Why is hormonal birth control bad

Give yourself more credit for being the unique brain and body that you are. Hill was in the former camp, and after she went off the Pill, she started to dig into the research. And we know that cortisol is something that plays a role in helping our brains absorb meaning from our environments.

It may make life feel more flat. While only a small percentage of women suffer from severe depression on the Pill, Hill thinks that the number of women who have some negative psychological side effects is probably much higher. Some women say the Pill drains their libido, and a number of studies have found evidence to support that although, according to Psychology Today , less than half of 1 percent of the published research on the Pill has been on libido.

But decreased sex drive is not just a side effect listed on a pamphlet. While it used to be enough of a miracle benefit simply to be able to have sex without getting pregnant, today sexual fulfillment is intrinsic to being a modern woman. Of course, many women go off the Pill and feel worse, suddenly finding themselves in the grip of unexpected physical symptoms and tumultuous mood swings.

As for me: I have been off the Pill for three months now. If the Pill really has been increasing my anxiety, then could much of the past 13 years of emotional turbulence have been avoided simply by switching my birth control? To be a woman in the world is often to be content with choosing from a buffet of unappetizing alternatives. Already a subscriber? Log in or link your magazine subscription. As birth control pills do not contain even a speck of natural hormones and shut down their synthesis, all of the estrogen and progesterone-mediated functions in the body are heavily impacted.

Think of estrogen as the master female hormone - regulating energy production and brain function, as well as bone, joint, muscle, gut, and immune health. Substitution of estradiol, the natural and most potent estrogen in the body, with the false chemical mimic, ethinyl estradiol, creates havoc for all of these functions. The damage occurs slowly but inexorably. Birth control pills were a hard-fought female victory at the time, needed to achieve parity with males.

But the truth must be told, no matter how painful it is at first to hear. To be vibrant, healthy women we can no longer be chained to the technology and drugs designed decades ago at a time when the hormonal functions of women were not understood. Women are amazing rhythmic creatures and require the beautiful dance of their hormones to be healthy. But knowingly putting synthetic hormones that disrupt the endocrine system into her body, destroying that rhythm and destroying fertility by removing hormones and replacing them with toxins, is simply not a reasonable option.

Sadly, fertility and the health of females and males are one and the same thing. We must accept reality and then work to design effective contraceptives, or more natural ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies, which do not slowly destroy the female body by replacing vital hormones and rhythms with chemical endocrine disruptors. Effective contraceptives are surely needed, but sacrificing female health is not an option - not now AND not ever!

Call us at Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Instagram. Felice Gersh Thursday, November 01, Are Birth Control Pills Hormones? For example, a traditional pill pack contains four weeks — or 28 days — of pills, but only the first three weeks contain hormones that actively suppress your fertility. The pills for the fourth week are inactive.

The bleeding that occurs during the week you take the inactive pills is called withdrawal bleeding. This is your body's response to stopping the hormones.

Withdrawal bleeding isn't the same as a regular period. Nor is withdrawal bleeding necessary for health. This is good news if you use birth control and want to have fewer periods, either for personal or medical reasons. In general, there are two ways to use hormonal birth control to reduce the number of periods you have:. Several types of hormonal birth control can be used to reduce the number of periods you have. The best method for you depends on your goals and preferences — for example, whether you want fewer or no periods and whether you want short- or long-term birth control — and your overall health.

Talk to your doctor about the following options. It's possible to delay or prevent your period with extended or continuous use of any combined estrogen-progestin birth control pill. Your doctor can recommend the best pill schedule for you, but generally, you skip the inactive pills in your pill pack and start right away on a new pack.

However, there are also several types of birth control pills designed specifically to lengthen the time between your periods. Among those currently available in the U. Like combined estrogen-progestin birth control pills, it's possible to delay or prevent your period with extended or continuous use of the contraceptive vaginal ring.

An intrauterine device IUD is a form of long-term birth control. After your doctor inserts the device into your uterus, it continuously releases a type of progestin into your body and can remain in place for up to five years. Hormonal IUDs are available in varying doses. Over time, all hormonal IUDs reduce the frequency and duration of menstrual bleeding.

However, a higher dose IUD 52 mg of levonorgestrel appears to be more effective at stopping periods entirely. Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate DMPA is a type of progestin that you receive by injection every 90 days. It is a form of long-term birth control and also reduces or eliminates monthly bleeding. The longer you use DMPA , the more likely it is to stop your periods.

Delaying your period can help you manage various menstrual symptoms. Updated March 21, Risk factors for breast cancer. Updated November 17, Risk factors for hypertension. Updated September 3, IARC monographs program on carcinogenicity of combined hormonal contraceptives and menopausal therapy. Dec;8 4 Mortality associated with oral contraceptive use: 25 year follow up of cohort of 46, women from Royal College of General Practitioners' oral contraception study.

Hormonal contraceptives for contraception in overweight or obese women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. Exceptional Nurses Winchester Hospital was the first community hospital in the state to achieve Magnet designation, recognition for nursing excellence. Supporting Our Community Our tremendous staff gives back to our community by coordinating free health screenings, educational programs, and food drives.

What Our Patients are Saying A leading indicator of our success is the feedback we get from our patients. Home Health Library. Oral Contraceptives: Risks and Benefits Since first introduced in the s, the birth control pill "the pill" has been a popular and extremely effective form of contraception. What Are the Risks of Taking the Pill? Unintended Pregnancy While birth control pills are highly reliable in preventing pregnancy, there is the possibility that you could become pregnant.

Blood Clots Oral contraceptive pills can increase your risk of developing blood clots in the veins in your legs. Cholesterol Levels There are different kinds of birth control pills. Migraine Headaches Certain oral contraceptives may trigger a migraine, especially those containing estrogen. High Blood Pressure Taking birth control pills may increase the risk of high blood pressure. Cardiovascular Disease Women aged 35 or older who smoke heavily and take birth control pills have an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Cancer Taking birth control pills for many years may increase the risk of certain types of cancer, like cervical cancer. What Are the Benefits of Taking the Pill? Cancer While the pill may increase the risk of some types of cancer, it can also decrease the risk of other types of cancer, like ovarian and uterine cancers.

Other Benefits Taking birth control pills may reduce your risk of: Heavy bleeding, irregular periods, painful periods, and menstrual cramps Ectopic pregnancy —a pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus, particularly in the fallopian tubes Iron-deficiency anemia Acne Unwanted hair growth Pelvic pain due to endometriosis Pelvic inflammatory disease There are many different types of birth control pills on the market.

Michael Woods, MD Cancer Care.