Personal question: Are you on birth control? Have you ever looked into the history and the possible side effects of taking the pill? I am not here to shame, but I am here to hopefully open other’s eyes to the research being conducted today. There are substantial ramifications, and women need to know all the information about what they are putting in their bodies.
History of Birth Control
Margaret Sanger was one of the first who pushed for birth control, abortions, concerns with “overpopulation,” and liberal-feminist ideology. She lived from 1879 to 1966. In 1914, Margaret released a monthly newsletter called The Woman Rebel. Her slogan was “No Gods, No Masters” – now, If that doesn’t tell you enough about her beliefs, I don’t know what can. The organizations and publications she started would later become what we know today as Planned Parenthood. (Wikipedia, 2024).
In 1950, Pincus decided to conduct the first large-scale human trials for hormonal birth control on Puerto Rican women. Pincus and John Rock (ob-gyn) did not tell the women that they were involved in an experimental drug trial or that there could be harmful side effects.
Disregarding the side effects the women were reporting, Pincus felt the benefits of the pill outweighed any complications. The author of the PBS article, The Puerto Rico Pill Trials, states, “Although three women died while participating in the trials, no investigation was conducted to see if the pill had caused the young women’s deaths. Confident in the safety of the Pill, Pincus and Rock took no action to assess the root cause of the side effects.” (PBS, n.d).
Following these events, Three men, Luis E. Miramontes (chemist), Gregory Goodwin Pincus (biologist), and Carl Djerassi (chemist) released the hormonal birth control pill in 1960. This would change the trajectory of women’s health for generations to come, but not for good.
Here is how birth control works
Birth control pills have synthetic estrogen and progestin (synthetic progesterone) that tell your brain your body doesn’t need to make any more of these hormones, which will cause you not to ovulate. If you are not ovulating, you cannot get pregnant. (Clark, 2022.) Many different forms of birth control cause your cervical fluid to become thick, making it harder for sperm to travel. It also thins the uterine lining, decreasing the viability of implantation of an egg. (FDA, 2023).
Here are things you might not know about birth control
Physicians prescribe birth control to women and young girls for so many reckless reasons. Examples of these poor reasons include irregular periods, acne, weight, menstrual cramps, migraines, and even anxiety. I believe this is so absurd. Why would the first response to “I have been feeling anxious, or I have migraines” be, “Hmm, let’s put you on birth control. “ Rather than trying to get to the root cause of these symptoms. Birth control is used as just a band-aid that covers up the issues you are dealing with. It isn’t until you get off birth control that all of these problems come back because you are not taking care of the root issue. Birth control has repercussions that disrupt your endocrine system, fertility, metabolic system, nervous system, and more.
Birth control has quickly become a catch-all for any hormonal issues women may present with. Without caution or patient education, they are prescribed this medicine without knowing what ramifications may come.
Some Risks and Side Effects of Birth Control
The FDA states on its website that side effects of hormonal birth control pills include high blood pressure, blood clots, heart attacks, and strokes- though these are not common, they still can occur.
The National Cancer Institute states in their article, Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk, “Women who have used oral contraceptives for 5 or more years have a higher risk of cervical cancer than women who have never used oral contraceptives. The longer a woman uses oral contraceptives, the greater the increase in her risk of cervical cancer. “ (The National Cancer Institute, 2018). In this article, they also mention study findings that women who take oral contraceptives have an increased risk for breast cancer as well.
Not only do these endocrine disruptors affect us now but also our future. The exposure to these hormones and chemicals you have not only affects you and your reproductive health but also your baby’s development in utero. (Clark, 2022.)
Birth control has psychological effects also. All humans have hormone cycles. Men have 24-hour cycles, and women have a monthly hormone cycle. Because hormonal birth control stops the production of these hormones, you don’t have a change in your mood, which can increase your chances of experiencing apathy and depression (Clark, 2022.) We are supposed to have a spread of emotions like happiness, sadness, and empathy. A lot of women report feeling numb and flat while taking birth control; this can even lead to extremely serious symptoms like suicidal ideation. Did your doctor mention that to you?
Harmful Exposure
We have exposure to synthetic hormones in plastic products (BPA), certain body products that include parabens (preservatives), and phthalates (endocrine disruptors), which are sometimes misleadingly disclosed as fragrances or perfumes on the ingredient labels. (Clark, 2022.)
Even if you try to decrease your exposure to synthetic hormones, you can still be exposed to them by the city water. Due to the recycling of sewer water in our water treatment plants, there are traces of birth control and other pharmaceuticals, amongst other items. You can look up the reports of what is in your local water by searching your district at https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/. You can also go to your local water treatment plant, and they are required to give you a report of what is in your water.
My area has seven different cancer-causing components in our water. Therefore, it is so important to avoid drinking tap water straight. Use a water filter. Remember, our skin absorbs very well, so it also absorbs whatever is in our shower or bath water. They sell filters for your shower as well. But that is a whole other blog. Again, anything I say is not to fearmonger but to bring awareness.
Though what I am about to type might be TMI for some of you, I will tell you anyway. The skin is very absorbent, including our oral mucosa and reproductive areas, if you know what I mean. The feminine products you buy matter. Please do not put a bleached and scented tampon in your body. (Clark, 2022.) Conventional brand feminine products have formaldehyde on them, which is toxic and, with repetitive exposure, can contribute to cancer. Quite a few brands are chlorine-free, dye-free, fragrance-free, and 100% cotton. These are a much better swap for other pads and tampons.
Alternative Routes
A lot of women are placed on the pill to prevent what can physiologically only happen 3-5 days a month. I believe there is a better way. There is a method called fertility awareness where you track your symptoms of ovulation, period, LH (luteinizing hormone) levels, and temperature to distinguish when you are ovulating, which is your fertile window. (Clark, 2022). You can do this without exposing yourself to harmful endocrine disruptors or having an invasive procedure performed.
If one problem you have is not being able to track your cycle well because you have an irregular period, I am right there with you. I was very active when I was younger and didn’t eat much except at dinner. My periods were very off and still are. I would go months at a time without a period, and when I did get it, I would have painful, heavy periods. Even now, I am still working on regulating my cycle by eating breakfast and having three solid meals with snacks in between every day. Ensuring that each snack and meal contains proteins and carbs.
I am still trying to improve at this, but it is a habit I am working to establish to fuel my body better so that it can do what it is made for. I want to do a whole blog on amenorrhea at some point, so let me know if you are interested or have particular questions.
The glimmer of hope
The good news is God designed our body to be resilient. It is not the complete end of the world if you were put on birth control when you were a teenager. (Clark, 2022.) Your body can heal, but it will take some time to reset. So be patient and do the best you can. We can not take back the past but can always work towards a better future. Learn more about the foods, hygienic products, and medications you use. You have the right to know the risks and benefits to make a well-informed decision for your body and your family.
Lord, thank you for the ability to bring forth new life. Children are a blessing, and one day, if you will, Lord, I cannot wait to have sweet babies of our own. Thank you for womanhood and femininity. Thank you for manhood and how they complement one another. Lord, I pray the reader is receptive to the information that is out there. May we be a people with open eyes, always looking for the truth. You are the Lord almighty, the only one worthy of all praise. Amen.
SOURCES
Clark, A. (2022, July 8). “Birth Control, Infertility & Understanding Your Hormones.” – interview with Dr. Leah Gordon. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/36M11KWp5q0Azc4JKsW0P4
Clark, A. (2023, September 29). “Your Stanely Isn’t Safer than Plastic, and Other Water Bombshells.” – Water Scientist Robert Slovak. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tQqYA6nl9pZ8yhp5x8MVD?si=LMZ_rSb7S8KuYdu__-iXcg
FDA. (2023, July 13). “Birth Control”. US Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/birth-control
Meloy, K., & Lee, F. (2021, October 13). The freely rooted podcast: 11. the truth about birth control: Loren de la Cruz of innate fertility on Apple podcasts. Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/11-the-truth-about-birth-control-loren-de-la-cruz/id1558059416?i=1000538490849
Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). The Puerto Rico Pill Trials. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pill-puerto-rico-pill-trials/#:~:text=In%20the%20summer%20of%201955,location%20for%20the%20human%20trials.
The National Cancer Institute (2018, February 22). “Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk was originally published by the National Cancer Institute.” https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet#:~:text=Overall%2C%20however%2C%20these%20studies%20have,reduced%20(1%E2%80%933).
USA, T. P. (2023, July 6). The spillover with Alex Clark: “If your man isn’t chasing you down for sex daily-he’s sick.” – with Dr. Patrick Flynn on Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-your-man-isnt-chasing-you-down-for-sex-daily-hes/id1507839530?i=1000619737774
Wikimedia Foundation. (2024). Margaret Sanger. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Sanger
Disclaimer: These posts are for educational purposes only. I do not diagnose or prescribe. Please contact your PCP before making health changes.