The Pill: What You Need to Know About Oral Contraception
Over the years I’ve received questions about the Pill on a pretty steady basis. As one female reader put it, if you go Primal and do all the work of normalizing your hormones, does taking the Pill undo all the good? Are the cautionary rumors I hear just overblown, or are there substantial risks? What about taking the Pill for a longer period of time? Does it matter if I’m 45 as opposed to 25? Clearly, there are a lot of questions and nuances here. Let’s do what we can to unpack this subject.
Before I begin, let me offer the reasonable caveats. Yes, I’m a guy writing about a women’s medication – a rather personal one at that. I get it. I want to tread gently in these arenas. To be sure, the Pill marked a revolution in reproductive planning. It was the first convenient contraception choice over which women had full control. I don’t want to diminish the personal and social impact of that option. Nor do I want to overlook the convenience and effectiveness that the Pill (when taken as directed) offers to a woman/couple who aren’t looking to start (or increase) a family. There’s a reason some 100 million women around the globe turn to the Pill.
That said, I think most would agree we’re looking at a legitimate health question as well as intimately personal one. From my own humble perspective, I’ll go so far as to say the medical community has done a disservice to women by not being more transparent about oral (and other hormonal) contraception over the years. (Allow me to focus on oral contraceptives today, which are the oldest and most studied form of hormonal birth control.) Women understandably have a lot of questions, important questions. The problem is, the issue too often gets simplified by often well-intentioned practitioners whose main priority is respecting a woman’s choice on the issue. Yes, many personal factors go into the decision, but the conversation between a doctor and patient shouldn’t stop before it’s even begun. Physicians need to acknowledge that women care about the health implications of the decision.
As you all know, I’m first and foremost a supporter (okay, maybe diehard, soapbox, scream from the rooftops, full-on advocate) of full disclosure. People should have access to all of the details for choices they’re obliged to make – whether it be choices involving food, medical procedures, or medications. Although there’s a lot just on the medical side of oral contraceptives, let me do what I can (in the modest scope of a blog post) to at least get the ball rolling.
The fact is, when we’re dealing with matters of the body, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. I think we all know that. Taking hormones on a daily basis (whether natural or synthetic or both) will undoubtedly have repercussions. The body is a finely tuned machine of collaboration and interaction. The shifting amount of one hormone will have a corresponding effect on other hormones, which in turn influences a whole host of other physiological functions and biochemical secretions. But onward with the details….
First a little historical perspective… The dosage of today’s Pill (as many versions as there are) is minute compared to what was initially produced in those very early years. Formulations have changed over time to include lower levels of hormones. The so-called “mini-Pill” contains no estrogen at all. Nonetheless, side effects still exist in part because the human body hasn’t changed (the stubborn vessel it is) and because new formulations contain new versions of the hormones that appear to be riskier than the older versions. As for post-Pill fertility, the evidence suggests taking the Pill doesn’t impair future fertility. I can understand, however, that women would be wary of this possibility especially with new ingredients being added to formulations. I would hope the studies and reviews on this subject continue.
Now for the rundown of health risks – what you’ve heard and what’s true. There’s a lot to cover. Although I don’t claim that a single blog post can cover every study and nuance, let me hit on as much as I can.
First, the “good” news. You’ve likely heard that taking the Pill can lower a woman’s risk for ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, uterine cancer, and endometriosis. These appear to be true. That said, I obviously wouldn’t suggest a woman take on other risks (forthcoming of course) to slightly lower the chance of developing these conditions.
Breast Cancer
According to research analysis, data from 50+ studies suggest the Pill confers a 10-30% higher risk for breast cancer. Higher estrogen pills are implicated more in this data as is prolonged use of the birth control pill and family history of cancer. Although this heightened risk is definitely worth considering, it is significantly lower than the risks of hormone therapy for post-menopausal women.
Cervical Cancer
In the last few years, there’s been some talk about abandoning pap smears (the procedure that tests for abnormal cervical cells) in exchange for an HPV DNA test. The problem is, HPV is not the sole cause of cervical cancer. The birth control pill is also considered another major risk factor, especially for women who have taken the Pill for five years or more (PDF). If this plan is ever adopted, here’s the message to millions of women on the Pill who are HPV negative: good luck catching any cervical changes early. It’s inflammation at work here, folks. The Pill, particularly estrogen containing versions, causes inflammation.
Gastrointestinal Issues
It’s a known but little publicized fact that increased estrogen can contribute to irritation of the stomach lining and aggravation of existing gastrointestinal conditions like GERD and Crohn’s. Some women are more sensitive to the effect of the Pill on gastrointestinal health. Hint: if your doctor tries to put you on the Nexium (a.k.a. “the purple pill” or any of its assorted relatives), try going off the Pill first.
Cardiovascular Risks
The Pill, particularly traditional estrogen-progestin combination formulations, can raise blood pressure in some women, particularly those who already have high blood pressure. Research also shows that the Pill very slightly raises the risk of stroke in women without stroke risk factors (e.g. migraines and high blood pressure). The difference adds up to approximately a single added stroke per 25,000 women.
Blood Clots
This is one of the risks that’s gotten the most press over the last few years and for good reason. It’s an issue that has dogged the Pill since almost the very beginning. As formulations changed, people assumed the risk would be reduced. But there’s a wrinkle. Newer types of progestins (e.g. drospirenone, desogestrel or gestodene) heighten a woman’s risk for blood clots compared with the older form of progestin (levonorgestrel). Research has shown that women who take a birth control pill with one of these newer progestins have six times the risk of blood clots compared to women who don’t take the Pill. Women who use a Pill with an older form of progestogen have three times the risk of blood clots compared to non-users. The risk for traditional progestin is approximately 10 women in 10,000 each year.
Other Side Effects
- Overall higher CRP levels (inflammation marker)
- Lower total antioxidant activity as well as specifically measured lower blood levels of many micronutrients. (B6, E, CoQ10, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, and magnesium)
- Impaired thyroid function (Estrogen can influence the availability of thyroid hormone in the body because it increases a specific thyroid “binding” protein.)
- Potentially negative effect on lipid levels – particularly LDL
- Adverse mood symptoms
- Lower testosterone levels, which can decrease libido and make it harder to build muscle mass
- Increased risk of prostate cancer in partners (This is fairly new research that will undoubtedly get more attention in the coming years.)
Finally, then there’s the more sensitive research that’s come out in the last few years about the Pill’s effect on partner choice. Women’s monthly shift in hormones has implications for their attraction to certain traits in males. Women who met their partners while on the Pill were happier with their partners’ parenting and care taking and were less likely to separate than those who weren’t; however, they “scored lower on measures of sexual satisfaction and partner attraction” and “experienced increasing sexual dissatisfaction during the relationship.” (No comment here, btw.)
So, what’s the take home message? Readers have asked my overall opinion of oral/hormonal contraception. I know what you might infer from the course of evidence here, and you’d be mostly correct. Is there enough medical risk to give a woman pause? Absolutely. Is it enough to discount the Pill as a birth control option for a woman who is otherwise healthy, has no significant family history or risk factors in the relevant areas, and strongly prefers this contraceptive form? No, I can’t say I’d entirely take it off the table. The heightened risks for the above conditions were indeed measurable but generally not dramatic in otherwise healthy, non-smoking subjects who didn’t have significant family histories of relevant diseases. Age doesn’t appear to raise one’s risk except in the case that other risk factors develop (e.g. high blood pressure, etc.).
That said, let me throw in some caveats. I’d certainly favor the lower dose versions. I’d suggest close monitoring by a physician who acknowledges the risks of a hormonal contraceptive. I’d also strongly suggest regular exercise (not the inflammation boosting chronic cardio kind), a consistent anti-inflammatory diet (I think you know one I can recommend.), anti-inflammatory supplementation (fish oil, turmeric, etc.), and vitamin and mineral supplementation. And – although this bumps up against some rather personal factors – I’d recommend looking at other contraceptive options for the longer term. In other words, I wouldn’t suggest being on the Pill indefinitely as some physicians and medical groups say is just fine and dandy to do. Some of these heightened risks (e.g. blood clots, breast cancer) only diminish over a ten-year period after discontinuation. That’s pretty far-reaching.
Yet, I also won’t go so far as to completely count out oral contraceptives because I know every other method has its drawbacks (major or minor) as well. The reality is, there’s no 100% perfectly safe, astoundingly convenient, wholly unencumbered, completely foolproof way to dupe or circumvent nature on this front. It’s not about making a particular choice. It’s about making an informed decision. Not everyone is able to track their cycles with perfect precision. Not everyone tolerates an IUD or diaphragm or spermicides well. Not everyone wants to solely depend on the use of condoms for a host of reasons. Not everyone is ready to go the sterilization route yet. Take all of this, and that’s a whole other ball of wax – and another blog post than this one….
Thanks for reading today, everyone. Share your thoughts on the Pill. What information did your practitioner offer? Have the benefits outweighed the negatives for you, or the other way around? Do you have thoughts/suggestions for women who are considering the Pill? Have a good end to the week, everyone!
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
Thank you for planting a foot into the mess that is known as being female!! Great post…Would love for you to cover other topics. I tried going on the pill when I was 21 and it made me crazy. I was weepy and anxious the whole time. I got off of it and tried to just keep track of my cycle and BAM! 6 months later my husband and I were pregnant. I’m 25 now and we’ve been trying for about 1 1/2 years to get pregnant with baby number 2. Just recently I caved and took Provera a couple times to induce my period and I’m on my second round of Clomid to help me ovulate….Part of me doesn’t like taking this stuff but the other half wants another baby so bad! I’m not going to take Provera or Clomid in my next cycle, because I want to give my otherwise healthy body another chance.
I’d love for you to do a post for women who WANT TO GET PREGNANT and what their options are to promote fertility. If you covered both natural and conventional remedies, along with risks and side affects, that would be great!!
Oh and I’m under the impression that the Pill contributes to a little or a lot of extra added body fat. Depends on the girl. I knew one young woman who was smoking hot, went on the pill and literally ballooned out in a matter of weeks. Kinda scary.
Great post, Mark! Thank you!!
Ashley, you might look into FertilityCare/NaproTechnology, which is the Catholic equivalent of fertility treatment. Instead of attempting to force pregnancy month after month of chemical treatments or IVF, they attempt to diagnose the cause and treat the symptoms to restore full health. After that, most patients are able to get pregnant naturally. Using them requires learning the Creighton Method of NFP which will allow a woman to avoid future pill use.
Here is their page on infertility:
http://www.naprotechnology.com/infertility.htm
Some types of infertility require surgery, but at least they are addressing the cause instead of treating the symptoms and billing you hundreds or thousands of dollars per cycle.
If you search for various types of infertility like endometriosis, PCOS and other common infertility situations along with the Hilgers name, or search blogspot for Dr. Thomas Hilgers, you’ll find some success stories.
Thanks, Eric! I’ll check it out.
Thank you, Mark! Very fair article. As several other commenters have proposed, I too recommend the fertility awareness method (as taught in Taking Charge of Your Fertility).
I was on the pill from 18-21 and from 23-33. Fine until about 30, except I started spotting earlier than the period was supposed to start for a couple of years. Flash forward to 22 day periods that were heavy as hell. The doctors tried me on all sorts of pills, no help. Finally, I had LOTS of acupuncture, went off the pill, and a year later have five-day periods. Two days are bad, but it’s so much better than it was!!! I also feel better emotionally than I have in ages, lost weight right away, and the libido went way up… NEVER putting that stuff in my body again!
Interesting. I’m in the “it balances out and I’ve had no problems” camp myself – I’m willing to take some cancer risks and shrug it off with the diminished risks on the other side, I’ve never had any pill side effects, off the pill I can never predict my cycle (resulting in some RESOUNDING disasters), and I like being able to control when & where I get to be inconvenienced by menstruation. (Not something I enjoy – especially not when camping or traveling.) Kudos for paying attention to that in the article and leaving non-judgmental room in it for girls like me to make a decision like mine.
Well I’m 42 and have been on the pill since age 17 (25 years). I guess I must tolerate it well because I’ve never noticed any side effects. Before the pill I used to have horrible, painful periods which had instantly gotten better. I have no family history of breast cancer, or any type for that matter, I exercise pretty regularly, my blood work has always been fine and I don’t have high blood pressure. For me it mostly comes down to convenience, my husband and I travel a lot, hike a fair amount, bike ride, etc… It’s just easier to be able to really plan ahead. We do not have children and don’t plan to and I’m sure my husband would be willing to get a vasectomy, but I’m the one who doesn’t want to go back to the sporadic, heavy, painful old self.
My husband was sterilized a few months ago. My God, it feels great to be off birth control.
I had so many side effects from hormonal contraceptives, from mood swings and *extreme* breast tenderness to weight gain, exhaustion and (ironically?) lack of libido.
I swear I’ve tried everything on the market — each new prescription gave me a different set of adverse reactions, but they were always there.
The best (least severe side effects) option for me was Nuvaring, so anybody out there looking for something that might help, it helped me.
That being said, being hormone-free is where it’s at for me.
I have Implanon now and once spring semester is over, I am getting the sucker out!
Upon thinking more critically about birth control, I came to the conclusion that it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to prescribe a specific dosage to a ton of women with different hormonal levels/needs. It’d be like prescribing the same amount of insulin to all type 1 diabetics. I think this is why there is such variation in the symptoms (and severity of symptoms) experienced by women – because there is such variation in women! Sure you can experiment with different hormonal (and even non hormonal) birth control methods but that is a lot of trial and error on the body and I don’t know anyone willing to spend that kind of time and money to find an ideal prescription birth control.
Went on 3 different pills between the ages of 19 and 22…never again! Each time, it killed my libido, made me moody and over-sensitive, and want to eat the entire contents of my fridge daily.
I stopped having periods after 2 months of paleo (relatively common on low carb, something to do with leptin and thyroid hormones…) but when it returns I’ll be going with the IUD or IUS
I went on the Pill to normalize my periods. At the time I worked a night shift, and I was skipping periods; my body just didn’t like the change.
Over the years, though, the Pill stopped working as it should. I went on the continuous cycle version, and that never worked — I bled even more than when I was on the standard 28-day pack.
Finally, around July, I took myself off the Pill completely. My husband and I use a combination of female contraceptives (nanox9) and condoms, plus I track my cycle. On “hot” days of the month (when I’m fertile) we either don’t have sex or he uses a condom. So far, no babies.
That’s interesting about the CRP elevation. The last time I had my CRP tested I was still on the Pill, and alarmed when it came back at 2.0. Now I wonder if it isn’t related.
One final note: since going Primaleo, my periods have stopped being painful. I don’t cramp. I do get a sort of “run down” feeling on the first and second day of my menses, but it’s nothing that can’t be cured with a simple steak dinner. This is one of those “wouldn’t believe it if it weren’t happening to me” side effects, but I’m living proof that it does, indeed, happen.
Haha…it sounds like a quite a large proportion of the primal “community” plans on driving itself to extinction within its first generation.
C.M. Kornbluth wrote a sci-fi story about this sort of thing…the title is “The Marching Morons”. Not at all politically correct, but its still a great story.
I was on Alesse for quite some time, and as soon as I went primal, I was spotting between periods.
My doctor suggested I switch to a higher dose pill. I tried it for a while, but decided I didn’t want to be on the pill anymore.
Now I use something called LadyComp, and it’s more natural form of birth control. Nothing to take except for my (oral) temperature every morning.
I didn’t mind taking the pill, but even on the low dosage ones, I was always exhausted the week before my period (and sad). Now that I’m no longer on the pill, my mind and body aren’t all over the place!
I took the pill (not sure which one, but it was a Canadian concoction) for six weeks during which time I turned into a “pill” myself. I felt horrible, and behaved horribly. I quickly sought another way. Many of my friends suggest “Fertility Awareness Method” (FAM) and I bought into it.
My husband and I shared the duty of tracking my cycles for 4.5 years before we began to try for a family. I confess that there was some nervousness that the reason why FAM worked for us was perhaps because I was simply not fertile. However, just last year in July we conceived (after trying for two months) and I’m now just into my third trimester – due in April! So, FAM worked for us!
P.S. I’m not talking about “Rhythm Method” – I’m talking about charting both temperatures and cervical fluid. FYI.
Gilliebean – I love that your hubby shared the duty of tracking your cycles. On a practical level, how did this work? Did he take/record your temp and you take your fluid, or some other delineation of duties? I ask because we’re about to start naturally tracking for fertility awareness and I’d love to know how to share the load, and hubby is happy to help. It also is a unique bonding experience for us. Thanks!
For me, hubby takes my temp every morning when the alarm rings (important to take temp at same time every morning as much as you can help it, to see the pattern clearly). He records it on my chart, which is on my bedside table. I check my own cervical fluid and record that each day. It’s nice to have the teamwork… bond-strengthening, I would say.
I went off Nuvaring 14 months ago because I hated what the hormones did to me. I had been on it for 3 years since I met and then married my husband. Eventually I realised It had ruined my sex drive, made me want to eat all the time (or maybe it was my CW diet) and it zapped me of my creativity (I’m an artist by trade).
I started using the ‘OvaCue Fertility Monitor’ instead for birth control and haven’t gotten pregnant yet (for about 14 months). I do have to use condoms for one week of my cycle (or abstain, or get creative!) and it is a good idea to log your cycle separately for backup.
It is not promoted for birth control use, but it tells you when you are fertile. It is way easier than the whole thermometer thing. Plus when I do want to get pregnant it will be just has handy. It is not a cheap device, but I used to spend $50 a month on birth control, so it is definitely cost effective over time. It takes at least 3 months of use to become accurate, especially if you go off hormonal birth control.
I highly recommend it if you are enjoying sex daily and don’t like taking hormones.
Wow, that is scary. I noticed the lack of sex drive, but the things you talk about are unacceptable. I preferred the patch over the ring, but doc said I’m too heavy for it to work right and my fat already makes too much estrogen.
I think it’s time to talk about getting my uterus cauterized anyway, that should take care of the horrible bleeding issues.
for Kelekona and anyone else who has damaged uterus/cervix and bleeding from that, supplementing with vitamin C may help. Please research it for yourselves. Vitamin C is also a very strong anti-toxin. Thomas E. Levy is a medical doctor and supporter of vitamin C. You can find good info at doctoryourself.com too.
Oh, I’ve had horrible bleeding all of my post-puberty life, and only about 2-3 years of BC relieving it.
I don’t know when I contracted PCOS, (don’t even know if I have PCOS because they aren’t recommending tests since I don’t want to concieve) but I think I grew the beard young and the arm-hair might have been from microwaving food in non-safe plastics.
I know I’ve posted it before for others but this thread is very long, you should read about iodine and Dr. Jorge Flechas, he treats patients using iodine and I know there are interviews of him giving amazing info about the conditions that iodine reverses/cures. He says iodine deficiency is shown by cysts developing on ovaries, breasts, uterus, thyroid. hope this helps
When I went in to get a prescription for the pill, I was told NONE of the potential health repercussions. Just “here you go!”
What made me go off of the pill was the information about its role as a potential cause of early abortions – as a pro-lifer, that was totally unacceptable to me (not looking to start an abortion debate, just mentioning this). Secondarily, I was horrified when I read about the health problems that it can cause.
One issue that I didn’t see mentioned above was the research that’s come out recently about effects to the environment – because the urine of women on the pill is tainted with the hormones from the pill, it goes directly back into the water system and is having negative effects on various species of wildlife.
One additional thing I noticed – when I went off the pill, I just felt better – like my body relaxed. It was hard to describe, but I definitely felt better.
It just makes sense that pouring artificial and unnatural hormones into our bodies on a regular basis would have negative repercussions. Thanks for this article!
There is avery good solution for horny hetero couples who do not want to make babies: Non-penetrative sex. Use hands, mouths, friction etc. Most women orgasm through clitoris stimulation anyway.
I took it a long time ago, so my comments aren’t relevant to the newer formulations.
I was skinny until I turned 27, when I went on the pill for three years. I had several undesirable side effects. And I gained a lot of weight very quickly. I have had trouble with my weight ever since. I don’t blame the rapid weight gain entirely on the pill, but I am sure it was the major trigger.
Since that experience, I have stayed far away from female hormonal drugs, including the natural ones.
This reminds me how grateful I am for menopause!
When my periods first stopped I would cruise the feminine hygeine aisle at the grocery store emitting evil little chuckles and great sighs of relief!
I fortunately traveled the “pause” with ease and thanks to being primal am healthy enough to really enjoy my freedom.
Great article, Mark.
+1 Amen to that, girlfriend!!!
I’ve been primal for two months and have been off oral contraceptives for the same amount of time. I’m feeling amazing and the benefits of this lifestyle are too numerous to list (okay, okay: weight loss, increased muscle tone, acne issues completely resolved, brighter skin, dramatically improved moods and energy, better focus, zero cravings for S.A.D. fare, better sex drive, much more confident, etc). I don’t know if this is because of going off the Pill or primal, but I like to think it is a combination.
My long term boyfriend and I practice a mix of (lazy) cycle planning, condoms, withdrawal, and other creative and *fun* methods. We discussed my health concerns and agreed that the risk of an unplanned (but not unwanted) baby outweigh the potential harm that long term oral contraceptive use was doing to my body. I understand my situation makes this plausible and would probably reconsider if I were not in a committed relationship.
Also, I mostly started the Pill because of really painful periods. My formerly debilitating cramps and PCOS symptoms have completely disappeared. My last two periods have barely registered. Much heavier than usual, but shorter and pain free (I do feel pressure and I am aware I am on my period, but it isn’t painful).
Good luck, Grokettes.
And Mark, thank you so much for recognizing exclusively female health concerns. It gets a little old to have your symptoms written off as “depression” or some ill defined female hysteria.
I was on the pill as a young woman, and didn’t have much trouble with it. I liked the double protection of condom and pill at that time. I really wanted to avoid pregnancy! Then, when I was about 24, I switched to watching my cycle, and was in a long-term relationship and then we got engaged…after kid #3, my husband went to get snipped and all is well! Now, I like having normal cyclical hormones much better, and think the pill might be harmful for me as a 38 year old. But for the younger set, it might be the easiest.
Hated being on those things! Like other have said, PMS-y all the time, messed up libido, weight gain, etc. Until I went on Yasmin. Yeah, one of the ones you see on the “wanna sue” commercials. I actually felt balanced on that one. HOWEVER, I now have thyroid issues and it absolutely destroyed my gallbladder. Fun stuff (not).
Your sentence, “There’s a reason some 100 million women around the globe turn to the Pill” leaves out a major part of US Healthcare. . . many insurance companys and doctors refuse to perform any permanent sterilization on women who request it, unless they’ve a) already had children or b) are over 35/40 years of age. Thus, as a result, many women are forced to turn to long term birth control measures when they’d rather just be sterilized.
Men, on the other hand, are never questioned repeatedly when they ask for a vasectomy.
Gosh, Ive been on the pill for 33 years with a year off for each of my pregnancies. Ive also had a trial of 6 months or so to see how I did off it. Ive never had a problem with anything while being on it. My doctor tells me he wonders if this is why I still look far younger than my age. I don’t know… All I know is that I feel much better when Im on it! The incredibly small amount of time off it made me feel awful. CRABBY, horribly heavy periods and bloating.
Mark, thank you for stepping into this issue (and doing it rather well at that!).
Im one of those women that has BIG problems with hormonal birth control. I have been on HIGH dose hormones in the past and my body is ultra resistant to hormonal control. I still ovulated, still had a regular period on top of the withdrawal bleeds when on the pill. Increased hormone levels made me insane. I have had a Paragard IUD (non hormonal one) for 5 years now and I am VERY happy with it. I am nulliparous (Have not given birth), 35, and very happy with my current birth control.
Yvette,
Was your doctor on board with offering you Paragard? I had an appointment for a consult today, and they just called to tell me that they won’t offer Paragard because it is non-hormonal. I’m trying to figure out whether I should fight for it or find a more understanding doctor. Thanks!
Mark, you were very gentle with this…probably too gentle. You know darn well that the most primal thing any woman can do is to know and understand her fertility signs (regularity doesn’t have as much to do with it.) If you were talking about anything except the possibility of conception, you I think you’d give it a flat out thumbs down.
p.s.
sterilization also has physiological effects on the body (for both men and women)
Great post! Do you have any information on the male pill, and its potential affects on men?
who needs the pill when you can just have 400 babies!
I recommend all women read ”Taking Charge of Your Fertility” by Toni Weschler. Great information on how your body works, how your cycle and a great tool for women looking to use all natural birth control.
Women who met their partners while on the Pill were happier with their partners’ parenting and care taking and were less likely to separate than those who weren’t; however, they “scored lower on measures of sexual satisfaction and partner attraction” and “experienced increasing sexual dissatisfaction during the relationship.”
Interesting!
One of the many things that concern me about the Pill is the spread of sexually transmitted disease as a result of unprotected sex. Personally I think that has been a hidden consequence with massive implications for women’s health and we are still not admitting it as a society.
I have been on the pill for about 9 years (scary) and I’ve definitely noticed changes… Mood swings, thinning hair, irregular periods, etc. These side-effects could be linked to anything though. Luckily, I take vitamins, eat well, and work out as often as possible.
Mark – Do you think any damage (or risks) can be reversed by getting off of the pill?
Thank you Mark! I’d always suspected that going on the Pill had contributed to my Crohn’s relapse, and now I have a study to back it up… This was really helpful and encouraging, as I just got off the Pill three weeks ago for fear of what it was doing to my body.