish I knew then, what I know now. I wish I knew that the pill depletes you of so many minerals, that it is now considered a carcinogen, and that it’s a band-aid, not a solution. I wish I knew my periods were so bad back then because of my diet and lifestyle, not because “it happens”. I wish I knew what I was getting into.

As for my cycle now, it is regular. I use Natural Cycles tracking. I did not ovulate my first cycle off the pill, but since then I have had normal ovulation and periods. My periods are much more manageable than they used to be, and I feel proud to be a woman and embrace the natural occurrences of my body. I constantly say, “I don’t know, I just feel like a woman again”. I never realized the true numbness the pill caused me to feel.

It is still an uphill battle, and I think it will take a bit for me to feel like myself again. Books regarding the menstrual cycle and hormones have been useful. In the Flo by Alisa Vitti and The Hormone Balance Bible by Dr. Shawn Tassone are my favorites. I have been given supplements and mineral recommendations by my holistic practitioner to take to replenish my body. My diet is centered around hormonal support and I have indulged myself in many new herbal teas and remedies to help me feel better. I have made a lot of lifestyle changes and am creating better habits for myself.

Though it has not been officially “diagnosed”, I do think I fall into the category of post-birth control syndrome. The physical symptoms, anxiety, and depression have been difficult, but I know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Some days are better than others, but no matter what, I am blessed to have seen the brighter side of things and know I will be ok. Just know, you are not alone, it is not just in your head, and I promise, it will get better.

Share Your Experience

If you would like to share your experience with hormonal birth control or any other medication, send us a note.

We Need Your Help

More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

Yes, I would like to support Hormones Matter.

Photo by Sharon Waldron on Unsplash.

Profits Over People: Medication Risk and Drug Company Misconduct

by Morgan Statt

Published on July 20, 2022

8.7K views

If you haven’t read Chandler Marrs’ article on the safety of medications, take a moment to do so and understand that no medication is, as Marrs puts it, “perfectly safe.” I’m here to reaffirm this harsh pill to swallow (pun intended) through the telling of my own experience and the showcasing of research that reveals just how much sway Big Pharma has over the safety of medications.

I was 20 years old when I decided to take my doctor’s advice and go on hormonal birth control to help regulate my periods. I remember my mother, a registered nurse who worked in a local hospital, voicing her concerns about the oral contraceptive. At the time, she was seeing quite a few girls my age come in with clotting complications related to the pill.

Thinking I knew what was best for me, I ignored her advice to stay off of the medication. I was comforted in knowing that almost every single one of my close friends was taking some form of birth control, and they were fine. I’d be fine too.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Two months later, I was in the emergency room with a bilateral pulmonary embolism or multiple blood clots in my lungs. What I originally thought was a relatively safe medication turned out to be a life-threatening decision. Suddenly gone forever was my notion that any medications I was prescribed would be taken without risk.

After six months on blood thinners to dissolve the clots, I went back to living my life normally, both clot and birth control-free.

Fast forward four years, and I’m reading news stories discussing the thousands of lawsuits that have been filed against the makers of Xarelto, the same blood thinner I was prescribed to help me recover from my embolism. Although I suffered no complications from the medication, I was clearly one of the lucky ones this time. The anticoagulant, which is still on the market today, has no known antidote to reverse its blood-thinning effects, and it has caused so many severe internal bleeding incidents and deaths that legal action has been taken.

Prior to doing any research, my emergency room experience would have made me cast aside the lawsuits as frivolous. There’s a risk with any medication; I can’t deny that I knew the risks before I opted to take birth control. But, didn’t they also know the risks before agreeing to take the blood thinner just like I did?

Drug Company Misconduct

After digging deeper, I realized there was a bigger issue at hand. Drug companies wield an incredible amount of influence within the healthcare sphere that can lead to the approval of medications that should never find their way into patients’ hands in the first place. A major showcase of this influence is seen in Big Pharma’s ability to fund clinical trials.

These clinical trials must be conducted before a drug is approved for market, and funding has typically come from government sources like the National Institutes of Health. But in recent years, more and more industry-funded clinical trials are taking place, meaning that drug companies can sponsor their own medications studies. Critics of this funding allowance point to the fact that the potential for financial gain can lead to a conflict of interests. Companies that have a vested interest in a drug’s approval because it brings a boost in profits could favor positive outcomes while ignoring any negative results.

In the case of Xarelto’s industry-funded clinical trial, it was discovered that Johnson & Johnson withheld information from the FDA that would have highlighted the blood thinner’s inferiority to its comparison warfarin. During the study, 14,000 patients were given an overdose of the traditional anticoagulant due to the use of a faulty blood-testing device, decidedly skewing the results. The design of the company-sponsored trial also limited the distribution of Xarelto to once-a-day dosing that weakened the medication’s effects on participants. With less severe side effects being observed because of the smaller dose, Xarelto’s clinical trial looked favorable for the new experimental drug.

We see a similar story of clinical trial misconduct being told with another blood-thinning medication, Pradaxa. Pradaxa was put through an industry-funded study whose poor trial design led to FDA approval. Critics point out that there was probable cause for bias since it failed to be a double-blind study. Its trial participants were also made up of a demographic of people who were less likely to be prescribed the medication once it hit the market.

The FDA went on to approve the anticoagulant despite the lack of an antidote, but its decision was based on the fact that Pradaxa “wasn’t inferior” to traditional warfarin. This labeling could bring the drug to market, but it wouldn’t be able to give manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim a leg up in its promotion of the medication. Therefore, the drug company requested that Pradaxa be labeled as “superior” to warfarin in its ability to reduce strokes so that it could make this claim in its marketing materials. The FDA granted the company’s request, decidedly ignoring its original concerns with the blood thinner.

Pradaxa hit the market without an antidote just like Xarelto, and I bet you can guess what happened next. Thousands of patients taking the medication suffered severe internal bleeding complications and even succumbed to the side effects. Like Johnson & Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim faced a shocking number of Pradaxa lawsuits and created a $650 million settlement fund in 2014 to satisfy the claims.

Profits Over People

We cannot deny that every medication presented to us comes with some sort of risk to our overall health and well-being. I suffered the risks of birth control but miraculously avoided the complications associated with Xarelto. Costs and benefits are just a fact of the pharmaceutical industry.

But, the issue lies in the influence of Big Pharma. If drug companies, who are so clearly focused on boosting their profit margins, can impact clinical trials in such a way that it costs patients more than it benefits them, where do we draw the line?

It will take massive changes in the drug approval process and overall state of healthcare before we can start to see patient lives being placed above profits. But, what we can do is stay informed and educated on the prescriptions we’re taking. There is a lot going on behind the scenes before a medication makes its way into that little orange pill bottle, and it’s up to us as consumers to do our research, look into the possible complications, and voice any and all concerns with our doctors.

We Need Your Help

More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, and like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

Yes, I would like to support Hormones Matter.

Image by Thomas Breher from Pixabay.

This article was first published in January 2018.

Banging My Head Against the Wall: Questioning Birth Control Safety

by Mike Gaskins

Published on April 25, 2022

7.6K views

My position as a women’s health advocate is frequently challenged merely because I am a man. I’m okay with that because it’s a valid point. I will never experience firsthand many of the issues that concern me. However, I don’t believe that means I should be forced to remain silent on matters related to women’s health. My passion for the cause is nurtured by a dear love for my wife and daughters, as well as for my sisters and nieces, not to mention fond memories of a loving mother who lost her life to estrogen-sensitive breast cancer. It is with them in mind that I would like to issue a challenge of my own:

If you truly care about the health of women, take a moment to consider where you stand on birth control and think critically about why you stand there.

Visions of Utopia

I celebrated the recent news that a jury awarded Dewayne Johnson $289 million in his lawsuit against Monsanto. The former school groundskeeper sued the makers of Roundup for not being forthcoming with customers about the dangers of their product. He believed the glyphosate in Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the jury agreed.

I was ecstatic to see the subsequent momentum—the number of lawsuits against Monsanto jumped to about 8,000, and Vietnam actually demanded Monsanto pay victims of Agent Orange, another Monsanto product and a chemical cousin of glyphosate.

People were finally paying attention to the horrible consequences of using this toxic chemical. For a moment, I thought this might translate to hormonal contraceptives. (I’m not sure how I made that leap, but Utopian visions aren’t generally known for being bound by rational thought.) At any rate, I was sure people would start turning on birth control just as they were with Roundup.

Suing for Side Effects

Then, reality set in. Those 8,000 lawsuits will probably settle and soon be forgotten. Before we know it, people will freely be spraying Roundup again, and Monsanto will be off the hook because they will do so knowing the risks.

The connection between Roundup and hormonal contraceptives is actually much stronger than it may first seem. Monsanto’s parent company, Bayer, also manufactures other toxic chemicals, which represent the most popular birth control brands in the world – and these brands have legal issues of their own. Yaz/Yasmin paid out $2.04 billion to settle over 10,000 blood-clot lawsuits as of January 2016. They paid another $57 million to heart attack and stroke victims, and $21.5 million for gallbladder damage. Those numbers have likely increased, as several thousand cases remain unsettled and more suits are being filed each day.

It Begins with One

The Roundup avalanche began with one person. At least for a day or two, everyone knew who Dewayne Johnson was. His case focused a lot of attention on the risks of Roundup and the manufacturer’s willingness to overlook those dangers for the sake of profits.

There are innumerable heartbreaking stories of young women who have been maimed or killed by their birth control. Any one of these could have been ‘the One’ that launched an avalanche against hormonal birth control. These stories fill the internet. Let’s pick one.

In 2011, the Canadian Broadcast Company (CBC) ran a story about a mother who was suing Bayer Healthcare for the death of her daughter. A healthy 18-year old, Miranda Scott went to the gym after 5-weeks on Yasmin. She collapsed while on the elliptical machine unable to breathe. An autopsy revealed she died from pulmonary emboli, blood clots in the lungs. It was only after her death that her mother began researching Yasmin, and discovered it was the likely cause of her blood clots and very early death.

At this point, Bayer had already paid out over $1 billion in blood clot related settlements. But, here’s how they responded to the lawsuit in a statement to the CBC:

“We are very disappointed in Justice Crane’s decision to certify a class in Ontario in an ongoing lawsuit regarding Yaz and Yasmin. No decision has been made on the merits of the case. We have filed a request with the Court for leave to appeal the decision and are evaluating our legal options… At Bayer patient safety comes first and we fully stand behind, Yaz and Yasmin.”

Seven years have passed since Miranda Scott’s death, and Bayer has paid out another billion-plus dollars in settlements. I understand why Bayer still stands behind their product – it’s a moneymaker, which honestly probably ranks a little higher than patient safety in their eyes. What I can’t understand is why women’s health advocates still stand behind hormonal birth control.

The Birth Control Ideology

The narrative has been defined in such a way that ‘birth control’ equals ‘The Pill’ equals ‘Women’s Rights.’ This is incredibly fortunate for the pharmaceutical companies because any ‘attack’ on their product can be spun as an attack on Women’s Rights.

So, here’s where I challenge you to rethink your stance on birth control as it relates to hormonal contraceptives in three quick steps:

1) Research the Risks of Birth Control

Go to your favorite search engine and type, “Oral Contraceptives + [pick a disease/side effect/complication]” and scroll through the results. You don’t even have to invest a lot of time; just read the headlines and synopses to get a feel for what’s out there. Do this with 3 or 4 different complications that seem really diverse.

One of the enduring statements from the Nelson Pill Hearings was that these potent little pills leave no tissue unaffected. For me, this exercise drove home that point. It’s pretty incredible to contemplate the breadth of the myriad complications. Just consider some of the ones I’ve written about on this website – depression, hair loss, lupus, multiple sclerosis, migraines, infertility, and irritable bowel disease.

2) Why Just The Pill?

These days, hormonal contraceptives can be delivered via rings, patches, injectables, or IUDs. The vehicle doesn’t really matter. They’ve all been shown to have their own inherent risks. So, why are they usually considered the only choice when it comes to family planning?

When The Pill first came out, Dr. David Clark, a world-renowned neurologist mused that it had been granted a sort of “diplomatic immunity” because of irrational fears of overpopulation. Today, that diplomatic immunity has been galvanized by its equally irrational alignment with Women’s Rights.

Why irrational? Consider this. Holly Grigg-Spall wrote Sweetening The Pill, a wonderful book on the dangers of The Pill, its addictive qualities, and the corporate motivations behind its promotion. Hollywood producers approached her about developing a documentary on the same topic. She wrote about the disheartening experience for Hormones Matter. After investing a lot of herself into the project, she received an email from one of the other women working on the project expressing her thought that

“…there was always a small concern in the back of my mind about unintentionally aiding the right-wing agenda.”

I felt Holly’s pain as I read the article. I know what it’s like to pour yourself into a project, only to have it grind to a halt. But on a deeper level, I felt her frustration with the ‘system’ (for lack of a better word.) Whenever I hear something like this, I think of a quote often attributed to Golda Mier, “We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.”

To paraphrase, we will only be able to prioritize women’s health (and rights) when we care more about exposing the risks of birth control than we worry about giving ammunition to our political rivals.

3) Are There Birth Control Options?

In her enlightening book, Reproductive Rights and Wrongs, Betsy Hartmann breaks down the fallacy of overpopulation in the Third World and demonstrates how population control policies influenced the current look of birth control here in the US. She writes:

“Married to population control, family planning has been divorced from the concern for women’s health and well-being that inspired the first feminist crusaders for birth control…A family planning program designed to improve health and to expand women’s control over reproduction looks very different indeed from one whose main concern is to reduce birth rates as fast as possible.”

She suggests that if a contraceptive policy was truly concerned with women’s health, it would do more to promote barrier methods that also protect against sexually transmitted diseases, or natural methods that allow for child spacing without introducing internal pollutants to the woman’s body.

In fact, natural forms of fertility awareness have enjoyed growing popularity among young women in recent years. This shouldn’t be confused with the highly ineffective rhythm method. Nor is it exclusive to religious-based ‘natural family planning.’ While the Creighton Model and Billings Method have begun to appeal to women outside the Roman Catholic faith, there are also successful secular versions of fertility awareness available from sources like the Red Tent Sisters.

Planned Parenthood claims that fertility awareness methods are only about 80% effective. However, a report published in the Osteopathic Journal of Medicine in 2013 found the overall effectiveness of fertility awareness methods when used correctly to be greater than 95% (Creighton 99.5%; Billings 97%). Another study of poor urban women in Delhi found the Billings Method to be 99.86% effective. These numbers are comparable to The Pill, but without all the risks.

Take Aways

For a deeper dig into this topic, I highly recommend the two eye-opening books previously referenced: Reproductive Rights and Wrongs and Sweetening The Pill.

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We Need Your Help

More people than ever are reading Hormones Matter, a testament to the need for independent voices in health and medicine. We are not funded and accept limited advertising. Unlike many health sites, we don’t force you to purchase a subscription. We believe health information should be open to all. If you read Hormones Matter, like it, please help support it. Contribute now.

Yes, I would like to support Hormones Matter.

Image credit: PxHere; CCO public domain

This article was published originally on September 27, 2018.

birth control - Page 2

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Summary

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Hormoneously Alone – A Birth Control Documentary

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Severe Mood Swings, Painful Breasts, and Intense Hunger

Skipping a Period and New Onset Headache

The Pill is a Band-aid

Share Your Experience

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Drug Company Misconduct

Profits Over People

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Visions of Utopia

Suing for Side Effects

It Begins with One

The Birth Control Ideology

1) Research the Risks of Birth Control

2) Why Just The Pill?

3) Are There Birth Control Options?

Take Aways

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