Written by Skye Palmer, graphic by Leanna Ordoñez

In my sophomore year of high school, I got on birth control. Like many of my female peers, I struggled with hormonal acne, period irregularity, and of course — I didn’t want to risk getting pregnant.  After almost four years on the pill, I made the conscious decision to take a break.  You’re probably wondering why.  After all, I’m in my baby making prime — women under the age of 25 have a 96 percent chance of conceiving in a year if they're trying each month.  Now, as a naturally cycling woman, I find myself in that position.  But I have a valid reason, one that many women share.  

I first became skeptical of the effects that my hormonal birth control was having on my body after being on the pill for approximately two years. Nearing the end of my senior year, I started to feel off-kilter. I was nauseous, I felt fatigued, and my period seemed like it would never end;  I had my period for two consecutive months before I decided to go to the doctor and make sure that everything was ok.  After a few blood tests and a CAT scan I discovered I had a ruptured ovarian cyst.  My doctor proceeded to up the dosage of my birth control to prevent another cyst from forming.  However, it wasn’t long before I started to see more health issues crop up.  After changing my birth control, I saw noticeable changes in my figure.  I felt heavier and more bloated. I was holding on to more water and appeared more puffy than usual. I attributed this sudden change in my appearance to the myths surrounding “the pill” and the weight gain that can accompany it.  

But come the start of my freshman year in college, my mental health took a nosedive. I struggled to get out of bed and connect with friends.  I saw changes in my relationship with food. I was anxious, irritable, and above all unhappy. In a dire effort to remedy these mounting concerns, I would get off the pill for a few weeks, and in time, get back on after not seeing the desired effects. This instability drove my mental and physical health into further distress.  I got on birth control at such an early age I didn’t know who I was without it. It was over Thanksgiving break of this year that I decided to quit for good, and on my flight back to Springfield, I listened to the eye-opening book that changed my life forever.  

This is Your Brain on Birth Control: The Surprising Science of Women, Hormones, and the Law of Unfiltered Consequences by Sarah E. Hill PhD held the answers to all of my questions and put an end to the years I spent debating whether birth control was right for me. Through her own personal annecdotes, years of expertise regarding human psychology, and various scientific studies, Hill debunks the mystique surrounding birth control writing, “Sex hormones impact the activities of billions of cells in the body at once, many of which are in the brain. There, they play a role in influencing attraction, sexual motivation, stress, hunger, eating patterns, emotion regulation, friendships, aggression, mood, learning, and more. This means that being on the birth control pill makes women a different version of themselves than when they are off of it.”  

Hill’s insightful research-filled pages left me feeling empowered and in control. Not only was I well-informed on the functionality of the female body, but also the various effects that artificial hormones have on these functions - both the positive and the negative.  It enlightened me to the fact that “birth control can have negative implications for learning, memory, and mood. Additionally, because the pill influences who women are attracted to, being on the pill may inadvertently influence who women choose as partners, which can have important implications for their relationships once they go off it.” 

Through trial and error, I discovered that hormonal birth control was no longer a form of contraception that I wanted to use.  However, there is no question that birth control is an extraordinary resource for women that are looking for a safe method of contraception.  Birth control has and continues to open countless doors for women receiving an education, climbing the corporate ladder or by simply allowing women to take control over their own fertility, giving them the choice as to when they want to conceive.  

If you are questioning whether you are on the right birth control or if you even want to be on the pill at all, I encourage you to do some research.  The most that we can do is inform ourselves on the different options that we have in the way of contraception. Hormonal birth control is not the only option!  Moreover, we should be aware of the impact that the contents of these different forms of birth control have on our bodies.  Birth control is not one size fits all. I could have saved myself a lot of grief by simply educating myself. 

Today, I am still adjusting.  My body is still learning how to navigate life without the pill.  However, my mental health has improved tremendously, my body feels and looks healthier than ever, and I could not be more content with my decision. I am currently relying on apps to track my cycle so that I can accurately predict when I am ovulating as well withdrawal and condoms.  However, with quarantine restrictions in place I am not too worried about the risk factors associated with a more “natural approach”.  In the future I plan to look into non-hormonal pregnancy prevention such as a copper IUD.  But for the time being I’m letting my body breathe, I’m taking a break.      

Additional Methods of Contraception:

Condoms

Hormonal Birth Control

Birth Control Shot

Birth Control Patch

Copper IUD   

The Sympto-Thermal Method (STM)

Apps tracking cyclical fertility

Helpful Links:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control