The consequences of the Pill can be very grave. Some women on birth control pills quickly develop life threatening blood clots. Some soon become depressed or even suicidal.
Some rapidly become hypertensive. But some potential effects can take years to manifest, including irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes and insulin resistance, kidney disease, poor vaginal health, and even dementia. Published studies show birth control pills can hinder the development of strong bones, negatively impact gut and immune health, damage vaginal and bladder health, and impact normal brain function.
Tissues throughout the body have estrogen and progesterone receptors and there is a robust amount of data showing that these hormones are involved in a multitude of functions, all critical for health. 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, Progestin may cause "good" cholesterol to lower and "bad" cholestorol to rise. For most women, these changes in blood levels are not strong enough to have a poor effect on your health. Certain oral contraceptives may trigger a migraine, especially those containing estrogen. If you have migraines, talk to your doctor about your contraceptive options. Taking birth control pills may increase the risk of high blood pressure.
This risk may be greater if you have other conditions, like obesity, having a family history of high blood pressure, or smoking. If you take birth control pills, your doctor will check your blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor about other contraceptive options. Women aged 35 or older who smoke heavily and take birth control pills have an increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke. You may have an even greater risk if you have other risk factors like a family history of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol , or high blood pressure.
If you want to take birth control pills, you should first quit smoking since smoking increases your chance of developing many other health problems. Taking birth control pills for many years may increase the risk of certain types of cancer, like cervical cancer. Researchers are still investigating the link between birth control pills and breast cancer.
Some studies have found that there is an increased risk, while others studies have come to the opposite conclusion. According to the National Cancer Institute, there appears to be a slight increase in risk, but the risk level goes back to normal after 10 years of stopping birth control pills. It is important to remember that there are many other risk factors for cancer. If you are at high risk for breast cancer like having certain types of genes or a family history or other types of cancer, talk to you doctor about the best contraceptive for you.
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. Studies have found that the more years a woman takes the pill, the better her protection. In addition, researchers are investigating whether birth control pills decrease the chance of developing colon or rectal cancers. There are many different types of birth control pills on the market.
You and your doctor can decide which kind is best for you, or if a different contraceptive option would be a better choice. Birth control. Mayo Clinic website. Updated May 21, Accessed February 24, Safety concerns and health benefits associated with oral contraception. Am J Obstet and Gynecol. High blood pressure and women. American Heart Association website.
Updated June 6, Migraine in adults. Updated July 25, Accessed April 5, Oral contraceptives. Updated December 21, Oral contraceptives and cancer risk. It may take a couple of months before you return to regular ovulation cycles. After stopping the pill, if you're not ready to conceive, consider using a backup form of birth control. If you don't have a period for several months, you may have what's known as post-pill amenorrhea.
The pill prevents your body from making hormones involved in ovulation and menstruation. When you stop taking the pill, it can take some time for your body to start producing these hormones again. Menstrual periods typically resume within three months after you stop taking the pill. But if you took the pill to regulate your menstrual cycles, it may take several months before your period comes back.
If you don't have a period within three months, take a pregnancy test to make sure you're not pregnant and then see your doctor. You can get accurate results from a pregnancy test while you're on the pill. Pregnancy tests work by measuring a specific pregnancy-related hormone — human chorionic gonadotropin HCG — in your blood or urine. The active ingredients in birth control pills don't affect how a pregnancy test measures the level of HCG in your system.
Don't worry if you kept taking your birth control pill because you didn't know you were pregnant. Despite years of this accident happening, there's very little evidence that exposure to the hormones in birth control pills causes birth defects. Once you learn that you're pregnant, stop taking the birth control pill. It's possible to use standard estrogen-progestin birth control pills for emergency contraception, but check with your doctor for the proper dose and timing of the pills.
Certain types of pills are specifically designed to keep you from becoming pregnant if you've had unprotected sex.
These medications are sometimes referred to as the morning-after pill. Levonorgestrel pills are available over-the-counter to anyone of any age. Levonorgestrel pills work best when used as soon as possible — and within three days — after unprotected sex. Ulipristal acetate is a nonhormonal medication available only by prescription. This medication is taken as a single dose within five days after unprotected sex.
A copper intrauterine device IUD or an IUD containing 52 milligrams of levonorgestrel may also be used for emergency contraception.
Ideally, these IUDs should be placed by your doctor within five days of unprotected intercourse. If you are considered obese with a body mass index BMI of 30 or more, emergency contraception may not be as effective — especially if you use levonorgestrel. You could still become pregnant after using levonorgestrel for emergency contraception.
BMI is not as much of a concern when using ulipristal. Use of an IUD for emergency birth control is not affected by body weight. In terms of your overall health, it makes little difference when you stop taking the pill. When you finally do stop the pill, you can expect some bleeding, which may change the rhythm of your menstrual cycle. But you can stop at any time. Taking the inactive pills doesn't put you at higher risk of unintended pregnancy.
But if you miss a pill — or several pills — during a cycle, you might be at higher risk of unintended pregnancy during that cycle. To be safe, use a backup form of contraception, such as a condom, especially if you miss several pills during a cycle. This is a common thought. But studies have shown that the effect of the birth control pill on weight is small — if it exists at all.
Instead, you may be retaining more fluid, which can make you feel as if you've put on weight, particularly in your breasts, hips and thighs. The estrogen in birth control pills does affect fat adipose cells, making them larger but not more numerous. Scientific evidence suggests using birth control pills for longer periods of time increases your risk of some cancers, such as cervical cancer, but the risk declines after stopping use of birth control pills. Regarding breast cancer risk, the results are mixed.
Some studies show a link between birth control pill use and a slight increase in breast cancer risk, but the risk is very low. Other studies have shown no significant increase in breast cancer risk. Risk appears to decrease over time after discontinuing birth control pills. If you have a family history of breast cancer, birth control use does not appear to increase the risk. The birth control pill may decrease your risk of other types of cancer, including ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and colon cancer — and this benefit may persist for years after you stop the pill.
Birth control pills can affect your cholesterol levels. How much of an effect depends on the type of pill you're taking and what concentration of estrogen or progestin it contains. Birth control pills with more estrogen can have a slightly beneficial overall effect on your cholesterol levels. In general, though, the changes aren't significant and don't affect your overall health. Birth control pills may slightly increase your blood pressure.
If you take birth control pills, have your blood pressure checked regularly.
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