Entering into a serious relationship for the first time, the decision that I was ready to have sex combined with the monthly pain and struggle that my period brought led me to decide I was ready to go on the pill. After going through the lengthy process of talking to my doctor, figuring out what type of birth control was right for me, and getting the prescription, I was ready to start my pill.
After a week on the pill, I noticed a few things; the few pimples I had on my face diminished, my breasts were sore, and I had more headaches than normal. Saying goodbye to pimples was definitely something I could live with, but I was worried about the headaches and soreness. Surprisingly, it turns out that these are common side effects of starting the pill. I looked through the birth control booklet that comes with every pack and I was shocked at the sheer amount of side effects, recommendations, and rules that go along with the pill: blood clots, weight gain, and nausea are just some of the many listed. But, desperate for a form of protection and cure for my cramps and heavy bleeding, I looked to birth control as a solution, regardless of the problems it could ensue on my body.
After being on the pill for a few months with no side effects or changes other than those few, I started to notice a major change; not physically, but emotionally.
The birth control pill I was on contains estrogen, which means that there are even more hormones in it than the average birth control pill. I found myself moody all the time, crying myself to sleep with no answer as to why, and constantly irritable. My family, friends, and boyfriend all noticed a change and I was desperate as to figure out why; had I just become a moody, grumpy person in the span of a few months? My usual enthusiastic, carefree self was gone; everything would upset me, even though months before, these kinds of things wouldn’t even phase me.
At first, I blamed this on my period; of course, it had to just be PMS symptoms, it couldn’t be my personality causing this. I did some research to try and find out why I was feeling like I was on a different emotional rollercoaster every day, and the only answer that made sense was my birth control pill. While I could finally determine that the reason for my moodiness and crying was the birth control, I didn’t actually do anything to fix it. I figured birth control worked for most people, so maybe if I toughed it out I could be one of those people too. All the other forms of contraceptives either weren’t as effective (condoms) or scared me (IUD). So, for one year and three months, I remained on the pill. Then finally, a month away from starting my first year at university, I decided I was sick of the emotional rollercoaster that had become my life. I got off the pill and turned to the scarier, yet even more effective, form of contraceptive: the IUD.
Since being at university, I have spoken to several of my new friends about how they manage their period and what they use as contraception; for the ones who have or currently use the birth control pill, they described symptoms similar to what I had faced.
It’s important to note that birth control helps so many women every day to control their flow, manage their cramps, have safe sex, control their acne, and more. Just because it affected me how it did doesn’t mean it does the same for everyone; it’s all about finding what works best for you, emotionally and physically. If you notice that it’s not working, don’t wait it out; try and find the best alternative for your body. Make sure you do a lot of research; after I stopped taking the pill, I started bleeding so I frantically tried to get in contact with my doctor to find out why, and she informed me that when you are on birth control, you never actually get your period. Once a month when you take your sugar pills, you don’t get your period like you would every month before the pill; instead, you go through withdrawal bleeding, which is when your body bleeds in response to not receiving those hormones.
So please, before you make a decision about birth control, make sure you know what you’re getting into and make sure it’s right for you.