Source: bedsider.org
In honor of Women’s Empowerment Week at Emory, I decided to write about something that makes me feel empowered: the pill. I’ve been on the pill for a little over two years now, and I love it. I think it’s wonderful, and I’ll tell anyone who asks (and even those who don’t—sorry to all my friends). In a world where so little is in our control, the pill allows me to gain some back over my body and my life. However, there are some things that I wish I’d known about before I started taking the pill. So, if you’ve recently been considering the pill, or if you’re just curious, hopefully this article will be a good resource.
1) Women do not only go on the pill or another form of birth control for contraceptive purposes. Many do, and that’s great, but the pill also has many other uses and benefits, including helping regulate periods, alleviating menstrual cramps, lessening severe acne, relieving some symptoms of PCOS, PMS, and endometriosis, etc. The list goes on and on. If you are considering the pill or another form of birth control, you should think about which of these issues you would like to address so that your doctor can help you choose the best option for you.
2) The first type of birth control pill you take may not be the right one for you. The very first pill I took gave me terrible abdominal pain, nausea, and extreme mood swings. Like crying in the middle of the DUC for no reason, extreme. I had all but sworn off the pill for good when I began taking the pill I’m on now, which I have taken religiously ever since.
3) Your pill pack will tell you exactly when you will have your period. In your pack, there are four rows of seven pills, and the last row or last seven pills are sugar/placebo pills. These pills do nothing to your body, and when you are taking them, this is when you will have your period.
4) Dislike having your period every month? Great news: you can stop your periods partially or almost entirely with certain types of the pill. Now this is a HUGE one for me. I’ll spare you the details, but the cramps, headaches, and mood swings that used to visit me once a month every month were the bane of my existence, but I had accepted them. I thought I was powerless against being this miserable for 7-10 days each month until my doctor told me about continuous birth control. Now I only get one very light period a year with no other symptoms. I live a wonderful life.
Special Note: Unfortunately, when I tell people this, I usually get some kind of appalled, dramatic reaction like, “Ew! Is that healthy? Don’t you need to, you know, clear yourself out?” or the ever-so-offensive, “Isn’t your period what makes you a woman?” So, if you go this route, just be aware that you may have to educate some people along the way. But in case some of y’all had similar thoughts, the answer is no, if you’re on continuous birth control, you do not need to be “cleared out” because there is little to nothing for your body to clear out. Very briefly, the progesterone in some continuous birth controls makes your uterine lining (what you shed during your period) very thin, and so your body must only shed this, which may be nearly or completely unnoticeable to you. As far as whether or not this is healthy, there are many times in life when a woman might not have her period, and her body goes through this process naturally, such as during breastfeeding or pregnancy. (Here is a website that explains this much better than I can: https://bedsider.org/features/75-is-it-really-okay-to-skip-periods.)
5) Some people will make assumptions or judgements about you when they find out you’re on birth control. Male or female, young or old, family member or perfect stranger, everyone has an opinion. It’s important to remember that this is your life and your choice. You are smart and capable of making competent, well-informed decisions for your body, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Source: ppmns.org