The combined contraceptive pill first became available to women in the 1960s, and is now a normalised part of a woman’s daily routine. The pill is the most popular form of contraception, easily accessible, and almost universal, but there are a multitude of misconceptions floating around which can be extremely misleading. Millions of women take the pill but with old wives tales, scaremongering articles and rushed appointments, is it any wonder why there many are ill-informed, or left with more questions than answers?
The internet is full of articles slating the inherent sexist nature of the pill and its harmful effects, but at Fresh Science, we’re not here to sway your life choices, but to educate and help you to understand how things work in a jargon-free manner.
So, how does the pill work?
In very simple terms, a woman’s normal menstrual cycle is regulated by the levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which signal to the brain to release other hormones that stimulate ovulation (the release of eggs from the ovaries). The levels of these hormones fluctuate over the course of the month in a feedback loop, and finally, if an egg is not fertilised, menstruation will begin.
The pill is made up of synthetic oestrogen and progesterone which mimic the action of these natural hormones. When women take the pill, these synthetic hormones STOP the natural hormones from being made. Hence, there are no natural hormonal fluctuations, but a consistent stream of artificial hormones, which override the brains control centre and ultimately prevents ovulation (essentially switches off the ovaries), thus preventing pregnancy. In addition, by stopping the fluctuation of hormones, this causes mucus in the womb to thicken to prevent sperm from entering, and prevents the lining of the uterus from getting thicker, which in a normal cycle would manifest as menstruation. When taking the pill, the menstruation we see is different from this.
This leads nicely onto some mythbusting…
Myth #1 – the pill regulates your periods
A prominent misconception about the pill is that it ‘regulates’ your natural hormone cycle. Instead, it stops their production, replaces them, and creates an artificial cycle. Women get the illusion of their cycle existing by still experiencing bleeds once a month (unless they choose to skip this monthly 7 day break). This bleed is actually caused by a withdrawal from the ‘fake’ hormones and NOT menstruation (the breakdown of the lining of the uterus). In fact, this ‘fake bleed’ can be considered a feature of the pill built in upon design, to copy the feel of a natural cycle.
The pill acts as a hormone replacement, rather than a regulator.
Myth #2 - the pill just stops you from producing eggs
Surely many of you have heard this upon prescription of the pill. It all sounds so simple doesn’t it? Actually, the pill causes a range of other changes and side effects in other parts of the body. So although its main function is to prevent pregnancy by stopping the production of eggs, on a person-to-person basis, it may have secondary health and psychological effects too. Make sure to ask your GP about this before you start taking the pill, as these can be dependent on your general health, lifestyle, and family history.
Myth #3 - the pill is only used for contraception
Not all women using the pill are doing so for contraceptive purposes. The pill may also be prescribed to combat hormonal acne, endometriosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome, as well for helping to ease particularly aggressive and painful periods.
Myth #4 – the pill is dangerous and can cause cancer and depression
Ok yes, there have been some studies showing that women taking the pill may be at increased risk of depression, but there is no evidence to show a DIRECT link, only an association, meaning that not ALL women will experience this. Again, this is person dependent, depends on which type of pill you are taking. Just like any artificial drug, there are side effects, and as the pill intrinsically stops normal hormonal patterns, this goes hand in hand with mood swings.
Regarding cancer, the pill itself does not directly cause cancer, but the high levels of hormones may contribute to an increased risk of breast or cervical cancer, especially in those with an immediate family history. However, in conjunction with this, the pill also been proven to have a protective effect against ovarian and womb cancers, as well in bowel cancer.
What is important here is to know the signs, consider and research other options and make sure to communicate well with your health professional. It is unfortunate that in many cases, risks and side effects are not always communicated effectively to patients prior (see article here), so be sure to ask about these. There is no one size fits all.
Myth #5 – everyone gains weight when they go on the pill
In the old days, yes, this may have been the case due to the high levels of hormones in the pill; too much oestrogen can cause an increased appetite. However nowadays, this is a myth and not a common problem to worry about at all as pills have a much lower dose of hormones (caveat: remember that everyone reacts differently to the pill).
It is easy to be spooked by the overabundance of articles on the web demonising the pill, but actually, the pros and cons of the pill are entirely dependent on the person taking the pill and what they would like to gain it. I hope this article has helped to clarify misconceptions and also educate anyone who felt in the dark about how the pill works. Let me know if you have anything to add, or any feedback! Comments are always appreciated!
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Now I love that you've given a simple outline of what the pill does and doesn't do. There are so many young girls confused by the Pill and scarily are put off by the myths surrounding it, there seem to be so many more then there was 10yrs ago and don't use contraception. Even though I suffered what was considered a 'side effect' I use that term loosely (a FNH on my liver) I would still encourage everyone to do there own research because for 10years the pill was great for me!
ReplyDeleteMichelle x
Www.wanderingcuriosities.com
Thank you for your comment! This is what I was aiming for, to just give simple and useful info! You're so right though, it is something that is so dependent on the person.
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