Let’s say that I suggested you eat something everyday that could potentially cause weight gain, mood swings, breast tenderness, breast cancer, blood clotting, heart attack and stroke, migraines, gall bladder disease, increased blood pressure, nausea, benign liver tumors, and had no ingredient list to be found, would you eat it? What if I suggested you bathe the cells that make up your body in synthetic chemicals and petroleum waste, oil-slick-style like that wee little unlucky ducky up there, would you bathe in it?
The answer, ladies, is yes. Yes you would. Well most of you would, most of you do and for several years I did too.
Oh The Pill. It has brought us the freedom to have careless sex whenever our sweet little libidos desire. Too bad The Pill kicks the libido to the ground, packs extra junk on to the trunk and makes us crazier than we already may be. I’ll admit I did it from the age of 17 to about 24 I think. I got a little fat, a lot crazy and increased my risk of cancer. Seven years later when I realized this was doing nothing for my health, I went off it and promptly grew a beard. Seriously! My team of estheticians and I have been battling my furry face ever since.
That is what f-bombing around with our hormones does, and that is just the parts we can see.
Before you get your knickers in a knot and email me the thousand and five ways The Pill has helped you manage things like acne, heavy periods, ovarian cysts etc., all I will ask is this, has it healed anything? Has it cured anything? Has it resolved the root of the problem? As long as you are relying on anything to function ‘normally’, the problem or health challenge has not been healed or resolved and that is all I am going to say about that.
I am at a bit of a loss as to where to start with this so here we go with some interesting factoids pulled from here:
- 73 percent of women admit they have purchased one food item over another based on its ingredients
- 60 percent have bought an item of clothing based on its materials.
- Although 82 percent admit to not knowing what’s inside their birth control pills, 74 percent believe there are differences between birth control pills and 71 percent agree that certain ingredients may have certain advantages for them.
- More than 75% of women believe the specific type of progesterone in their birth control pills is important, but only two percent know that drospirenone is a form of progesterone.
Most of us failed to get out of our teens without being prescribed (often on our own request) a prescription drug that we would take daily, for years on end, that controlled something that was not fully developed, and definitely not in a balanced place; the endocrine or hormonal system of our body.
The birth control pill is considered by many to be the most socially significant medical advance of the twentieth century. I can’t help but wonder if the birth control pill didn’t also contribute to the dramatic level of breast cancer in the women who were getting it on free-love style in the 60′s as the first Pill Guinea Pigs. I wonder if the common mood swing side effects don’t contribute to the incredible quantity of mood and nervous system altering drugs we are now being prescribed (what’s a little zanax, celexa and zoloft between friends?). I also wonder if the pill (perhaps better referred to as the estrogen supplement) has also contributed to how digestively dysfunctional most women are through their 20′s, infertile into their 30′s, raving sex fiends into their 40′s and viciously sweaty and angry at all men into their 50′s with menopause.
See, the pill wreaks havoc on our body biochemically, from a hormonal perspective as well as from a nutritional perspective. If we never correct these imbalances, don’t we continue to tip further and further out of balance? Yes we do ladies. Yes we do. And then we grow beards and have to get IVF in order to get knocked up after spending ten years doing our best not to get knocked up.
The pill works by inhibiting the development of the egg in the ovaries. Lower estrogen levels will trigger the pituitary gland to sneeze out the hormone that triggers egg development. The pill, however, releases enough synthetic estrogen to inhibit that hormone from being released. The pill also contains progestin, another synthetic hormone that increases the thickness of cervical mucous and puts a hold on the development of the uterine lining which further helps to prevent the spermees from making its way to any eggy. But since you’ve taken the pill, you of course know exactly how that works, right?
Another interesting factoid I discovered in my research is that shortly after the birth control pill was introduced, the high falooten ladies supposed to be taking it, began to raise concerns about side effects and safety. As early as 1961, reports were circulating claiming that the birth control pill increased a woman’s risk of suffering a stroke or a heart attack by causing blood clotting. In 1965, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided a scientist to study the side effects of the birth control pill and established an Advisory Committee on Obstetrics and Gynecology to study the relationship between oral contraceptives and blood clotting, increased risk of breast, cervical, and endometrial cancer. This committee established by the FDA, reported that it had found no evidence to render the birth control pill unsafe for human use. Of course. Does this surprise any of us? I think it would be tougher to find a study done by the FDA that finds any drug, chemical, or any other man-made substance to be unsafe for human use and/or consumption. But goodness forbid hemp be grown in the United States. That would be dangerous.
To its credit, the FDA called for a larger study on the effects of the birth control pill on blood clotting later determining that the pill hadn’t been used long to study these effects. It was also determined that studies as to whether the pill increased risk of breast, cervical, or endometrial cancer were inconclusive and required longer study periods. I think those results are in.
- Post a comment here = 1 entry
- RSS/Email subscribe to my blog = 1 entry
- Twitter the contest = 1 entry
- Blog the contest = 2 entries
- Join the Making Love In The Kitchen Facebook Group = 1 entry
- Follow moi on Twitter = 1 entry
- Become a Facebook Fan of Red Tent Sisters = 1 entry
- Follow Red Tent Sisters on Twitter = 1 entry
References
http://www.naturalnews.com/z021886.html)
http://ezinearticles.com/?Just-Say-No-to-Birth-Control-Pills&id=2763704http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/35663.php
Elson M. Haas M.D, Staying Healthy with Nutrition
Contraception, 1998; 57: 381-4
British Medical Journal, 2008; 336: 59-60
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Birth-Control-Pill.html#ixzz0W6iRm3XV
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Birth-Control-Pill.html#ixzz0W6hsB3Tn
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Birth-Control-Pill.html#ixzz0W6i8kUUC|
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-4/Birth-Control-Pill.html#ixzz0W6hm7OQ0
http://www.fwhc.org/health/moon.htm
PDF 
Facebook
Flickr
LinkedIn
Twitter
RSS
Youtube
iTunes
amen and amen. my years of being doped up on crohns drugs taught me not to eat strange pills in nice packages… never touched the pill (well, THAT pill) and never will an proud of it!
have you head about the newest pill that “lets” you only have four periods a year or someting bonkers like that? they advertise it as like, liberating yourself from nature…so messed up!
After over 10 years of being on the pill, I took my last one in July and haven’t looked back. It’s been an adjustment (currently using Natural Family Planning methods) but the husband has been great and the conversations that have come from the change have deepened our connection and level of intimacy. My body has changed for the better (hello flatter tummy and thinner thighs!) and I feel so.much.better. I had no idea I had been miserable for all those years because it felt so “normal”. Thanks for bringing this info to all the ladies here. I’m trying to spread the word in my life (my lil sis is on Seasonal, ugh!, and mother just went on HRT! Do they listen when I talk?!?!?)
Oh! and I’m all up in the facebook business with you and the Red Tent : )
Thanks for the fab post! I will be sending this link to the special ladies in my life. At 6 months ‘pill free’, I have never felt better
Anyone know of the effect of b.c. on your libido?
I know this is a serious topic and very well written post but I can’t stop laughing at the image of you growing a beard.
I remember talking to you and Nicole after our cooking classes about the lovely ladies at Red Tent and how they were instrumental in helping me to shed my nasty pill “habit”.
The hormonal side effects of the pill are pretty scary. I was really becoming a crazy person. There are also a ton of scary environmental side effects (such as the stream of estrogen millions of women are peeing out) if the blot clots of other scary possibilities aren’t enough to scare you away.
It’s been 7 months since I’ve been off the pill and I feel great. Justisse is a fantastic method of birth control and I love how tuned in I am to what my body is doing.
AWESOME POST!
Love it!
I was on the pill for 5 years, went off of it when I was diagnosed with crohn’s. Although I breakout around my period now, I know I am healthier off of it. My acupuncturist has been TRYING to make my hormones work better for months now, I totally blame the pill for everything being out of whack.
BTW, I was on the 4 period a year one for about 2 years, when I went off, I didn’t get my period for 8 months! YEA, that’s healthy!
Amen, sister! Thank God I had a moment of clarity several years ago after nearly chasing down a meter maid in a fit of fury for writing me a ticket and the next month, finding myself sobbing in a heap on the kitchen floor (let’s call it: Making Crazy in the Kitchen). Been off the stuff ever since.
I was on the pill for just over a year and I was also one of those unfortunate women who grew a beard…except instead of hair it was acne…like I had never had it before!
The ironic thing was that I had gone on the pill in the first place to help my skin (despite my mum’s begging and pleading not to). I had aggressive acne for about a year and half after I went off the pill and it wasn’t until I made some dietary changes and found a good homeopathic remedy that I really healed my skin (the right way- from the inside out!).
Not to be dramatic, but going on the pill was one of the biggest health choice mistakes I’ve made in my life. I feel I’m back to normal now, but man, what an ordeal!
i recently went off the pill after a year and a half of gynecological issues which my doctor believes may be influenced by the hormones.
i’m sincerely hoping that the issues start fixing themselves in the near future.
interestingly, i’ve found the crazy to have decreased since being off the pill… and i’ve lost weight, so there you go
Oh man, I’m so excited for this information…
I’ve let go of a lot of my unhealthy vices so far but BIRTH CONTROL…I know it’s evil but oh so convenient – you might just have convince me to say goodbye to my pink little pills.
Thanks for the awesome post!!
People make fun of Natural Family Planning but it WORKS. No hormones, no drugs, and for some women (notably Catholics) fits the religious requirements nicely. Nature is always best!
Funny, I was just talking about this the other day with a girlfriend (we’re both Catholic, she wants me off contraceptives, I’m hooked, like Blaine) but I really need more information first. I would *love* to go off it…. I’ve been on it a very, very, very long time (I won’t say a number, but it’s more than the 10yrs mentioned!).
Look forward to more posts about this. Thanks Meghan!
I just stopped using nuvaring about two weeks ago (which I’m sure as is bad for me if not worse than the pill) so this contest is happening at the perfect time!
I am already feeling better -no stomach cramps, no constipation, no crazy mood swings!
In response to Samantha’s question about libido – loss of libido can indeed be a side effect of b.c. I had that side effect and it was absolutely no fun at all.
The pill, in my opinion, was one of the factors that caused my disease. Nothing good can come from it!! The Justisse Kit sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing
Somehow, I knew, I was doing a good thing by not being on any of those pills even when my derm kept on stressing it for my acne/beard problem. I knew those pills weren’t any good. I just knew it. Plus my bf advised me against it. But I did take morning after pill, I think, about 3 times in my lifetime and I think it might have done some damage as I can’t get pregnant and been trying for 3 years now.
Anyway..so here’s my list:
- subscribed to Meghan’s blog – check
- already on Meghan’s facebook group – check
- Fan of Red Tent Sisters – check
- Blogged Meghan on Facebook – check
- Following Meghan and Red Tent on Twitter – check, check
- Twittered the contest – check
I think you owe me 9 enteries now.
I didnt realize how much of an effect the pill was having on my libido till I kicked it to the curb. I just thought it was part of who I was and that there was nothing I could really do about it. Now my libido is back with a vengeance and my partner and I couldnt be happier
Thanks for spreading the word on this!
I do not wish to enter the contest, as I am currently pregnant, but I would like to post on the effect birth control use has had on me and 2 of my closest girlfriends as we all tried (or are still trying) to get pregnant. One friend and I are now pregnant, thankfully, but we both had our share of difficulties in getting pregnant. I suffered a miscarriage in March, I believe, because the birth control hormones were still surging through my body. My friend could not get pregnant for a year and a half, stopped having a period altogether, and had to take clomid to kick-start her ovaries into ovulating again. My other friend has been trying now for a year and a half, and is finally opting to go through IVF treatments to try to get pregnant. All of us were completely screwed up by the pill. But Ob-gyns prescribe it like you would give a kid candy, and it’s ridiculous. And sadly, when we are prescribed it as teenagers, we are rarely able to look at the health detriments and problems it may cause us years down the road, since we’re horny teenagers! Even now when I talk to some of my younger friends who are on the pill, they don’t want to hear it and think the pill is great and that fertility problems caused by it could never happen to them. It’s so sad how misinformed women today are about the consequences of taking the pill.
I’ve been on the pill for, lets see..7 years now I think.
I first went on it to “regulate” my cycle because my period was extremely painful and lasted over 10 days every time. I didn’t really know of another option for myself. I have been on it ever since.
I always knew there were side effects and risks, and if I had another option to regulate my cycle and act as birth control I would gladly take it.
At the same time, I have never experienced any problems from the pill while on it. And I am also a bit nervous to try any other method because 1) I’m scared it won’t be effective and 2) I’m scared my old “cycle” problems will return.
That said, I do want to stop putting all these synthetic hormones into my body, even though it seems they have helped me more than hurt me. So its easier said that done.
I’ll keep reading your future posts and do my own research and then go from there!
Thanks for the info
FABULOUS article Meghan! Can’t wait to read the rest this week!
I had been on the pill for almost 15 years before I decided to get pregnant, which thankfully happened very easily for me after stopping the pill. Coincedentally though, I spent 15 years of my life trying to figure out why I felt so crappy and soooo CRAZY! Once I stopped breastfeeding I went back on the pill without thinking. Not only did I notice a distinct change in my physical well-being, my crazies started to come back in full force! When I mentioned how intense my PMS started to become, what did my doctor suggest? Putting me on a continuous birth control pill so that I never had periods! For about 5 minutes I thought “wow, wouldn’t that be amazing?”… then I realized how bonkers it sounded… talk about messing with nature. YIKES! The next morning I threw out my birth control pills and have never looked back. I’m still working on undoing what I did to my body for half my life, (including those nasty chin hairs!) but I started feeling better within a week of being off the pill!
I don’t know that I would have put all of this together had I not become reaquainted with you Meghan. Thanks to you, I find myself questioning everything I put into my body now… even when the doctor tells me it’s ok.
I was put on the pill when I was 14 because I was having very heavy and long periods. I went off the pill at age 19. That was 12 years ago. My endocrine system is completely jacked. Infertility, mood swings, unpredictable periods, a beard, all of it. None of these things run on the family and my doctors do not know why. Their solution? They want me to go back on the pill. Hahaha! I’ll stick with electrolysis, herbs, oils and acupuncture.
I forgot to add, I’ll pass on the contest. I’m trying to become pregnant, not prevent it. Heehee!
I think the BCP was one of the factors leading to a shut down of my endocrine system… first thyroid and then my pancreas. Devastating losses. But I have healed myself from digestive disease and am as natural as possible now… would never take that little pill again!
I would love to win your contest and have a natural way to hold off on a third child!!
i was on the pill for 5-6 years and went off 1 year and 3 months ago…….still waiting for the period to come back. im not producing estrogen and hormones are just everywhere. acne like crazy….vitex calmed my mood swings and ive just started taking maca. acupuncture, chinese herbs, ahhh i dont know what else to do to build a lining and shed. meghan, any suggestions?
Thank you for doing this series, Meghan!
meg, in theory i agree with a lot of this post, but i have to clarify that taking the pill has been repeatedly and convincingly associated with a decrease in risk of developing endometrial (uterine lining) and ovarian cancers.
science aside, i hate the way the pill makes me feel, and will not ever be taking it again! what’s the point in birth control if you don’t want to have sex?
I think I’m becoming grateful that my body freaks out over so many things, because it’s actually protecting me from more long-term effects when I feel it in the short term. From age 18 to 28 I tried a handful of Pills, plus NuvaRing, the Patch, and even an IUD, all of which kicked my ass in some way or another and required that I give it all up. The problem? I’ve never, ever had regular periods. So I can’t even effectively use NFP, even though I’ve tried. I’ve been looking for another (healthy) option for ages. I’ll be reading intently!
I’m already subscribed to your Twitter Feed, RSS your blog, and a fan of you on Facebook.
Hi Meghan!
I’m finally de-lurking to say how much I love your blog and am so happy that you are writing these posts ( toxic sticks of death and now this series on the pill, among others) to talk about topics that aren’t readily covered elsewhere.
A year ago I both switched from the pill (crazies, libido problems and cost) and tampons (love the Diva cup!) and couldn’t be happier with my choices.
I’m hoping that your articles will suggest some natural ways to deal with the acne that I am now struggling with since switching off of the hormones. When asked, my doctor’s solution was to prescribe antibiotics, which I never ended up taking. There has got to be a better way….
(if a private e-mail discussion is a better way to go, I’m all for that too)
I’m looking forward to the continuation of this posting – I’ve always felt kind of funny about birth control, and that’s why I’ve stayed off it most of my life (except that one year when my doctor suggested I take it to “regulate” my cycle – i was a fat little shy kid who just didn’t know any better).
Let’s not forget that the pill gave us a measure of our freedom back – but it has served its purpose and it’s well past time for the next breakthrough!
Great post!! I am really looking forward to the rest of them this week. I was on the pill for a year when I was with my ex-boyfriend and now I look back and wonder how he could stand me bursting into tears for no reason and getting really angry the 3rd Friday of every month before my period. Those damn hormones had my emotions flying all over the place, it’s a wonder my ex ever wanted to sleep with me!
I’m now single for reasons other than my crazy emotions getting in the way of my relationship
and on no birth control, but I really would like to know your suggestions for preventing pregnancy (besides abstinence) which I can use during my next relationship. Thanks!!
Cant wait to read all about this in the following blogs. I have done everything so put me down for 9 entries please
I definitely need to read more. Every time I tried the pill it made me very very sick. Constant migraines, muscles pains, joint pains, tiredness and just general ill health. Four children later and I definitely need to sort something out!
I’m so glad you’re taking this up — I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the week!
Never been on the pill. Wish that I had been so I would have something to blame my infertility, acne, mood swings, etc. on, but I’ll have to attribute them to other sources instead.
Every time I looked at taking the pill – for my difficult periods, for my acne, etc., I ended up deciding that the risks were too great.
I’d be interested in what others have to report about getting rid of acne as well. Currently on a high-concentration cortisone cream and waiting for a referral to a specialist.
pdw
I’ve been looking forward to your writing posts related to the pill even before you mentioned it in your series about tampons. Cannot wait to learn more this week and figure out alternatives!
Three years on the pill led me to having to be on celexa to try and fix the crazies it caused! Now I am on neither and never want to be again! I am always looking to explore other methods of birth control, so I am looking forward to what new things I might learn this week!
I started taking the pill last February because of my skin problems. It has helped, and my doctor also said the pill can decrease the risk of ovarian cancer.
I’ve actually lost weight since starting (eating less crap), have not had my sex drive affected, have lighter periods with less cramping, and have really had no noticeable ill effects at all.
As for raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, etc., that’s true for a lot of things. If we put that warning on the side of McDonald’s fries, would people stop eating them?
After doing an education training program through Planned Parenthood, I can at least say that for every study saying the pill is bad, there is one saying it’s good. That’s the nature of all studies and statistics, and thank God we live in a country where people at least have the choice.
Let me put it this way, I despise the pill! I really haven’t had any crazy episodes, but I have noticed steady weight gain and a steady decrease in my libido through the 6 years of taking it. But, I am also not ready to get pregnant and right now I feel like I’m trapped into taking it because I have not been able to find reliable research for a new method. I’m really looking forward to the rest of this series for alternatives to my hormonal nemesis.
I follow your blog in with Google reader and follow both you and Red Tent Sisters on facebook.
I never felt so out of touch with my body as I did when I was on the pill!
Let me preface this by saying that I would not trade either of my two children for anything, but my first child was a surprise and led to 10 years in a miserable marriage. I am now divorced and have no intention of having more kids. However, I was also wary of having my tubes tied, so I went on the pill. Not only did I feel like a hormonal mess, gain 10lbs, feel all ‘controlled’ (my un-chemical period always fell on lunar events – new moons, etc. I loved that!), but when I started to get chloasma on my upper lip that looked like a moustache, I said ‘no way!’ and went off it 2 months ago.
But – and – while I know natural planning works, I’m not willing to risk it, which is why I went with the non hormonal IUD. They have such a bad rep, but I researched it and found that it is not really deserved. I LOVE it! My hormones are back to normal. It’s nothing I have to think about or take every day. I can leave it in for 10 years. It’s safe. I have my old (lunar) cycle back! And my chloasma moustache is nearly faded! I wish I would have known about it years and years ago!!! There is a free Itunes podcast on Stuff Your Mom Never Told You about the IUD that I highly recommend if you are interested.
Just my 2 cents for anyone who may be in the same boat as me!
i was on the pill for 10 years, originally for acne (and because i wanted to get laid and not worry about babies, but that’s not the part i told my parents
. turns out, after going off the pill, that all it did was cause such an imbalance in my gut flora that my acne became a bigger issue and harder to solve than had i never taken that devil pill in the first place. oh, and i was a lunatic when i was on it. finally getting the acne under control, no thanks to the crazy pills.
Love this article! You are so great, Meghan!
Arg, my dermatologist prescribed Yasmin to me because I have acne rosacea and end up with huge zits on my chin that leave ugly scars behind. I HATE being on the pill and want to get off of it but I’m not looking forward to the gynormous zits and scarring again. :/ I don’t know what to do.
Great post. I have heard horror stories with the pill. It was never for me.
* Post a comment here = 1 entry
* RSS/Email subscribe to my blog = 1 entry
* Join the Making Love In The Kitchen Facebook Group = 1 entry
Really interested in this — I just went off the pill last week. My husband and I aren’t ready to have kids (hi, grad school) and he’s very concerned about this. Would love to learn more about this.
Meghan Telpner get out of my brain! Seriously, I’ve been looking for a reason to ditch my pill and have heard of this temperature method thingy but didn’t know how to search for it on the internet (temperature sex thingy isn’t a very reliable search).
I feel guilty for entering every competition you have going, but I would love to win this Justisse prize.
Yes! Pill ditching plan = December 31st 2009.
Meghan, thank you for being brave enough to tackle this somewhat controversial issue! What you said really resonated with my beliefs and experience about and with the Pill.
Thanks for helping to keep women healthy and to spread the word about these issues!
I finally went off the pill 2 months ago. I started when I was about 14 because of super heavy periods and other then a few years for trying to get pregnant and being pregnant (2 boys) I stayed on it. It was super hard for me to get pregnant the 2nd time (the boys are 5 years apart) and since going off I’m honestly not sure I’ve ovulated. I got your moon cycle guide when you first offered it but have been a little lazy, ok a lot, and very much plan on reading through it now.
I subscribe by RSS
I follow you on twitter
I’m a fan on facebook
I’m now following red tent sisters on twitter
great article! def. resonated w/my experience and relief to be off it. I’ve been using Fertility Awareness (w/’barrier’ when needed) for 3 years and I’d be charting even if i wasn’t using it for contraception! The information I’ve gained about my body & cycle & how to ‘treat myself’ throughout my cycle plus knowing exactly when to expect my periods ect ect….. priceless.
While it is important for all people to be ever vigilant over what we allow into, onto, and near our bodies, your argument against the pill smacks of the worst sort of logical reasoning:
The pill doesn’t have a readily accessible ingredient list, and it is kind of like a duck caught in an oil slick, and “I wonder” if it might cause breast cancer or make women “vicious, sweat and angry at all men.”
It is scary to put an unknown substance into your body, but all you are doing with your “I can’t help but wonder” argument, is freaking out women who are on the pill, and making them feel ashamed for being part of a patriarchal pharmaceutical system. The truth is that the pill is the most effective form of birth control available at this point. It has been developing for forty years and there are currently a variety of options, including some with dramatically lower estrogen levels. I look forward to reading any actual research you do, but please keep in mind that just because the pill was not the right decision for you, it is a personal choice that millions of conscientious and intelligent women make every day. It is not an easy decision to make for many of those women, but you are not providing any factual information to help with that decision. You are merely fear mongering and condescending.
I went on the pill almost 12 years ago when I was 16 to fix my cystic acne… went off it about 4 years ago and the acne came back straight away… I like the idea of going off the pill but the depression of acne is worse to me than the negative effects of the pill – I suspect that a sweet tooth / love of sugar doesn’t help things in the skin department but are there other things I can do to avoid the acne if I go off the pill?
Thanks for the post, this is such an important issue for women.
In fairness, most of the women who replied to this post had realised the problems they were having with the Pill before they read Meghan’s blog, Charles. And there doesn’t seem to be a lot of fear mongering going on.
I went off the Pill about 3 months ago and am delighted I did so. I feel more ‘me’, I love being in control of my cycle and I wish that I had asked more questions before I spent 8 years on it. I didn’t have a lot of the physical side effects, but I defintely felt the mental side effects over the years – just not feeling myself, feeling down, depressed etc. I feel like I’m finally starting to be more myself now. And I’ve lost about 5lbs without trying, which I didn’t expect.
I wish this was something people talked about more – it really is so taboo. Good on you for started the discussion!!
I would love to win the prize as it would really help me and my partner in our now pill-free relationship.
*I’ve commented
*I follow you on Twitter
*I follow the Red Tent Sisters
*I’m joined your facebook group
*I’m a fan of the Red Tent Sisters on Facebook
(5 entries)
thank you!!
Ironically I weighed just over 5lbs when I was born, heh
You’re welcome, no problem! I just think it’s great to talk about this, because people rarely do. It’s really sad that young women spend so much of their (our) lives trying not to get pregnant, and then when if we do decide that we want children, the hormonal contraceptives we’ve been using can cause problems.
It doesn’t seem fair, but I think we’re just not educated about our own bodies and how they work, and how there are certain times of the month we can get pregnant. Now, that’s not an excuse to just go ahead and have unsafe sex, but once we equip ourselves with the knowledge we need then we can make mature decisions that work best with our bodies.
Thanks again for opening up a fascinating dialogue about women’s health. Since the Toxic Sticks of Death week, I gave up tampons cold turkey and am looking into ordering a Diva Cup (amazingly, my local drug stores – in a university town!! – don’t carry them at all).
This post and all the comments are making me think twice about the decade I’ve spent on the Pill. I admit, the first 5 years weren’t bad. But since then I’ve had constant yeast infections and mood swings like crazy. It’s to the point that I look forward to getting my period, because I feel relatively normal (I know synthetic hormones are still coursing through my body, but the crazies do seem to go away).
I look forward to more of your posts this week!
i’m usually skeptical of any “pills” but if they’re made of natural ingredients, i would say why not? esp when they help with healthy body!
Fantastic article(s)! I have never taken any birth control in my 27 years, and I don’t intend to. Even from a young age I wondered how safe and healthy something like this could be… And as I became an adult, and then a nutritionist, I realized these things aren’t safe or healthy!! Thanks for exposing the facts in such a simple, enjoyable way.
p.s. Too funny about the beard – I think we all have a few whiskers here and there, but I really LOL’d when I read about your team of estheticians.
Ok, and I just had to say that I find it SO funny and ironic that the only person who really disagreed with this post was a man. So telling.
I have been using the Natural Methods “Lady Comp” for almost 3 years now (with no pregnancies to date!). It is easy to use, has no side effects, and gives us a lot of freedom (we only have to use a barrier method 5 or 6 days a month – although for the first few months it was more than this, as it takes a few cycles to get to know your body. If it seems a little pricey to you, think of the money you will save on future health care and days of work lost by not caring for your body. I think it is an excellent investment in your health and relationship and you can pay for it in monthly installment, which makes it easier.
This is also a great tool for those trying to get pregnant because you know when you are fertile. I love understanding what is going on with my body. Being fertile is not somehting that we should be able to shut on and off, but this allows us to make choices based on all the information that our bodies are constantly relaying to us. I highly recommend Natural Methods, especially for those of you who want natural birth control but are not organized enough to chart it yourself. By doubling up as an alarm clock and a thermometor, not to mention tracking and storing your basal temperature, the lady comp makes natural birth control (or family planning) a cinch! Check out the website that Meghan has posted and tell your friends! Let’s stop leaking synthetic estrogen into our water supply!
I, too, use the LadyComp (or the Pearly, actually, which is the smaller version of the same thing) and it has been amazing. My drug free body thanks me, and the fact that it will help me to GET pregnant just as easily as it has helped to NOT GET pregnant is, in itself, worth its weight in gold. Thanks, Emily, glad you mentioned our tool, or I was gonna do it myself:-)
please enter me……
This is interesting.
I know about the side effects of the pill, luckily haven’t experienced many, if any. I was on the pill for about 8 years, then went off for a year, and am now back on. I’m 32.
Your comments about the ailments of women in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, menopause… really very interesting, and will be something that I will chew on for a while.
I don’t think I’ll go off it. Not for a while anyway. It’s helped me in some areas, and I really do prefer this method of birth control (as does my husband).
However, again, I will let this marinate for a bit, and I do thank you for posting this.
What an interesting subject. I have been on the pill for 13 years and I’m only 27! Yikes! I use it to control acne, mostly. It has definitely given me horrible mood swings, depression and just where has my youthful sex drive gone? I also tuned in when you posted about tampons. It really made me wonder why I mindlessly put things into my wonderful body! Oye! No more!
Thank you so much.
The pill saved my butt though.
I was far, far more emotionally stable on it. I didn’t get horrendous cramps that kept me in bed for the first 2 days on my period. I was so exhausted with fatigue, but cramps too strong to be able to fall asleep, and a bucket next to my bed because the fatigue was too strong for me to be able to get up and puke in the toilet.
I never, ever want kids so I honestly don’t care if I end up infertile.
Hey everyone…I’m a guy, so like Charles, I’ve obviously never been on the pill, but I’ve often thought about how unfair it is that women are expected to take something that can have such unpredictable effects on their bodies.
I noticed a lot of people here talking about taking the pill for acne. Doesn’t the pill often cause acne too? I know some pills are designed to combat it, but I thought some of them could cause it.
[...] have surgery at the relatively young age of 34 is due in great part to being on the Pill. (The pill has many dangers; this is just [...]
[...] have surgery at the relatively young age of 34 is due in great part to being on the Pill. (The pill has many dangers; this is just [...]
[...] and lifestyle. I have also questioned general accepted conventions in our society like body image, the birth control pill, sunshine and cancer, artificial sweeteners, vaccinations, soda pop, the authority of doctors, high [...]
[...] The Pill: Sex, Drugs, and Mood Swings, Part 1 [...]
[...] facts about our little white friend, and alternative, natural methods of contraception. Here is the link to the first post in the series; no doubt you will avidly read [...]
Funny, this article was re:posted just at the right time. Today was my last pill day. We want to get pregnant, but first I have to go off my pills for my IBS symptoms and my anxiety (due to IBS-d)… I do think this is the first step though.
Any tips Meghan on those 2 things? I’m really struggling with both and I carry around a pharmacy in my purse, which saddens me because pre:IBS I never took a pill for anything…
Thank you for this post… all the comments were very interesting!
Unfortunately- those two Q’s fall into the health advice category and can’t answer via email/blog etc. Get yourself to a nutritionist!!!
Do you still have the unwanted hair problem, Meghan?
[...] The Pill: Sex, drugs and mood swings Part 1 [...]
That’s a whole other disaster unto itself.
The kit for the Justisse method works just as well in planning pregnancy as preventing it. I am entering you
You should have them check for Polycycstic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
Love hearing from my very favourite doctor (and very oldest friend!). Again, we’ll agree to disagree, not sure how valuable avoiding some things are at the increased risk of so many others.
I’m personally quite skeptical about the pill’s ability to prevent ovarian cysts/ovarian cancer etc.
I took the pill for 11 years and still ended up with a 4 pound ovarian tumor. I’ve since been advised to continue taking the pill to prevent future “issues”… um, WHAT?! There’s no way in “H.E. double hockey sticks” that I’ll be continuing to mess around with my hormones!
cleaning up the diet, exercise, liver flushing and of course- balancing the hormones. More on that this week!
Yes! I am with ya, Sheila! My face is a wreck lately. It was never great on the pill, but since I quit it about 3 years ago I am even worse. I took antibiotics for over a decade, and now suffer with chronic yeast problems. I had been thinking about getting back on the pill lately, but now, Meghan, you are reminding me of the reasons that I stopped taking that poison to begin with. Thanks so much for your blogs!
Oh my god! People have babies that weigh less than that!
Just what I’m here for!
Have you ever been on the pill Charles?
I don’t think this article is meant to make people feel ashamed. I think it helps inform women (and men) about what the pill may be (or rather, IS) doing to their bodies.
Much of the information about teh side effects of the pill is on the package insert of the pill itself, yet that no one takes seriously, because if the pill REALLY caused all these things, surely it wouldn’t come so highly recommended by so much of the medical community, right? Wrong.
It is pushed on girls as soon as they start menstruating, and for many parents, seems to be the logical thing to give to their teenage daughters so they don’t get knocked up while they are still in high school.
And for all these intelligent and conscientious women, it often IS an easy decision to make, because trusted medical professionals are recommending it! It is very difficult to argue with someone who holds the power that a physician does, and many, many women don’t even think twice when given a script for the pill.
The side effects are real, the studies are there, and more importantly than those studies, are the testimonials that i hear from women all the time about how going off the pill changed their lives, “cured” their depression, helped them re-gain their sex drive, decreased anxiety and mood swings, etc etc etc. These changes are not merely coincidence, and speak volumes about the effects that the pill really does have on our bodies and our minds.
Thanks for having my back!
alex! I too had the pimple beard – both me and my best friend busted out with regular pimple goatees. Mine got better on the pill, then I went off, then on, then off and only now being off for a full year are my hormones finally (kinda) balancing out.
I still occasionally rock a small pimple beard (also affectionately known as the chinple) but I up my water and say nice things to it so it goes away
you make me laugh. I rock the photo beard. Pictures taken from certain angles with certain direction of light really highlight the furry face.
Start addressing the yeast issues and you’ll be a-okay. All that stuff wants to get out somehow and all too often- it’s through our skin.
I am forever amazed at how silly we can be by abusing our insides for the sake of our outsides. This attitude is definitely the majority!