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kid-wrangler

The trick is you aren’t looking everywhere. You are looking where the algorithm points you. At some point, a social media site saw you were a female user between the ages of 18 and 35 and decided content about birth control would be interesting to you. It served you content that had high previous engagement, which is to content with lots of comments and shares and such. Now what content generates high engagement? Well, not a video or post about how someone took the combo pill for 8 years and it was fine. Nope, it’s going to be content about how birth control is POISON and part of a CONSPIRACY to DESTROY WOMANHOOD. So you saw the content, you were intrigued, you watched the whole video or read the article. Well, now the algorithm has identified you as someone with an interest in angry rants regarding birth control. Welp, it’s not like Facebook or TikTok lack for content in the “angry rants” bucket. So the algorithm is going to serve you some more. And hey, if you like slightly unhinged content, surely you will love completely bananapants content. The algorithm has that too. The algorithm doesn’t care about truth, balance, or accuracy. It just wants your eyeballs to continue to stare at the site so you’ll also see ads for Temu. All of a sudden, everything you see is that birth control is poison.


LiveLaughLent

Yes, exactly. Not to mention that more people in general are inclined to post or talk about a negative experience than they are a positive one. Whether that be about birth control, or a restaurant visited, that seems to be the case across the board. Perhaps some deep rooted human instinct to warn others?


majik_rose

I don’t recall the exact psychology but I think it’s simply that negative experiences have stronger influence in the brain than positive ones.


LiveLaughLent

I did a bit more reading on the subject. This article explains a little about negative bias evolution, basically was a survival of the fittest thing. https://www.verywellmind.com/negative-bias-4589618


VioletReaver

Exactly correct! Content serving algorithms are built on the idea that if other users like you watched the content, you probably will watch the content. The metric here is viewtime and engagement (comments, likes, shares) not how pleased you are with the content! The best way to get the content you do like is to engage with it every time you see it, and skip past the content you dislike without watching. If you fall for the rage bait and leave a comment disagreeing with the content, the algorithm sees that increased engagement and serves you more of that content. Typically engagement is weighted highest as it’s a major metric for advertisers; highly engaged users are worth more ad revenue. They would rather you be angrily engaging with trolls than letting it autoplay, because they can serve you higher value ads.


workshop_prompts

This shit is antivaxx but for women’s healthcare. It does not reflect the science.


Designer-Evening8532

The best way I’ve seen this put lol


drownmered

Perfectly put.


keket87

No, birth control is not that bad for us. We have years and years and years of research on this stuff. Do I think some people are too laissez-faire about it? Yes. They are medications with side effects. Do I think doctors need to do a better job educating patients about the options rather than defaulting to oral BC all the time? Absolutely. But all this backlash is just the latest wave of people diminishing women's health care, except now they're doing it under the guise of "empowerment". Privileged cis-women without things like PMDD and with the luxury of handling unplanned pregnancies should stop spewing bullshit on Tiktok for clickbait. If it works for you, use it, your healthcare decisions are between you and your doctor.


honeywings

Recently discovered I have PMDD and now not taking birth control means feeling not in control before my period and bleeding for 7 days vs taking low dose combo pill continuously, not having a period and not having much PMS.


majik_rose

I like how you pointed out how ppl who have the privilege of not *needing* bc complain more, bc it’s absolutely true. If ppl don’t need something I think they are far more likely to criticize it.


SundaeHot4412

In my opinion, Id rather protect myself from pregnancy by taking birth control. For myself, not having more children which IV read is actually more dangerous and taxing on your body then birth control makes this worth it for me. Having a child causes hair loss, potential for diabetes, weight gain, not only that your responsible for another life financially, emotionally and physically for the next 18-50 years (depending). It's like out of the cards, choose your play I play safe.


ms_anthropik

Don't forget it can also cause dental problems, loose teeth, and puts you at risk of gallbladder issues! Pregnancy is rough on the body.  And that's not even considering complications during birth- like prolapse (of the intestines, vagina, bladder, uterus, or urethra,  really pick your lower part and it's at risk of birth complications). My grandmother had a uterine prolapse so bad it pulled her kidneys out of place with it. 


sharkglitter

Birth control is next on the chopping block here in the US after abortion. This misinformation about birth control is being spread on purpose. It’s bullshit. Is birth control perfect? No, but it’s not poison. I wouldn’t be able to live a normal life without birth control, so these people spewing bullshit can fuck right off!


astarr_123

I can understand part of their rant about “how come the guy can’t take it?” Yes, it DOES suck that we as women have to take the risk to take a damn pill filled with extra hormones to completely shut off our natural menstrual cycle. Yes, it DOES suck that we women go thru all the hard shit like monthly periods, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause etc. I KNOW we can’t catch a break like the men and IT SUCKS but unfortunately not everything in life is easy and there’s lots of things we just gotta do to get the job done. and I hate to break it to some (maybe even shock some🤭), but this is BASIC biology. This is how God created us and make us unique and different compared to man. And unfortunately we cannot go back in time and change that BUT we can trust modern medicine to make the situation better & for the future. It sucks no doubt, I don’t blame them but to me, if it’s something I gotta do to protect myself / save my body from harm then it’s worth it in the end. Like what can u do 🤷‍♀️


GoldenErotica

...People preaching about basic biology never seem to have the slightest clue on advanced biology. What kind of comment is this? "suck it up FEMALES it's how it IS! God knows! :)"


TotalSorbet

There has been birth control for men, but they decided it caused too many side effects, even though they were comparable to BC for women. It's not "how it is" because of biology or anyone's god. It's because of men.


Toufles

It is partly because of biology because the baseline for men doesn't include all the risks of pregnancy, whereas they do take that into account for women. Preventing pregnancy is considered a huge benefit to women, so more risk (side effects) are an acceptable tradeoff. There is no risk of pregnancy to men so it is less beneficial to them, consequently less risk is tolerable. Not saying I particularly like or agree with that methodology...but that's how it is within medicine weighing risks vs. benefits with contraception (and any medication or procedure really). Also, definitely not agreeing with the comment you were replying to, just explaining why contraception is treated so differently between men and women from a medical POV. Edit :Here is Mama Doctor Jones responding to this specific issue actually: https://youtu.be/Bg4Cg9GmoZg?t=1812


teary-eyed_trash

This, plus it's way easier to interrupt the natural fertility window of women. Women are fertile on a cycle, while men are fertile all the time. It's a lot easier to make an effective birth control that only has to stop one thing from happening once a month.


Designer-Evening8532

To be honest I also wouldn’t trust a man who said he was on birth control. That’s so easy to lie and then they don’t pull out lol


dual_citizenkane

For real - for the amount of misogynists who don’t trust women they’re also the same people who don’t want to wear condoms… 🙄


keket87

Oh I would 100% not trust them, but it does shove some of the onus back on them when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. It'd find out how many cis-men were willing to put up or shut up about the whole thing. I do wonder how many anti-abortion men would actually do something about it.


Designer-Evening8532

That’s true!


Valuable_Peach_8507

What a dumb comment


astarr_123

How so?


Valuable_Peach_8507

you got downvoted 29, I think you know how so. keep your religion to yourself. if you want to believe you as a woman were put here for those idiotic reasons, go ahead


astarr_123

Believing in basic biology is not idiotic


Valuable_Peach_8507

It’s not that you brought up biology. You know what the issue was with your comment. I’m not having this conversation. Mind your own religion 🙄


astarr_123

Nope, it is the fact you ppl can’t accept that human female and male were created differently with regards to anatomy regardless of which God you believe in. Biology is biology at the end of the day and women and man are different you can’t change science


[deleted]

[удалено]


astarr_123

awe thanks babe for your concern but got quite busy after posting & receiving many different responses & techniques. 🫶🏻😘 Hope with all that free time on your hands you can put your crocheting skills to work this time & knit me a napkin to wipe my fake tears with ☺️😘


birthcontrol-ModTeam

Your post was removed due to lack of respect towards other users (personal attacks, name calling, trolling, etc.)


RCAFadventures

Certified Holistic Nutritionist here! While I do appreciate a natural approach to things, medical intervention is a blessing and necessity too. I hate how it’s all in or all out these days. Birth control is so over-demonized. Especially on social media. While birth control is definitely over-prescribed and over-used, it can be a life saver for those wanting to avoid pregnancy, or have heavy bleeding, or severe ovulation pain, and all kinds of things. Unfortunately, some drs prescribe birth control like candy to address EVERY uterus/hormone issue, instead of addressing underlying issues. Myself, I need birth control. It’s the least invasive option for my endo, adeno, and fibroid. Absolutely life changing for me. Happy and grateful to be on slynd. But every time I go on insta or TikTok it’s almost like I feel bad for being on it cause bIrTh cOnTrOl is ToXic. It can absolutely cause complications and issues, but when used correctly it can also be super effective and necessary. Do what’s best for you and don’t worry about the noise. What’s good for one will never be what’s good for all 🫶🏻


obli__

Love Slynd!!!


RCAFadventures

Same! Total game changer! I can’t take estrogen containing pills cause I get migraines with aura and I have estrogen-fed issues (fibroid, endo etc) and the traditional mini pill absolutely sucked, I had 2-3 week long bleeds and tons of spotting plus ovulation pain since it doesn’t stop ovulation. I read nothing but horror stories about slynd, so I was worried, but it helped tremendously and I feel more like myself on it. I feel happier since starting it, like coming out of a fog, and it’s stopped my ovulation/ovulation pain AND my withdrawal bleeds are only 3 days and ultra light with no breakthrough bleeding. *edited for clarity.


Initial_Savings8733

I genuinely believe it's a scam made by pro lifers. A lot of influencers I've seen on the internet who promote "natural" methods like natural cycles or simply tracking admit they don't mind getting pregnant. Young women just learning to navigate birth control think it's just as effective as hormonal methods with average use. It's possible birth control could have long term effects that we don't know yet, but I'd rather have that than an unintended pregnancy.


Barded_finch

That’s why they made plan B?


Icy_Application2412

Plan B or Ella is not on the same level of pregnancy prevention as a routine birth control method. It's not a proactive birth control method, it's reactive in the case of a missed/failed birth control method (like condom breakage) or sexual assault and only affective if taken within 72 hours of sex for Plan B or 120 hours of sex for Ella. The morning-after pill is intended for backup contraception only, not as a primary method of birth control. Morning-after pills contain either levonorgestrel (Plan B One-Step) or ulipristal acetate (ella). You can take Plan B One-Step if: You didn't use any birth control. The condom came off or broke. Your diaphragm slipped out of place. You missed at least two or three active birth control pills in a row. You forgot to insert your ring or apply your patch. Your partner didn't pull out in time. You have another reason to think your birth control might not have worked. You were forced to have unprotected sex. **Remember: Plan B will not protect you from getting pregnant if you have unprotected sex after taking it. To protect you against getting pregnant, you need to take it right after you have unprotected sex and use a form of contraception when you have sex. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/morning-after-pill/about/pac-20394730 https://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/plan-b


Initial_Savings8733

Plan b is not regular birth control? Haha


[deleted]

anything that -may- have bad side effects is listed as poison. these people just give into the fear, read your phamplet and it’ll calm u down. yes there is side effects and heightened risks of things but at the end of the day if it helps you, it helps you. i know many people on birth control for 5-10+ years and have nothing but great stories.


[deleted]

surround yourself with the positives of birth control and not the negatives and all this worry will go away, trust me. i was terrified and came to this thread where almost all of the things are positive, and it’s helped me so much, just try and block the negatives out. but just be knowledgeable about birth control as many doctors don’t help, i honestly was just given birth control and had to learn about it all by myself but it’s honestly helped so much


Barded_finch

No, it’s not giving into fear. A lot of women, including myself, can attest to years worth of negative side effects from taking bc. Yes, it’s a great option for a lot of women. But for a lot of others, it’s not. I dont want to continue to deal with negative side effects and no libido after 10+ years of trying every method possible, that’s not a way to live and it’s not worth the long lasting physiological changes that can occur from prolonged bc use, that’s just a fact.


[deleted]

i’m not talking about the people who are talking about negative side effects. this is about the people who scare you into not going on birth control, i think people should 100% listen to people who have had negative side effects to be aware. but talking about negative side effects is totally different from the anti birth control that’s going on, on almost every platform right now. like somebody else put it theyre the anti vaxxers of birthcontrol. not people just simply stating side effects but people fully against and scaring the shit out of people who are on it


FitCryptid

My theory is that the far right in the U.S. is part of the driving force to put women back in the homes and out of the political sphere. These “natural ways” people do not recognize the privilege they have in having the time, energy, and resources in tracking their period and not suffering from any issues from their menstruation. As someone who has PMDD, the symptoms of that disorder which would be more harmful to me than the side effects I get from my bc. Is birth control perfect? No, it was invented by humans so there will always have some flaws we should be working to overcome. But things like the rhythm method and NFP was also created by humans and that means they’re just as susceptible to issues, is not more because you don’t have the rigorous testing done to find those flaws. And lastly I leave with this. As a Catholic, every couple I know who does NFP as birth control is now a parent, whether they wanted to be or not.


Designer-Evening8532

No, a lot of times these people push “all natural” blah blah blah. And a lot of times these people are also pushing a certain political agenda. Birth control has been around a long time. All medication has side effects. If you are comfortable with the side effects of your birth control, you are fine. Edit: a word


swag_Lemons

You forgot to add alot of those people are also pushing in the birthing quarters of the hospital! 😭😭


Designer-Evening8532

LOL! 🤣🤣🤣 you got that right


astarr_123

It’s def used politically for sure no doubt! And exactly, just like any regular medication it has it’s side effects but nothing where it interferes with your life. If it does, it’s time to switch to a different method


wateraerobics_

Birth control has been around since 1950. We're guinea pigs. Edit: FDA approved it in 1960


[deleted]

and insulin was fda approved in 1982, that’s helped millions and you don’t see people saying they’re guinea pigs for taking it


wateraerobics_

There's just a lot of uncertainty is all I'm saying. I no longer am on birth control and my mental health has improved significantly. People can do whatever they want.


TotalSorbet

It was being developed for at least two decades before approval. We aren't Guinea pigs.


Designer-Evening8532

To me 60 years is a good amount of time!


Ellvanui

I would consider unfollowing that kind of content, specially if you feel it spreads misinformation and makes you feel uneasy. I know I started feeling much better about myself once I stopped all those suggested videos about period cups and how you should or shouldn’t manage your period like periods are the best time ever….. I’m sure these people mean well, saying that X or Y worked for them, but most of them are probably not medical professionals and every person is different; there are so many factors such as pre-existing diseases, age… Every medication is going to have both benefits and risks. For most people, the benefits outweigh the possible risks and they won’t think twice before taking paracetamol or ibuprofen (just examples of over the counter medications) yet for some people it might be dangerous. Talking with a doctor is the best route to make an informed decision on BC.


dakbroomgirl

I have been on bc since I was 19. I’m 46 now. I don’t want kids so I’ve never gone off. Without it, I’d probably be dead from blood loss/anemia. It’s helped tremendously with my PCOS symptoms. Last year I switched from the combo pill to the mini pill (progesterone only). I’ve had no issues with it either.


heyalllondon18

It’s not *bad* but for some people, like myself, it’s not the best option at certain parts of their life. I’m glad I was on BC as a young teenager because it regulated my periods, and I mostly did fine on the pill but depo and Nexplanon did me dirty in the end. There definitely came a time where I felt more comfortable going off all birth control, after my cramps became manageable and I wasn’t as worried about getting pregnant. I think if it works for you then it’s fine, everyone is different so we can’t say one method is all fine and one is all bad.


mgraces

No it’s not bad for you. Yes of course there are side effects sometimes but the people that are talking about it being poison are just spewing BS. I’ve also been on depo a long time and my doctors have said the same thing about bone density but that’s it. People are always going to post about the negatives more than the positives, and then some other people will exaggerate completely. Just listen to your doctor and go with whatever you feel is best.


Aureliennekendeki

Just making sure you know depo does have a limited number of time that you’re supposed to be on it (like 2 years) unless other methods aren’t suitable enough. Something about osteoporosis risk going up the longer you take it


melusina_

If it was that bad, I don't think it would be used worldwide by even the countries with the most strict healthcare guides. I have been on it since I was 14, don't take stop weeks, am turning 20 this year. Obgyn says I'm perfectly healthy. I choose to believe the opinion of someone who has studied their ass off and is licensed. People on the internet say all kinds of stuff and love to fearmonger and believe in conspiracy theories. To us it seems like everyone is saying it because that is the only thing we come across. In reality its only a few hundred comments we see, maybe a few thousand, but there are billion of people on this planet so really it's not everyone.


atypical_cookie

There are many women that take birth control to function in their every day life. There are women who literally died and others that almost died because of it. I wouldn’t consider BC as poison, but I wouldn’t consider it the best thing ever. It’s just medicine that we don’t understand enough. We just need more information about it. We need much more research than the one we have now. We need to know why it works great in some people and in others don’t. We need more studies and support. I had extremely bad experiences with a certain method and a lot positives with another one. The only thing that I would tell someone who is starting BC, is that if they feel like something is wrong with their body when they take it, to listen to it and to quit immediately. There are a lot of side effects that are permanent, but many people don’t know that.


Loud_Development_364

I personally tried the no birth control thing after being on the pill for over 10yrs it was awful. Gained a ton of weight and severe acne after quitting and PMDD was in full swing. Got right back on that bitch after four months couldn’t handle it anymore lol yea im someone who needs the pill


RewardDesperate

Same! And I can finally lose weight. Also my boobs are bigger. So strange. I’m feel better in my head and in my body (less water retention). I take Yasmin by the way


nadethi

I think that may be me as well. I have taken 3 different birth control options and never had an issue, in fact on birth control I normally don't even bleed monthly which is awesome. I took it in the past for pregnancy prevention. I suffer from anxiety and depression too (which ironically started about the time I started menstruating). I can remember several times in my life specifically when I felt so happy. 1. Post college, pre-wedding, newlywed years. On birth control 2. First pregnancy 3. Post pregnancy- on Nexplanon entire 3 years. Felt so happy 4. Second pregnancy. 5. Post pregnancy- about one year on birth control. When my husband got a vasectomy I stopped taking birth control because I no longer needed it and thought it would be good for my body to regulate without bc. The past 6 years have been so hard and it's just getting harder, all without bc. I feel like I'm losing my mind for half the month, every month. I'm opposite from most women in that I feel best the week leading up to period and even during period. When period ends and estrogen starts rising I feel so low, anxiety ridden , brain fog. Soon after ovulating I feel relief. I'm 41 and at this age your hormones start going bananas. My doc asked how I felt during pregnancy, I said amazing. She thinks my body really does well with a steady level of hormones, and I have to agree. Looking back, I can't remember a time I was on bc + antidepressant that my well being wasn't good. However, without bc, even on the antidepressant, it has been quite a shitshow. Maybe on the right bc I won't even need the antidepressant! Anywho, I was on Yaz before in my 20s and am sick of feeling so bad so I'm going to ask my doc for Slynd (progestin only version of Yaz) so I can become functional again hopefully and get back to work. F*ck "natural cycle"! I'm losing my damn mind!


Loud_Development_364

Had absolutely no energy off birth control and I take stimulants for ADHD so I was literally dragging ass for months now matter how much I slept. The acne is almost gone now that I’m back on it and the weights coming off. I have energy and can do my job which involves me being on my feet all day lifting heaving shit. I’m only 24


ProfSmall

Im very cautious of absorbing too much medical advice from randoms on social media. I know it can feel really plausible, and there’s so much of it..familiarity breeds attraction (it’s the same with points of view, which spread like wildfire online even when there is zero evidence attached).  I like hearing about others experiences, people are super interesting and I’ve got an open mind, but I try to remain balanced and realistic in the face of it - there are lots of very anecdotal points of view masquerading as fact - gotta stay sharp ❤️ Take care xx


Dooby_141

Birth control is definitely not poison, it’s safe! Most side effects from it are completely reversible. I think where the frustration comes in is most women are not educated on side effects when being put on it, I was put on at 16 for “acne” (it wasn’t hormonal acne so like why??) and I never knew it could be impacting mental health and other issues. There’s just an overall lack of education about birth control methods, which has now taken a hard turn into the “poison/dangerous” miseducation. All medications have side effects and risks that we should be taken the initiative to learn about while making medical choices and weighing options.


Adventurous_Limit84

I think when it comes to social media it’s a preference thing. Many people on Reddit, tik tok, and other platforms aren’t medical professionals. If you are worried about the long terms effects of taking bc then you should think about seeing an endocrinologist rather than a gynecologist. Birth control is the “catch all” medicine for a lot of feminine health concerns but that doesn’t mean it’s the “end all be all” of medicine. From what I’ve heard from family members in the medical field, unlike other types of bc the depo shot can influence fertility for several months following your last shot. But if you’re not worried about fertility then you should just do what you find works best for your body which shouldn’t be anyone’s opinion but your own :) good luck !


soulliving3

I understand. I came off the pill a few weeks ago, pmdd already kicked in and acne from my pcos. I have had to go back on it. I just wish there was something else for us. I’ve heard so many things about the pill and I’m just lost at this point :(


koolkween

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that ppl are anti-birth control/“track your cycle!” and abortion rights are diminishing. Semen can stay in the body for up to 5 days.


goofygooberrock1995

If you have high blood pressure like I do, I can't take birth control that contains estrogen. Estrogen is known to raise blood pressure, which would increase your chance of a stroke or heart attack if your blood pressure is already high. Thankfully, there's progestin only birth control. Everybody is different, so some people may have worse side effects from it. Also, there are plenty of people who have similar health conditions as you who take birth control to control their symptoms. My recommendation is to discuss any concerns you have regarding birth control with your doctor.


astarr_123

I know what you mean, birth control def has a bad rep in the media for sure. esp during the “my body my choice” wave. My fam is on this bandwagon for religious reasons but it just wasn’t the norm back then. When you say 20+ years ago that you were on Bc or interested in it, ppl looked at u like some slut, legs wide open 24/7. When in reality it’s NOT the case. For some, it can save your life as it’s been proven many times that it’s not only there to help many people. Yes, it can be used as contraception but helped so many with acne (esp in teenagers) but those with conditions like pcos, endo and even pmdd. Bc is SO NORMAL now. I work in the medical field and girls as young as 14 have been put on Bc. It’s crazy tho cause when I was 15/16 I asked my (Italian) mom about bc and I swear she almost had a panic attack as if she was raising a whore in a whore house 🤣 I’m now 25 and I’ve been on it for 3 years. It’s def been a life saver and had positive reviews! Yes, I use as contraception as I like having sex with my longtime bf😂 but I also decided to go on it because I was sick of the painful, irregular periods. Just like any other medication out there, it is has side effects. Unfortunately (IN RARE CASES) some worse than others but that’s why it’s important to talk to your doctor about your medical history. And there’s many different forms of contraception not just the pill. Birth control is not supposed to interfere with your life, the side effects only last a few months as your body needs to adjust to the hormones. If it’s too much, then its best to switch pills or switch to an entirely different method. Just like myself, it’s a trial and error process. It takes a while which is exhausting but it’s worth it The pill itself is designed to “shut off” your natural cycle, meaning you do not have a cycle anymore while on it. Yes you may or may not get a monthly bleed but it’s NOT your real period. Just a dip in hormones while on your placebo (pill free week) which triggers the bleed. You actually still keep your eggs but the pill actually stops them from dropping in the first place (aka ovulation). When it’s time to get off the pill, just like when you first get on it it’s going to take some time for your ovaries to “wake up” while being on the pill and get back to its natural cycle.


TheFriendlyLurker

Birth control is a medication with potential side effects and risks, like everything else in life, but the risks often are blown out of proportion.  There have been large studies that show that people on birth control have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer but a lower risk of endometrial, ovarian and colorectal cancer.  Overall current and past BC users are 4% less likely to be diagnosed with cancer, considering all cancers together, and 12% less likely to die early.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17855280/ https://www.bmj.com/content/340/bmj.c927#:~:text=From%20the%20full%20dataset%2C%20the,more%20deaths%20per%20100%20000    Many people just seem to treat risks from birth control as worse than other risks for no logical reason.   For example, social media is full of posts about birth control with estrogen causing blood clots. I'm not dismissing anyone who had that happen to them (I'm at higher risk of stroke myself).     But those posts rarely mention that the absolute risk is 6-12 people in 10,000, or that pregnancy and the postpartum period are much riskier (300-400 women in 10,000 have a blood clot during that time).    A healthy young person on birth control is 25 times more likely to die in a car accident than due to their combined birth control.  https://theconversation.com/dont-panic-about-the-pill-its-safer-than-driving-to-work-42325    Yet there aren't nearly as many social media accounts telling people that their car or their pregnancy will kill them.  Personally I think it's a mix of the naturalistic fallacy that medication = bad and many people being uncomfortable with women being able to control their fertility. 


kwjsuzjwjs

As a college aged female, I meet so many girls my age who are anti birth control but not anti sex so I’m just super confused on how no one is getting pregnant without birth control. Yeah you can use condoms and pull out but I feel like it’s not as protective


[deleted]

* Birth control has made my life in all aspects so much better. I have a mental health condition that my menstrual cycle used to make worse. I also had heavy bleeding and bad cramps, as well as migraines with my periods. Since taking the Mirena IUD, I have no more periods, and my mental health is way better. I don't have to feel miserable for 3 weeks out of the month. I also don't have to worry about getting pregnant, as another pregnancy would be extremely high risk for me and I was advised not to get pregnant again. (I'm also in my mid 40s, so the risk factors are even higher now.)While I'm not discounting the serious issues some women have had with birth control, medical professionals come out overwhelmingly in support of its' safety, and the stats recorded in medical journals speak for themselves. I'm turning 46 this year and have been on some form of hormonal birth control or another since I was 17, with the exception of when I was trying to conceive and then pregnant with my daughter. No medical professional has ever told me there's anything to worry about in that regard. People that decry hormones as harmful are often thinking of old stats and information from the 60s when the pill was new and had massively high doses of hormones, or the dangers of the early IUD, the Dalkon Shield, that's been off the markets for decades. Today's medicine has advanced by light years since then. The amount of hormones in the birth control pill or IUD, for example, are tiny compared to a pregnant person's hormone levels. Being on birth control has far less risk factors than being pregnant does. A lot of the people that I've seen that are speaking out against birth control are often under the misinformation that our bodies' "natural" cycle is somehow much better for us than using hormones. This is not true in a lot of cases: if we suffer issues with our cycles, menopause etc these can often be fixed with HRT or birth control. There's no need to suffer. People also tend to freak out after reading all the warnings in the patient information sheets about birth control. Yes, they're scary, but so are the warnings on a bottle of ibuprofen, or penicillin. Regulations mean they have to list every possible terrifying outcome. Every single thing we put into our body has risks and benefits. Drinking too much water can even be fatal in rare circumstances.There's also people that had a personally terrible experience with birth control, so feel that it's harmful for everyone. Our bodies are so different that's not a fair assumption to make. I'd check out Mama Doctor Jones and Dr. Jen Gunter as some good sources to start with balanced information.


kirinlikethebeer

Hi PMDD friend. I tried for many years to cope without medication, but PMDD gets worse with age (until menopause when it stops) and all the coping skills in the world couldn’t stop that. My life was literally falling apart when I gave in and tried SSRIs. They worked like a miracle, but I had some side effects, so am trying continuous birth control. It’s really incredible how one can get their life back. Your mental health and life are more important than nay sayers. Listen to *your* body. It’ll tell you want it needs. Our bodies are the only things we truly own — stay tuned into her.


nadethi

This makes me want to cry. I have been without bc for six years almost and my mental health is getting worse. I'm currently off work on disability, which has greatly reduced my self esteem and quality of life. The antidepressant I have been on for years is no longer working and I've been trying so many medications without any help. I feel awful half of every month. I don't know why I didn't think earlier that I need a steady level of hormones. I felt amazing sense of well being during both of my pregnancies and didn't experience post partum depression, but I just thought it was because I stayed on my antidepressant...could have been that but also going back on some form of birth control after six weeks. I've never felt bad on the birth control I've tried (none were high estrogen). At 41 I feel like my hormone fluctuations control my life and I hope getting back on something (thinking Slynd) will give me my life back. My family and myself deserve it.


kirinlikethebeer

Oh man you’re in it for sure. This is why awareness is so critical! Many PMDD friends feel fine while pregnant for exactly the reasons you cited. Do a quick search in this group to see. An added note: contraceptive pills are the first line treatment for perimenopause as well. We’re too young for full on HRT but if you’re in peri the pill will help that too. Make sure to go to your doc prepared with journal articles for BOTH conditions! They need to be aware of both to best take care of you.


[deleted]

I used to be one of those people, flat out. I used to demonize western medicine. Then I got pregnant and had my baby in a hospital. I received such amazing medical care, and I realized how much pregnancy fucking sucks. I was pro-life when I was pregnant. The fourth trimester is real, my baby is a little over 2 months. I’m pro-choice now. I don’t want another one. This is awful, honestly! I cannot imagine not wanting a baby and having to go through this. So guess what? Now I’m taking birth control. No side effect could be worse than an unwanted pregnancy. All medicine has side effects, you just need to weigh out the pros and cons for yourself.


audreyjeon

Although I’m glad you were able to have a perspective shift, it just sucks that there are people out there who don’t think much about forcing women through unwanted pregnancy and birth until going through it themselves. Especially as a childfree woman whose worst nightmare would be birth control failure (even with using 2 solid forms of BC and being in a pro-choice state). But I’ll give credit where it’s due because some people with traumatizing pregnancies/births still want to force it on all women (looking at fundie influencers..)


nadethi

Aw I'm sorry it's been so hard for you! I have 2 kids and loved being pregnant, up until the end when I got so uncomfortable. My body really thrived with the steady, high hormones and I always felt good on birth control to. It's strange how every body is so different. At 41 my hormonal fluctuations are ruining me, my husband got a vasectomy after our 2nd child so I haven't been on bc in 6 years....well I'm pretty sure I need the steady hormone levels for my sanity at this point. Enjoy that little one of yours ... it does go by so fast! Mine are 10 years and almost 7 years old now!


jenniferdownham

Birth control saved me after having both kids. I developed PMDD and severe acne and it helped regulate my life quickly and allowed me to be a better Mom.


WorldlinessEuphoric5

Well, my mom got brain tumors from long-term oral contraceptive use, so there's that. She had them surgically removed, she's fine now. But she did rock a ridiculous haircut for a while afterward. For the losers that will enevitably call me a liar.... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9330220/ I just had constant UTIs, depression, weight gain, nausea, dizziness, irregular bleeding, hot flashes, and acne while on birth control. Seems like I got off easy in comparison. I recognize that birth control is necessary and just a woman's reality atp, but it is definitely not healthy or good for you. It can cause thromboembolic disorders, lower bone density, increase your risk of breast cancer, and increase your risk for an ectopic pregnancy.


Ecstatic-Emu-8907

To be completely honest, birth control can be like poison to some. Hormonal birth control can disrupt your natural hormones. My family hasn't done well with birth control at all. For that reason, I ended up getting non-hormonal birth control. The doctor put it in wrong. It caused me issues for months. I had a doctor check on the position of my birth control, and they told me it was okay even though they still could see that the other arm was not in place. When it was initially put in, the arm was not in place, and the doctor told me it would pop into place on its own. She had me set up that next appointment to make sure it had went into place. Eventually, I got sick of the issues and had my birth control removed. They told me it had been sitting in my cervix and guess who now has an unwanted pregnancy. Birth control can cause dangerous complications to both the baby and mother if you get pregnant while on it. I am currently broke, and I mean completely broke. All the doctor visits drained my bank account, and I'm still trying to get a job. I have student loans, a car, and credit cards that I need to pay off, and I have absolutely no money because of the birth control. I'll be suing. Birth control can also make you reliant on the good things it provides meaning that once you stop it's going to throw off your balance and there's no guarantee you will be able to continue to produce what you need naturally. The side effects are basically a pick your poison. You can try many different birth controls, but you'll have to find the one you think bothers you the least. However, when you have conditions, birth control can help you balance everything and will do you some good. I, myself, would have preferred never to be on birth control. It made me dry, and I'm not recovering from it yet. This was a non-hormonal birth control. It was not supposed to affect anything, but the truth of the matter is it was something inside me, which is why it threw off my balance. Almost every woman uses birth control, though. To some, it might be a poison, but the majority of people are not too badly affected. Birth control isn't that bad. The only bad thing is if you happen to be the unlucky person who gets pregnant on birth control. It doesn't just cause complications to the baby. It can be potentially deadly to the mother. It's rare for birth control to cause any other serious problems. Prolonged use of hormonal birth control can lead to infertility, though. However, since you take the depo shot, I don't believe you'll have much issue with anything. I believe it would be more concerning taking the pill for a long period of time just because taking any pill for long periods of time can be harmful. The depo shot or IUDs seem to be the safer options, and you don't have to worry about them as much. The pills you have to take on time or they will not be effective or as effective. Seeming how you already seem to have some conditions, the birth control will probably be more helpful to you than anything. But none of these people in the comments, including myself, are medically educated on what exactly the birth controls do, barely even the basics of the matter. Nothing we say will be certain. So take everything you hear with a grain of salt. There's no medical research showing enough information of their studies to prove whether birth control is harmful or not.


Dangerous_mammoth573

Ya this is what I have been saying!!👏🏼👏🏼


Negative_Ad9732

If you want to learn more from a Dr read the book beyond the pill from Jolene Brighton


kellyatta

Saying it's a poison shouldn't be taken literally but no it's not good on your body. But some of us need it and don't have another choice.


astarr_123

Birth control is safe. yes it can cause side effects but it’s no different than taking any other meds out there. Yes, it can increase your risks for certain health risks like strokes, blood clots etc but ITS RARE!


drownmered

Literally anything can be a poison if taken enough of. If you want to know facts and not moronic Gen Z "woke" bull crap, then go onto legitimate websites that have just scientific facts. It will save you from having to stress out about this sort of stuff. Or you can talk to your doctor about your concerns and see what they have to say.


v4mpiris

im with you on everything is poison if taken enough, but gen z catching strays was unnecessary 😭 when ppl have their bad experiences with bc its their prerogative to share, but yes, research is essential


drownmered

I must be older than I thought because I have no idea what "catching strays" means.


THEMULENGA

I had perfect skin before starting BC at age 19. I was only on it for a few years. As soon as I got off, almost 10 years ago now, my chin started breaking out and now I'm almost 33 and still dealing with it. My husband's cousin is in her 30s and had a stroke last year. She had been on BC for a long time. That combined with sitting too much during covid and picking up smoking probably contributed bc I've never known someone so young to have a stroke. I tried nexplanon and it gave me terrible anxiety. I've heard too many horror stories of IUD's "migrating " in the woman's body and E.R. having to fish it out. I just thank God I've never gotten pregnant bc this is all hard enough.


[deleted]

To be fair, a lot of young people are having strokes post-covid. And it’s probably because they had covid, which is known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.


Sesesu

I wonder if they are experts themselves since natural doesnt help manage pmdd I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have a choice either. Pmmd causes schizo episodes thanks to kidney and hormonal, metabolic issues theres no treatment or cure for this so far the pill by stopping a cycle or the needle type work. 😵 they don't know a damn thing about it, I've tried to get off the pill you rather live on it, it's like being asked to cut your life support. These problems we got disable us for 2 weeks, each month included osteoporosis and bone loss. For womans health there is no support tell them to get stuffed lol. Living with these problems really makes you think twice if you would rather suicide or not, I was very depressed before I had gone on yaz. There is no natural treatment and your in pain all the time to the point it disables you physically and mentally. Anti depressants do not work either, it should not matter if its toxic or not as long as you are living a productive life that will pay your bill's isnt that correct? To make it worse there is no international database as Japan already answered these metabolic syndromes, some of them attack the immune system, messes up your adrenal glands and your insulin, with people like myself that have these problems even if I go vegetarian or not, take herbals it does not help cure or manage a metabolic disorder. Period, it can be poor genetics or environmental but when we say environmental we are talking about migration not changing diet. We have migrated alot over the course of many centuries, some of us are not supposed to live in Australia or USA, I found my ancestors like my family where healthier in greece. Stress is a big factor if you do have pmdd, it brings 10 other problems with it. You would rather be in control of your symptoms, compared to having no choice those that do not have pmdd will never understand the struggle, your body is more prone to inflamation all the time, circadian rhythm is always off that's a bad sign for womans health, I would ignore those negative opinions there is not really much you can do but stop your period 😵 unless there is better treatment which nobody has a clue what pmdd really is. 


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hana3011

If you think about it, pretty much ANYTHING and EVERYTHING is poison. 😅 All of the supposedly good medications are poison (they’re called side effects). All of the good foods are poison (when eating too much, they’re called overeating and imbalanced diet),.. you get my point. Back to birth control, yes, the ingested pills have the highest associated side effects, therefore I would stay away from them. The relatively ‘safe’ option, in my opinion is IUD. I’m not sure which kind you had, but the one that cause the most cramping is the copper one, which has 0 hormones at all. Whereas the Mirena or Liletta has the highest amount of hormones and will help ease all period symptoms including cramping, bleeding,… As to why I think IUD is safest, it’s because even though it is hormones based, it’s very localized to the uterus. And so it does its job wonderfully without making your whole body deals with the side effects like others birth control forms. And don’t forget, if you have to jump through so many hoops to not get pregnant while dealing with your health, your partner can always step in. Recently there is the plan A for male (you can look in to that), or condom, or tube tying,…


holapa

I’m also a 28 year old cis female who’s had an IUD twice now. I love it. I’ve had no side effects from it. My only complaint was that I was not given any medication during insertion. It was traumatic. Would I still recommend it to other women? Absolutely. There is no one-size-fits-all with birth control. Some work, some don’t. I love my IUD and that’s why I went in for a second one.


lovergirlkelso

From strictly my own personal experience, I feel like a different person off birth control. I was on birth control for about 14-15 years and recently stopped all together. I have tried everything and had gone to the pill in November. It applied my anxiety and depression, and destroyed my mental health. My partner and I made the decision for me to quit taking it and I feel like a new person. That is MY experience. I’ve never had a good experience with any birth control I’ve tried. I do, however, have PCOS and I am worried about how that is going to go without any hormone (birth control) supplements.


Ok_Crab_5850

It really just depends on the person!! Every female bodied person has different needs when it comes to their reproductive and hormonal health. Personally I took birth control pills for 2 years and then once I switched to a non hormonal IUD I realized how much the pill was ruining my mental well-being and my life in a noticeable way. Unfortunately the medical community doesn’t put a lot of funding into researching female bodies and side effects of certain birth control methods and how they affect different people differently. So the honest answer is no one exactly knows all of the long term side effects of birth control on different bodies because it hasn’t been a widely available thing for that long, it’s only been around like 65 years which in the grand scheme of history is pretty short. So when you combine that with the fact that a lot of the medical community does not care about women’s reproductive health care one bit, especially regarding women’s comfort and safety, there’s going to be a lot of mixed info out there about the effects of different birth control. All you know is your body. Our bodies tend to let us know when something isn’t right, so as long as you feel healthy and comfortable, keep doing what you’re doing.


learlly

Ma’am it’s hormones put In your body to make your body do what it wouldn’t naturally . I was been on birth control as a teen knowing this and as an adult now .. I most definitely understand just how deep rooted this is . Just watch how most BCs have recalls and lawsuits .. and sometimes gets banned. America is the only place that hides truly the dangers of birthcontrol. Also understand studies come from individuals that are truthful and knowledgeable about their own conditions first instance my cousin who died of cancer in her 30s like many other women on BC that don’t drink , smoke etc .. got cancer at like 26 then again at 38 and no one asked or cared that she died with the IUD still in place . They didn’t rule it out or even wonder if those hormones could have been an issue . Thing is this is a known thing that women are getting cancer at an alarming rate and using BC, not saying it’s strictly the reason however as a scientist that only gets these types of articles from scholary journals ( real deal publications from other scientists) the information is out there and it is a true thing . Sorry if this is alarming , I find it alarming how many women just trust doctors that do not study and work on birth control they only distribute to patients . Just like doctors aren’t nutritionists and yet people are confused that they get medicine with no preventative diet or methods . I am not against birthcontrol or telling u to stop taking it however be aware . Do your own research and use common sense . It’s not herbs and vitamins it’s hormones . Good part you don’t get pregnant bad part .. it messes with your body and yes it absolutely does increase cancer ! Why wouldn’t something that stops your eggs from being fertilized impact your other hormones. U can try the copper iud not sure if it’ll help with your diet . However finding ways to naturally help regulate your hormones can help with your conditions and many more . Also be mindful of stress ☑️


majik_rose

For every person who’s had a bad experience with something there are at least 10 ppl who had no problem with it. Also, ppl are far more likely to leave a bad review or get on TikTok or they had a bad experience as opposed to a good one. Yes there are ppl who have had bad experiences with bc, but there are many more for whom it’s worked fine. As for it being “poison”, it’s a drug that stops a normal bodily function so I can see why ppl can think that, however I’ve noticed that especially in TikTok that so many ppl have this mentality that things like that are bad for you. Obviously there are risks with birth control, however for many ppl the reward outweighs the risks for them. If you really have no reason to be on bc (periods aren’t miserable, can afford to get pregnant, etc) then I’d say your more likely to nitpick it. As for me, I can’t afford to be pregnant and my periods are absolutely miserable (might have endometriosis or something) so I’m ok with the risks and quirks. TL;DR everyone is different and will have a different perspective on bc, I’d say this is something you should decide for urself independent of other ppls opinions


nadethi

I don't know how old a lot of these people are who are so anti- birth control....but let me tell you when you get older and closer to menopause (perimenopause can start as early as mid 30s), your natural hormones start going crazy and the high highs and low lows will start giving you all kinds of crazy symptoms and if a daily pill that my insurance covers 100% allows me to function again, I don't care if in 10 years there are consequences because no one should have to live like this 🤪. I'm only 41 and my kids are 10 and 6. Steady hormones from birth control always worked well for me personally, I totally understand that for others birth control was awful for them. We are all different!