4 Things Every Woman Needs to Know About Birth Control

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Posted: 08 Oct 2014 08:00 AM PDT

The advent of birth control pills seemed like a dream come true. These modern preventative approaches appeared to emancipate women from the natural tendencies of their own bodies, allowing them the joy and pleasure of sex without the risk of getting pregnant. It was all too soon, though, that a large number of women discovered that the control measures weren’t the panacea they were claimed to be. In fact, the harm they produced was becoming increasingly clear. If you are over 35, have had a history of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, or breast cancer, have migraines or smoke, then you are at a relatively high risk for adverse effects. Those effects range from fairly minor to potentially deadly.

Of those effects, on the relatively mild end of the spectrum are:

Nausea
Headache
Breast tenderness
Weight gain
Irregular bleeding
Decrease in sexual desire
Less enjoyable orgasms
Pain during sex

Obviously, losing interest in sex, having pain during the experience, or experiencing less satisfying orgasms does tend to counter the whole purpose of taking the pill! But even more serious are these known life-threatening risks:

Increased blood pressure
Blood clots
Heart attacks
Strokes

Keep in mind that contraceptive pills are not a sure way to prevent conception. In an effort to reduce the risks associated with birth control pills, they are now produced with lower doses of hormones. This has had the effect of reducing—but far from eliminating—the risks associated with them. Yet, this has also increased the chance of conceiving.

1. Two Types of Birth Control

Most birth control pills contain two types of hormones: synthetic estrogen and progestin (synthetic progesterone). A few contain solely synthetic progesterone. It’s important to understand that no one truly knows the full effects of birth control pills, in spite of the fact that they’ve been in use for about 50 years. The fact is that there are increasing rates of many chronic diseases and their causes are generally unknown. How much of this problem could be a result of birth control pills? The fact is that there’s precious little research to find out, so no one really knows.

2. Birth Control May Interfere with Natural Detoxification

What most of us do know is that Mother Nature can't be fooled. Having a period may seem like a nuisance, but it’s a very good way for the body to release toxins. Some toxins accumulate in our blood, and the release of this blood may reduce toxic overload. What are the long-term effects of injected contraceptives that suppress menstruation? No one really knows, and making a connection could be quite difficult in a world where toxins are everywhere, like in the water, food, medicines, cosmetics, personal products, and the air we breathe.

3. Injected Contraceptives May Promote Blindness and Bleeding

In the relatively short term, many women have had terrible problems with injected contraceptives. Leslie Botha, who produces Holy Hormones Journal, has looked in-depth at two of them, and the picture isn’t pretty. Implanon, which can prevent pregnancy for as long as 3 years, has been implicated in some serious harms. The drug uses a progesterone-like hormone Etonogestrel, which is similar to the hormone used in Norplant, the contraceptive pill that was removed from the market in 2002 for causing blindness in one woman. ^[1] Implanon has caused prolonged bleeding—from 2 to 26 weeks—in some women. Removal of the rod-shaped device, which is usually implanted in the upper arm, can be tricky because it often migrates and is difficult to find. ^[2]

4. Synthetic Estrogen May Increase Osteoporosis Risk

Depo-Provera, along with most progestin-only contraceptives, prevents conception by drying and thickening the cervical mucus. This, in turn, prevents most sperm from reaching the cervix. It also thins the uterine lining, preventing the implantation of a fertilized egg in case a sperm makes the trip. Usually, the drug suppresses menstruation by suppressing signals from the hypothalamus and pituitary, both of which control the monthly cycle. ^[3]

Progestin suppresses estrogen, sometimes resulting in the thinning of bones. These birth control devices have not been around very long, so we don’t know how severe their symptoms might be. However, women known to be at risk for osteoporosis who take synthetic estrogen are known to suffer more broken bones. Many women take oral or injected contraceptives because of problems with irregular periods, monthly pain, heavy or prolonged bleeding, or other concerns. However, as noted earlier, suppressing the symptoms of a problem does not solve it. Whatever is causing the problem is still there—and it could worsen without your awareness. ^[4] ^[5]

The Take Home

Of course, modern medicine has no other way to treat such “female” problems. That, though, does not mean you’re stuck with them. There are many alternative approaches available that may provide equal support, but without the unwanted side effects. These approaches don’t focus on covering up symptoms, but go directly to the underlying problem. Excess bleeding and pain are not normal, and simply covering them up is not a solution.

Your body maintains a natural hormonal balance on its own. Forced changes to that balance places your body under a great deal of stress. After all, something that can cause blindness, heart attacks, migraines, strokes, or other adverse effects is obviously not good for your health! Certainly it’s true that most women won't suffer from such severe issues related to these medications, but most of those harms are measured over the short term. Over a lifetime, no one really knows what the effects might be.

What type of birth control methods do you use? Would you consider, if applicable, switching to more natural alternatives? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments!

-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM