Yep, its hard to believe that oral contraception has been around for half a century. Our little friend that lived through hippies, dippies, yuppies and all the free love fads which has been part of the baby boomers American dream offered sex without consequences.
However… it appears there seems to be some rather serious consequences that where not known at the time.
Take a look.
For the sake of argument, let’s remove the Pill from its primary purpose as a birth control and look at it as a method that alters your hormones.
The Pills are a combination of the of the hormones estrogen and progestin. They work by mimicking the hormones in your body, essentially fooling your intricate hormonal system into producing the following effects:
- Preventing your ovaries from releasing eggs
- Thickening your cervical mucus to help block sperm from fertilizing an egg
- Thinning the lining of your uterus, which would make it difficult for an egg to implant.
In 2002, one of the largest federal studies of hormone replacement therapy was halted because women taking synthetic hormones had a greater risk of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke and blood clots. The news made headlines because millions of women were already taking these synthetic hormones, it prompted many of them to quit. A year after millions of women quit taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), breast cancer incidents was lowered by 7 percent!
Birth control pills contain the SAME type of synthetic hormones — estrogen and progestin — that were used in the ill-fated study!
Clearly, nearly all medicinal estrogen is unhealthy and can cause more problems than it prevents. Studies have found that HRT increases your breast cancer risk by at least one percent per year, and HRT with progestin increases your risk by eight percent per year.
Here are some more stats for you…
- Cancer: Women who take birth control pills increase their risk of cervical and breast cancers, and possibly liver cancer as well.
- Fatal blood clots: All birth control pills increase your risk of blood clots and subsequent stroke. And if your prescription contains the synthetic hormone desogestrel, your risk of fatal blood clots doubles!
- Thinner bones: Women who take birth control pills have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than women who have never used oral contraceptives.
- Impaired muscle gains: A recent study found that oral contraceptive use impairs muscle gains from resistance exercise training in women.
- Long-term sexual dysfunction: The Pill may interfere with a protein that keeps testosterone unavailable, leading to long-term sexual dysfunction including decreased desire and arousal.
- Heart disease: Long-term use of birth control pills may increase plaque artery buildups in your body that may raise your risk of heart disease.
Many women also report more immediate side effects including:
- Migraines and nausea
- Weight gain and mood changes
- Irregular bleeding or spotting
- Breast tenderness
- Yeast overgrowth and infection
Some other choices .
- Male condoms: Condoms have a 98 percent effectiveness rate when used correctly.
- Female condoms: These thin, soft polyurethane pouches fitted inside the vagina before sex are 95 percent effective. (neversawone)
- Diaphragm: Diaphragms, fitted by a doctor, act as a barrier to sperm. When used with spermicidal jellies, they are 92 to 98 percent effective. (I must have been in that 8%)
- Cervical cap: This rubber cap fits tightly against the cervix and can be left in place for 48 hours. Proper fitting enhances the effectiveness.
- Cervical sponges: polyurethane foam is moistened and inserted into the vagina prior to sex. Working as a barrier between sperm and the cervix, both trapping and absorbing sperm and releasing a spermicid to kill them. (sounds toxic to me) It can be left in for up to 24 hours.
Natural family planning (NFP) is when a very organized and detailed loving women with time on her hands tracks her ovulating, then avoids sex during that time. Many women feel empowered by NFP because it allows them to get in touch with their fertility cycle. (I tried this type with my Husband…who said you know what the call women who use this type of birth control? MOTHERS..! which was exactly the case when I became pregnant with our second delightful child.)
- Calendar Method: Abstention from sex during the week the woman is ovulating.
- The Temperature Method: pinpointing the day of ovulation so that sex can be avoided for a few days before and after.
- The Mucus Method: This involves tracking changes in the amount and texture of vaginal discharge, which reflect rising levels of estrogen in your body.
I would say avoid all birth control pills, and inner uterine devices (IUD) Instead, become actively involved in fertility awareness, and embrace natural family planning or barrier methods that will not interfere with your hormones and health.
Or, as my Grandmother would say. take an aspirin and press it between your knees… her idea of effective birth control.
