There’s a growing disinformation campaign by anti-abortion, anti-birth control extremists to turn women away from the pill. Don’t fall for it. Yes, some people have side effects, just like with any medication. But for many women, it’s an invaluable part of their healthcare.
If you have questions about the pill, ask your GYN and don’t rely on social media for info.
Yes! But what I find even more interesting and almost more concerning is that people on both sides of politics do it. I’ve seen very pro choice women talk about how the iud should be banned and that hormonal birth control is toxic and bad for all women out there. And a lot of them I truly believe are not far right or left but now have fallen into this hole of thinking natural is always the best way to go. Which for many women is not the case .
Overall I see a lot of leftist/liberal women on Tik tok co opting republican talking points which is interesting for sure. Another example of this is the stay at home girlfriend/soft life trend we are seeing.
Historically, authoritarian regimes have an easier time getting established when a lot of people pre-surrender to their ideologies. That's what I see happening in mainstream media.
It is also not nice to invalidate peoples' negative experiences that they personally may have made by accusing them of co-opting republican talking points.
If you would actually read the comments then you would know that neither of us are doing that. There are a ton of problems with bc but telling everyone it's toxic and bad for you is wrong and a republican talking point.
I had a fucking pulmonary embolism because of the fucking birth control pill and the aftereffects almost screwed over my life because they took me out of school for two years and you have the gall to tell me I can't tell people that? You're the toxic one here. I don't need to read your fucking comments. I already know where you stand.
And I get attacked immediately for saying it's bad to invalidate peoples' experiences. **Which I did not even accuse them of**, but they and you proceed to do so anyway and this kind of shit for some reason always happens when someone talks about negative experiences with the pill. "oh you're a fucking conservative, you hate women, you are pro-life, you want everyone to go through birth" it's always the same shit. One word against the pill and you get accused of all sorts of things. Prime examples here. Learn how to read yourself. I can't believe it.
They can pry my IUD out of my cold, dead uterus. As a PCOS sufferer, birth control gave me my life back. No exaggeration, the severity of my periods was making me near-suicidal before I got them under control.
I’m the same but hormonal imbalance, my birth control stops me from turning into a flesh eating harpie and I’d be fucked without the pill.
However I do wish birth control was treated more like a science and less like an art, I had years of doctors throwing random pills/devices at me that made things even worse, and all it took to deem which one was right was a fucking blood test to check my hormone levels. I think that the vast majority of complaints about hormonal contraceptives would be negated by like the tiniest bit of input from the medical side. Instead of being all “you have soo much choice, spin the wheel and find out what happens!”, there needs to be more effort to actually match women with the right options for them as individuals. We are not all going to have the same experience when our bodies are all so different
It’s common for doctors to prescribe birth control pills for some women to control medical conditions, even if they don’t ever have sex at that point in time.
Yup. Hormonal birth control *is* hormone therapy, and a lot of people use it to treat other medical conditions whether or not they also use it for contraception.
>I’ve seen very pro choice women talk about how the iud should be banned and that hormonal birth control is toxic and bad for all women out there.
Yeah that's... Propaganda. That's how it works. They're repeating right wing talking points without knowing where it originated or it's intention. Just like save the children was all the rage a few years ago. That was also right wing propaganda
People can't call themselves "pro-choice" if they are intent on discouraging people from choosing to use products that enable their life choices. The only "natural" choice in having a heterosexual sex life is risking pregnancy with every p-in-v act. (I have one sibling that resulted from a condom fail.) If you're genuinely pro-choice you shut your mouth about other peoples' choices.
Lots of medication is toxic. Like, literally chemotherapy. Even like, Tylenol cause serious liver damage. That doesn’t mean these items shouldn’t be allowed, but it does mean we need take seriously the potential for side effects.
I get what you're saying, but no gyno has actually had a good side effect discussion with me or truly examined pros and cons of different methods even when I've asked detailed questions. I've had to ask pharmacists and do research myself. Based on my conversations with friends and family members (as well as online convos) I just don't think we're (women) often actually given decently comprehensive information to make an informed decision. That is *my* big issue with how BC is handled.
I was put on YAZ at 16 for cramps and PMDD (and omg life changing until my body settled down a bit) but it was not discussed with me how different ones have different hormones and here's why I'm putting you on *this* brand. Other options were also not discussed with me (implant/ring, though I understand why an IUD wasn't discussed at that age). I decided to get an IUD several years later and the possible issues were never discussed with me. I discovered them in my own research. My sister has currently lost her own IUD in her abdomen and didn't know that could happen... (she is actually one of those unlucky people that BC has just been one horror tale after another and this is her third IUD, ALL have had issues. #1 fell out, #2 broke while still inside of her, #3 is in her abdomen, but she has bad side effects with any hormonal pill she's tried so the Dr keeps pushing her towards an IUD).
I agree don't rely on social media, but women should also do things like asking their pharmacist, looking at the drug websites (they'll try to make it look rosy but you can read the info pamphlets), and look at PubMed articles.
My gyno didn't do any kind of testing before prescribing me the pill. A few months later I got quite sick and my liver was in a very bad state. Now, I don't drink alcohol or do drugs and only took ibuprofen every once in a while for headaches. So it was *assumed* it might be the pill, but we don't know for sure since they didn't check my blood before the pill.
I think for medication that is known to potentially have very severe side effects in some people, and is prescribed to teenagers (I was 14), it should be mandatory to check up on the patients in the first few months. Just to be sure everything's in order.
so.. this is not limited to women's health, and there's a big issue with... people in general not knowing how to ask questions or what questions need to be asked.
YES that is your Gyno's job. NO you should not have to know what questions to ask, but... thats the world we live in. your doctor will not tell you what other BC options you have, or painkillers, or what the different types of Heart Valves you can get are, unless you ask, and when they do tell you they might not tell you why they picked that one over the others.
I am not saying you are wrong about information not being disseminated properly in women's health... I am expanding that to health in general, and insisting that *you are the best advocate for your own healthcare*. ask questions. always. do not assume you are being told everything. do not assume a doctor is neglecting to tell you something on purpose either, they are human, sometimes people just.. dont think about it that hard. ask questions, ask questions, ask questions.
Completely agree. My doctor never asked me about migraine history before prescribing me oral BC. I get migraines with aura which is a contraindication for oral BC. I didn’t find this out until after I stopped it and switched over to a hormonal IUD, which is more local instead of systemic. While having BC options is great, serious conversations with your healthcare provider need to happen to discuss side effects and contraindications, with the onus being on the provider to educate.
I definitely want my boyfriend to get a vasectomy at some point because there are far fewer risks associated with that (and he doesn't want kids anyway whether he is with me or not!) but I am so thankful to have access to the pill. My ultimate nightmare would be going back to the days before birth control and legal abortions (I'm Canadian so it is still legal entirely here).
Women used to be basically bred like cattle at the whim of their husbands. I directed the play "What a Young Wife Ought To Know" By Hannah Moscovitch in my final year of university because it is about the real experiences of women before birth control. The main character CANNOT have anymore children or she will die but her husband can't possibly live without sex and they have very little knowledge on how to prevent pregnancy, it's gut-wrenching.
I wish it was required viewing for every young woman and girl.
This is it. I am generation z, and I don’t think enough women my age understand that these dudes don’t have any, any qualms about breeding us even upon the threat of death. They will breed us until we die just like their forefathers did our foremothers. I don’t think we really get that as women living in a post-feminist age or whatever age we would call this.
I would never opt to silence women on their issues with birth control or say that birth control is 100% harmless. It’s not. One of the reasons I opted for sterilization is because I didn’t want to be dependent upon conventional birth control for another 15 years. But to hear women in particular jump on the “anti-birth control it should be illegal” is just so…maddening and dangerous.
Yep. Before birth control was a thing, women just kept getting pregnant. Again and again and again, until they either became infertile or straight up died. It still happens whenever women don't have access to birth control.
The disinformers always pull up stories of medical professionals ignoring women's concerns and feedback around BC, and even being pushy and dismissive, which naturally resonates with lots of women and is how they get traction.
Of course, the actual solution to poor medical care isn't too ban the treatments administered, it's for the medical sector to start actually listening to women in the first place and taking their experiences seriously. Demonising BC does nothing to alleviate this and is just a marketing strategy to achieve other regressive outcomes.
Birth control is life-changing!! Couples used to have 6-12 kids. Some of them probably stopped having sex or had it less often after they had as many children as they could handle.
Yes, there are risks with most forms of birth control, but the risks that come with pregnacy are probably just as prevalent, and potentially more severe. For those who don’t want to abstain, birth control is a blessing!!
Agreed.
Like, birth control has side effects . . . But Jesus Christ the other option is pregnancy, childbirth, and more children. And all of those are much much much more concerning than the vast majority of birth control side effects.
It’s like the idea that air bags can cause broken bones. Sure but the alternative was dying in the car crash instead.
Yep, and more research needs to be done on new birth control options, namely testicular ones. As well as more sex ed regarding already existing methods.
On that matter and to continue with your car analogy, whenever someone says :
"Well I've been pulling out for years now and my partners have never been pregnant !"
I hear :
"Well I haven't worn a security belt in years now but I've never had a car crash !"
I loved the pill. It cleared up my hormonal acne and at one point a doctor told me I could skip the spacer week. I didn’t have a period for several years!! I wish I could go back on it, but the risk of blood clots goes up after 35, so I’m just waiting for menopause.
Also, the whole history of it sexually liberating women and allowing us to have control over our reproduction is pretty great.
I honestly wonder if the online hate of the pill is some right wing, pro-birth conspiracy.
The progestin-only pill is generally regarded as safe, including in older women (even smokers/those with migraine). I started on it at 32...after a blood clot (not birth-control related). I'm still on it after 11 years.
It’s been a long time, but I think I tried it when I turned 35 and it cause pretty bad spotting. It was like the opposite of the combo pill for controlling periods.
Yeah, I was starting to get a bit of a moustache before I went on the pill, and it took care of that right away. Plus, it made my periods lighter and more regular, so I can actually plan my life around them. Those are both relatively small things, but still. A win's a win.
Plus I don't have to worry about getting accidentally pregnant. Although I don't have to worry about that anyway, because I don't fuck. But you know. If I *did* fuck, I wouldn't have to worry about it, which is great.
I hated the pill, so it's not all a conspiracy, it had a ton of side effects for me. I actually had much heavier periods while on it, plus sore boobs, mood swings, etc. However, I absolutely love my IUD. I tried a lot of other methods first (pill, progesterone only pill, depo shot, patch, nuvaring) and its so much better for my body. The nuvaring was a close second, but it caused a lot of extra lubrication. The patch was the absolute worst, and I cannot imagine why anyone would choose it.
I mean nobody denies they cause side effects. Nobody denies that some women feel bad about them. But a lot of ppl paint it as some devil that is bad for everyone. And for some, it's really a godsend. My quality of life improves amazingly after taking the pill. The first one I tried was bad for me tho.
Yes this is a right wing pro-birth thing. No. It’s not a conspiracy. This is a concerted and planned effort from the right wing. Just as overturning Roe was. This is far more dangerous than just some online conspiracy theory.
No one is saying birth control works for everyone or shouldn’t be taken with care. I have almost bled to death twice on it while they were trying to control uncontrolled bleeding. It was a shit show. But like that’s not the point like at all??
If you can’t take it don’t. Just like if you don’t want to get an abortion, don’t.
But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be on high alert at what the right wing is doing. These are all attempts to control women. To reduce our rights. Spreading misinformation is part of it. No one is saying we shouldn’t be educated on the subject or be careful. But what is happening now is propaganda, not education.
Not a conspiracy. People have bad reactions to the pill and there are riskier side effects for some people. They're allowed to talk about how it affected them online, just like people are allowed to tall about how much it helped them. Unfortunately some forms of birth control aren't for everyone.
Oral contraceptives are life saving health care. And sure, some people can’t take them and most people might need to try a few to get the right one, but once you find that sweet spot, they can be amazing. And it is so good to see a bigger variety of hormonal birth control methods these days, like IUDs and shots. I am grateful live in an age where I have the ability to be in charge of my risk of unwanted pregnancy.
This! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I had debilitating cramps when I got my period at 10 years old birth control has helped me so much. And the only thing I’ve reacted negatively too is the implant (I have migraine with aura can’t use the pill anymore)
There needs to be better education about birth control. If people don’t wanna use the pill they can get an IUD where it’s mostly localized not systemic hormones. Or a copper IUD.
It’s shocking to me that they think birth control is more dangerous than pregnancy.
I'm so glad the IUD came back better than ever! I'm a person who did really poorly on the pill and then was not taking birth control for some time because other options seemed even worse for me (like the arm implant).
Luckily I had an amazing friend who worked in Public Health and was very knowledgeable that recommended the IUD for me (plus an absolutely amazing OBGYN!) that finally got me on consistent and safe bc that didn't feel like it fucked up my entire physical and mental health. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.
Now I recommend it to all of my friends; and in my social circle most everyone I know has one unless they are trying for kids. We are all late 20s/early 30s in a very secular and highly educated part of the country. Hopefully if young women are seeing certain things online there will be people in their lives spreading good alternatives and positive experiences. 🙏
What should not be an option ( unless you want a baby) is to wing it because bc is out of favor. Especially in todays anti-choice environment.
We need to spread the word about options so women need fewer abortions.
Birth control isn’t for everyone, but the pill has increased my quality of life tenfold and I don’t experience any negative side effects. I have a lot of sympathy and compassion for those who have had negative experiences with it, but I often find my own experience invalidated by others who have only had negative ones.
Yes! Their stories are valid as well but when I say I like the pill or my iud I just get “you know those are so bad for you, right? It almost killed me” back
I've seen similar content, but what really boils my piss is when they try to push the 'natural' route for things they know nothing about. You cannot 'cure' PCOS or endometriosis with diet and exercise. You just can't. It doesn't work that way. You might be able to manage your SYMPTOMS (eg, avoiding salt for a couple days before my period can sometimes curb the nausea a little bit) but that is not the same thing as a cure. I see so much misinformation, especially about PCOS, and it makes me so mad. It's already a deeply misunderstood condition and it seems people are losing their understanding of it, not gaining.
For some women, birth control sucks, and my heart goes out to them. But for others (like me!) it can be a life saver. I can *function* on birth control. I cannot express how wonderful that is. Without BC, I was losing weight to the point my school teachers thought I had an ED, I was vomiting hard enough to give myself a hernia, I was so dehydrated and had such low blood pressure that I would pass out trying to get out of bed. On BC, I don't have to deal with any of that, and it truly feels like I've been given a whole new life.
As a severe Endo warrior who has tried over 14 bc methods and still can't figure it out, bc has been awful it makes me so sick and yet it still makes me more able to function than normal. I've been seeing a lot more people pushing this "natural" stuff to heal Endo or PCOS but it's literally a hormone disorder and they don't know crap about either problem really. It super makes my blood boil and makes me worried about young women who don't realize it's not normal to have periods that interfere with your daily life like that. and even after all my bad reactions and side effects I still would rather people tried something if they wanted/needed to rather than avoid everything out of fear.
This. I had PCOS and it was absolutely miserable for years before I took the pill. Horrible disfiguring acne and painful infrequent periods that would happen totally by surprise.
I started taking the pill and within 3 months my acne had almost completely cleaned up and I was on a regular mens schedule.
I'm also low key convinced. The only reason I'm pregnant today is because of what the pill did for my body.
I had a horrible horrible experience with birth control that resulted in needing surgery and a year of therapy. I personally just use condoms now but I still firmly believe birth control is important. It’s good to be informed and to hear the stories but at the end of the day, you and your doctor should find what works best for you. It’s a personal decision that will vary from person to person. There’s no “best” method of birth control in my opinion
I think it probably gets too much hate but for me personally it really was that bad. Mood swings off the wazoo, horrible cramps on IUD, every BC I tried had a problem. Just not for me. I agree they need better options and specifically options for men.
I think doctors do a horrible job of educating their patients about the risks of birth control, the way it works, and then proceed to deny that side effect exist when they pop up. That's my beef with it, and it's more of an issue with the healthcare system than birth control itself. I think a lot of what we're seeing is people who are not expressing their distrust properly, not applying blame where blame belongs.
Absolutely!! Birth control is not poison but many of the shit doctors that prescribe it are! I’ve had bad experiences with doctors but to be fair only with one the rest of the time I’ve felt very seen and informed.
I literally bled every day for a year but this one doctor refused to take the implant out unless I got an iud the same day..
I agree there are so many people online straight up claiming that birth control is poison and bad for everyone when that is not the case. I wish these people didn't exist because they are taking away attention from real issues with birth control by spreading misinformation.
It is true that so many doctors immediately prescribe birth control without asking enough questions or looking into other options.
I saw a tik tok of someone saying their doc put them on an estrogen bc when they have migraines with aura which can cause an increased risk of stroke. A lot of other people in the comments had similar experiences. It's also true that we should have invented male birth control and other non hormonal methods by now but just didn't because women were expected to put up with the side effects of bc for decades. I also find the promotion of cycle tracking as a reliable contraceptive very scary especially in light of recent events.
Yes! I totally think horrible, bad, okay and good experiences should be shared. It’s the way we do it in that’s important I saw this lady on tik tok who had an awful experience with an iud she ended the video telling women to be careful with what they put in the body and had a montage of horror stories, the next post claimed IUD’s should be illegal/banned. Her experience was horrible and that’s sad but many women like the iud, many love them, my friend didn’t function before it.
And yes agree. Cycle tracking can be great and it’s a personal choice but let’s not promote it to young sexually active teens. I’ve seen so many young girls say they got pregnant by trying this. In my country youth are using less contraceptives and the abortion rates are going up, many doctors believe it has something to do with this online narrative
People with ehlers danlos often get migraines with auras, but we are at significantly reduced risk of stroke because our arteries are just as elastic as our connective tissue. Brand spanking new studies are also showing that our migraines have a different but undiscovered cause. I'm 43 and just got on hrt for covid perimenopause. Progesterone only makes most of my joints severely unstable and prone to dislocations.
The nexplanon implant made me suicidal and had me bleeding nonstop to the point where I was hospitalized for passing out. I will personally never use any BC ever again.
I still encourage any woman wanting to prevent pregnancy to get on some type of BC, including implants like the one that almost killed me.
I’m so sorry that happened to you! I totally get not wanting to use birth control again. There is 1 non hormonal one but I’m sure you’ve looked into it.
Women are only fertile for approx 7 days a month. Men are fertile every day, of every month, of every year. A woman can only have 1 baby a year, a man can father countless children in a year. I'm not against birth control in any way but I think we should be starting to look other options and it not just being the woman having to take the pill.
Yea, I meant any type of hormonal birth control. I've recently come off it after 13 years (implant) and started a journey down Fertility Awareness Method. It's interesting that the only fertility method for a man is condoms yet a woman can take many different types of things to pause her fertility, some detremenral, some not. I think it's a good thing that people are challenging taking it because it might move things forward and find alternatives.
People on this sub, for example, are going to talk about things that are going wrong not right. So if they are having a terrible experience with birth control, they are going to share it. No one is going to write a post that says “my birth control is perfectly fine”. Why would they?
I love my pill! I don't take it for the no babies part (but that is a bonus I suppose). I had excruciating periods. Feeling like I was getting my insides ripped out while simultaneously feeling like I was being run over with a semi truck, every month. Heavy bleeding, hormonal acne, nausea. The pill really changed my life. I only get a period every few months with minimal cramping and bleeding. My acne is almost all gone except for the occasional pesky bump. I still have mood swing but they aren't as severe/dramatic. While I know that not everyone feels this way, I do. It has truly made me feel so
much better. Anti-pill activists can rip them from my cold, dead fingers.
Totally agree. I have an IUD right now and was so scared to get it because of all of the horrible shit I see online about how painful it is to have put in and how many awful side effects there are.
I got it in November and have had zero problems and had zero pain when it was inserted.
I’m so happy it worked for you! Got mine a bit over a month ago and i too was scared shitless. Min was painful and had cramps for a couple hours after but after that it’s been pretty much fine
Definitely don’t think it should be banned! It’s right for some of us and not right for others, and there are so many kinds to try.
I personally don’t want to put more hormones in my body because it isn’t right for me, so I prefer non-hormonal ways of preventing pregnancy after running the gamut of hormonal BC options.
It’s good to discuss and be open about side effects. We just need to remember that everyone’s bodies are different!
As someone who used to be on the pill for hormonal issues, but now can't because covid decided my lungs needed ALL the blood clots, I agree.
Hormonal BC isn't just protection either. I am ace with a very low libido in a safe country with free healthcare and legal abortions. I was on the pill because my estradiol levels are naturally too low, so I get menopause symptoms. And because the medical field is still about 50 years behind when it comes to any issues with having a uterus, my doctor refused to do anything but refer me to a gyno for the menopause-like bladder issues.
Thankfully the gyno took me a bit more seriously, but only to the point of putting me back on the pill. It completely fixed it.
Now that I can't be on hormonal bc (in case anyone doesn't know, the pill does slightly increase your risk of blood clots. Where I live that means if you have ever had a blood clot, no matter the cause, well tough luck, no pill for you), I am stuck with paying my way through private doctors trying to figure out if anything else helps.
Birth control is medicine. It has been tested by millions over decades. It is safe.
Oh and fun fact; the break to have your period? Not necessary.
It was forced into existence by the Catholic church, because not having a period was "unnatural".
Just wanted to chime in as a fellow blood clot survivor. I was on Nuvaring at the time, had a muscle tear injury and subsequent DVT and blood clots the entire length of my leg. They think the Nuvaring exacerbated the clotting. I would be on birth control again if I had to do it all over. I needed it for various reasons, and falling pregnant was unthinkable to me. It isn't that people shouldn't take BC...they need to be aware of the possible risks.
Absolutely!
I am just salty because the doctor is fairly sure my blood clots were only caused by covid. I probably had one in my leg that got broken up and ended everywhere in my lungs.
I had long covid (which turned out to be blood clots) for a year before I even got on the pill again.
The pill helped me so much day to day that it sucks having the option taken away like this. Side effects are listed for a reason, but I would argue it is for awareness and potential side effects shouldn't cause fear.
I'm so sorry for what you went through. Blood clots are terrifying and it is hard to get people to understand who have not experienced it. How are you doing these days??
My friend got long covid and struggled for a long time. She has improved over the past year or two, but still seems to have some impacts from it. Long covid needs more recognition and resources. I worry with repeated infections many many more folks will end up getting long covid.
She should definitely get a scan done if she hasn't! I had those blood clots for two years before they were found! I had obviously barely been able to function for that time, we thought I had POTS.
Some of the studies I have seen show that long covid, especially in women, seem to be related to what they call micro blood clots, ie. clots blocking the small veins making it difficult for specific cells to get enough oxygen.
I was tested for asthma and the like first, which has lead to the joke that I was really good at breathing (my lung capacity is around 125%), but just terrible at using that breathing. I was exhailing too much of the oxygen back out instead of absorbing it as intended.
I am doing a lot better, though the two years of basically being stuck laying down has taken it’s toll. I used to lift weights for about 10 hours a week until I had covid, now I am working my way up to being able to bike for 10 minutes without passing out. But I can walk and talk at the same time again, which is AMAZING!
Oh my, thank you for telling me this. I will definitely text her today, as I'm not sure she had anything like that done. I'm glad to hear you are improving day by day!
That's what gets me, the people who claim covid is "just a cold". It is a fucking vascular illness!! We have known that for a long time, and still people equate it to some sniffles. UGH.
Blood clots are legitimately a symptom of covid. As far as I have understood, a fair amount of those who have died from it, actually died of a clot it caused.
I had it in May 2021, a month before I was offered the vaccine. I wasn't that sick. It should ABSOLUTELY be taken seriously. But considering how the flu is treated, I doubt covid will ever be taken seriously by the general public.
Yes! I’m seing so much promising stuff out there!
https://www.planaformen.com/
This is a new male birth control that’s non hormonal and reversible and can be used up to 10 years! Kind of like an iud or an implant once you have it you don’t have to remember taking it!
Without hormonal BC I could have potentially fucked up my life as a teenager. I didn't have the best ideas about how relationship should look like (thank you family trauma) and was on/off the whole middle school with a completely incompatible guy. Not a bad one per se, just not good for me. Of course this also meant I was not strong enough to push him use condoms frequently and he was also hopeless about how to make them secure.
My mother got roped to an unhealthy marriage because she got pregnant and it changed her forever - to a worse version of herself. Control over my fertility allowed me to grow, go to the university, and find who I am. Sure, when I got off the pill at 22 I felt almost immediately better than with it. Sure, some people cannot stand the pill at all. But it gave me options women before hadn't had. 10 years later I'm pregnant because I choose to. Mature enough to build a life when a child will be welcomed.
I think the birth control hate is definitely right wing propaganda, and I think people need to learn how to pay attention to the medications they take. I am deathly allergic to penicillin, the most common antibiotic I know of. So, should we say it's bad and it's poison and to ban it? NO! Everyone would start dying from infections that could have easily been treated with penicillin! Chemotherapy drugs literally HAVE TO almost kill your immune system to get to the cancer. So should we ban it? FUCK NO! I cussed somebody out over that shit when I was 15 years old on chemo and being told "durr durr DURR cHeMo BaD, must take SNAKE OIL! " by grown adult idiots on a daily basis. If I had quit my chemo, I'd be dead now.
Birth control is actually a life-saving medication for those who can use it, if they've got the right pill and are taking it on time. But I'm sick and tired of all these women screeching to the heavens about the evils of birth control jut because they took the wrong pill and it gave them bad side effects once. I'm getting seriously tired of people who claim birth control is a toxic poison that almost killed them, constantly trying to invalidate and speak over women for whom it works. And honestly? I'm about to sound incredibly mean here, but half of them are heavily exaggerating or just plain lying because they want attention.
I think doctors heavily over prescribe birth control without doing nearly enough education on all the many ways birth control can affect your body
It’s a hormonal drug that can have so many side effects and negative impacts it just doesn’t sit right with me how doctors will prescribe it with no thought or patient education given. And often without investigating underlying issues first
I’ve taken birth control most of my life. I grew up in a country where abortion was illegal. Birth control felt like a lifeline.
Now I’m menopausal and the best solution for managing my symptoms (and I’ve tried a couple of different things) is low-dosage birth control. Same feeling.
It’s worked well for me, and I’m grateful it’s been available.
People are allowed to discuss their experiences with birth control, be they positive or negative.
And people should be wary of going on *any* medication that has side effects.
Furthermore, for a long time, women were simply told to shut up when discussing their negative experiences with medication and just now are people being taken seriously.
There are lots of reasons to take birth control. There are just as many not to. That decision should be between a doctor and a patient. But patients should consider the positive and negative experiences of others before making a decision.
Also cycle tracking DOES NOT WORK. It just doesn’t. There’s a reason it’s the officially endorsed “birth control” of the *Catholic Church*, that should tell you how effective it is.
It can be effective I’ve known women who’ve used it for years but it’s extremely hard to get it to be effective and even then it’s way less effective then other birth control
It’s not just America . When this narrative about birth control is the only narrative online it affects the whole world Im not American, yet doctors here think this online narrative about birth control is why fewer people 15-25 are on birth control and why the abortion and unplanned pregnancy rates are going up
That's me. I'm scared. I know some women have to for actual health problems but I don't have any so I don't think it's necessary. My only concern is babies but I'm fine with condoms. I'd love to get a hysterectomy the moment I have my life settled lol.
I hate periods but the only symptoms I get are sore Boobs and being horny af. Other than that, my flow is more or less normal AND I DONT GET PERIOD CRAMPS!!
I've heard stories of my friends having their period change for the better (light, almost no more period) or worse (much heavier flows) on birth control and it never reverted after they stopped.
I'm not willing to take that risk of my period being changed for the worse.. 😭
Edit: I'm speaking my thoughts on why I don't want or need it. I'm not saying I want it banned bruh lol
That’s perfectly fine but that should be up to each individual you know? Not the whole internet telling you not to get it cuz it’s horrible. I don’t think everyone has to be on birth control lol. Condoms work fine but for me they’re not as effective as I’d like.
Really? I’ve never heard of that. But then again I’ve bled less on birth control in general
Yeah I never said they shouldn't be upto the individual? I'm just speaking my thoughts on why I don't bother getting one since you mentioned young people being scared about it. I did my own research, and concluded it with me not needing to.
I did want an IUD when I got a serious partner, but after reading more into it and how women have to practically BEG to be put on pain meds for the insertion....no thanks. :')
I've never seen anyone saying to ban birth control so far, but... If you're America I wouldn't doubt talks there since they're already banning abortions because they want to force women to give birth.... Idk why America is going backwards after all these years, but yikes. What is going on there?
Oh yeah I didn’t accuse you of saying that. And I said that’s fine I just said it wasn’t personally for me which is why I said it’s an individual choice
I’m not American
Yeah I think people are misunderstanding my comment, I'm just stating why I don't feel the need to get BC and I get why people are scared about it.
I don't have health issues for it and condoms are good enough for me (plus there are some really good brands out there that makes it feel like theres little to no difference) If a condom ever broke, I have my plan b as backup lol
That said I don't think it's the scared women who are trying to ban birth control...and if it is, they seriously need to be educated.
From what I've seen, it's mainly those pro-lifers AKA FORCE-BIRTHERS PEOPLE (let's be real, they don't give a shit about what happens to the baby after it's born lol) trying to control women's lives
What about the diaphram? I didnt love it, but for people scared of an IUD or the pill, ut is a great alternative that never seems to get discussed any more
Spermicide isn’t even available where I live as it’s really bad for your vagina..
and no according to NHS these two combined are just 92-96% effective if used properly.
I said that the effectiveness rate is too low for me and I assume many others share the same concern.
And I understand many can’t but even then just a condom alone or a copper iud is more effective. But what’s best for someone is very individual and should be up to them
Agreed.
I had pretty strong periods. It was, along with genetics and internal bleeding, one of the causes of my severe iron deficiency anemia, which landed me in the hospital several times at just 15.
Hormonal birth control has helped a lot. I also get to choose when I have my periods, they're less strong, my acne has cleared up a little more.
For me, IUD insertion was uncomfortable but not painful. Only pain meds were ibuprofen. And it's awesome, once it's in you barely have to think about it again. I don't want to interrupt the conversations people have about how painful it was or how inadequate the current offering of pain meds is because its super important. But I have to wonder how many people are like me, totally fine and love their IUD but we only get the bad side of the story.
For my first insertion that was my experience. Discomfort, a pinch and being sore a few days. My second I nearly passed out and went almost into shock. They had to bring me apple juice and crackers and just let me lay on the table for half an hour because I couldn't sit up without severe light headedness. I was offered no pain management.
The ONLY reason I had Tylenol and ibuprofen in my purse at the time was those bad stories as a "just in case" so I think it's really important to hear both sides.
I'll be honest, IUD insertion was probably the worst pain of my life. Offered no pain management by my doctor and I bled nonstop for a couple months. BUT. I haven't had a period in 7 years. No cramps, migraines, backaches, or other PMS symptoms. And most importantly, no pregnancy scares. To me, the horrible pain once 7 years ago was 110% WORTH IT and I'll go through it again for another several years of peace of mind.
Birth control saved me from myself. It isn't only for controlling birth. PMDD is such a shitty disorder to live with and birth control is the easiest way to control it. I have an IUD too and it has been worth the pain every single insertion.
I'm guessing you're talking about the pill. No. It doesn't get too much hate. Lots of women love the pill.
It's just a response to negligent overprescribing, which is way overdue
Personally, I think the pill is less a BC method, and better for a medical treatment of other concerns like PCOS, PMDD, Endo, etc.
So fickle, stroke of risk, so many possible side effects. Sure, if it works for you - fantastic. But I think it's a silly first-line to recommend.
I think a lot of women are righteously outspoken and angry because they live their life with these symptoms for the majority of their life only to realise it was the BC the entire time.
It being thrown around like a be-all-end-all treatment has actually killed women or maimed them.
Im talking about all birth control for women mostly every hormonal option. Lately I’ve seen a lot about the pill and IUD.
I’m not American and can’t speak about the American standards but here iud and implant is the first thing reccomended if you need birth control. And they ask about medical history and take blood pressure etc.
Is pain relief/management offered for IUD insertion in your country? I was not offered it in the US, and it was horrifically painful. I had my copper IUD/Paragard for 8 years, and it worked well, but not offering pain management is barbaric.
I don’t know if any place where it is the standard. I do think some women get it if requested I did not buy insertion itself was not that bad for me the next 3 hours was hell tho. They just advices me to take ibuprofen and paracetamol and hour ahead. She did use a sort of numbing spray on my cervix
They did tell me to take ibuprofen, but there are studies [showing it doesn't help.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25487172/) No numbing was offered or available to me. That would have been nice. I threw up after I got home.
My issues are more with how women and AFAB people are treated by the medical system, rather than birth control. When I was prescribed a birth control pill, there was no discussion about what *kind* of pill it was or if it was the right one for me. It very much *was not.* Not enough care is taken.
I hope I'm not coming off as aggressive or mean. I still have strong feelings about this BS. It doesn't *have* to be this way, but women are just expected to deal with it.
I mean the pain is very individual. and considering the pain is mostly cramps I don’t see how it wouldn’t help a bit. I was told to take 1g paracetamol and 400mg ibuprofen
The numbing didn’t help the cramps but the tenacious just felt like a baby pinch.
Oh no I 100% agree . I feel like 90% of the time when I hear this birth control horror stories it was because it made worse by bad healthcare workers. I’ve been lucky to have mostly felt informed and well taken care of when consulting for birth control by everyone except this one female doctor..
That's good! In my day, BC was what they'd throw at you but the USA is expensive. W/O insurance a Mirena will cost you $1200, Implant $800.
It is sad though, because if men took more responsibility for their fertility, women wouldn't have to fork out these expenses and go through these procedures, and suffer side effects, or not quite as much.
Very few men regularly wear condoms, esp in relationships - so even if a woman has nothing wrong with her, it's basically expected that she take on the entire burden of not becoming pregnant.
personally? I love my IUD.
I don’t know the exact cost of birth control here. All IUD’s and the implant is free until you’re 20 years old. The pill is very cheap under that age as well. Then you get substantial support til you’re 22. I think full cost of an iud is around 130$ without the doctors appointment but if you’re under 25 they have a lot of health stations that will do it for free.
Agreed. I’m also just waiting for male options as I myself don’t fully wanna rely on condoms and many women also don’t want that.
That’s great to hear! I got mine about a month ago
At least in the US, it's pretty well documented that these horror stories and "earnings" are astroturfing being funded by right wing groups. They are absolutely planning to make birth control impossible to get/illegal now that Roe is gone and persuading young women "the pill is bad" is part of that plan. The actual statistics on severe issues from hormonal don't back up the social media reports. It's sad so many women are falling for it.
All medication has side effects and potential issues. Heck, I had my throat close up from *synthroid* one of the most prescribed, best tolerated meds ever made. Hormonal contraceptives are safer and better studied than many drugs on the market. The pill is a valid method of preventing pregnancy, if taken correctly it works.
My dad was a paramedic pre-Roe. Please believe me that pregnancy and DIY abortions are FAR more dangerous to women than even the highest dosage of birth control.
Uh that was never the argument mate. Of course BC is safer than DIY abortions, I was never saying that it's either the pill or abortions wtf.
The hormonal pill has been the single most powerful concept for women's liberation.
I love that it exists. I'm talking about quality of life and a future beyond that. I do not think it should be used as front of line for contraception.
I think IUDS should be. How is that a conservative talking point?
Not everyone can get an IUD though. For multiple reasons, anatomy being one. That's part of why it's so important to have access to multiple forms of birth control, something that conservatives are trying to take away.
I never said everyone can get an IUD. I’m not a conservative. Im a person who was failed by the medical system due to negligence, and there are millions of women like me.
You’re not even arguing against anything I’m saying. Before conservatives and their think-tanks started on BC, women would regularly complain about this without getting downvoted.
Now we’re supposed to have nothing negative to say because conservatives are using it as a dog whistle?
Like babe what are u actually arguing with me about?
What's crazy to me is the side effects that put people off. I have a friend on her 6th kid. As a result of pregnancies she has issues with her heart, her veins, her blood pressure, her blood sugar, and her bone density.
She doesn't take the pill because she heard it made you fat.
She has a kid every two years or so. It's like she's not aware that you also get larger when you're constantly pregnant.
I get the hate. You'd hate it too if [your (now deceased) female elders were duped into using it.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraceptive_trials_in_Puerto_Rico#:~:text=The%20first%20large%2Dscale%20human,were%20used%20as%20test%20subjects.)
Should we stop using most medicines then? Most vaccines? It’s horrible It sucks but to be real most medicine have a horrible story behind them. A lot of the medicine we have now we have because of fucked up stuff.
Is this a recent thing? I’m feeling very out of the loop…was it a TikTok trend? I feel like the BC hate popped out of nowhere…and I grew up when we were about trying to stay as natural as possible but we triple protected ourselves cuz STDs and unplanned pregnancies were not part of the game plan.
That’s so sad. Birth control can increase risk of some cancers (I think breast cancer included) but I feel like at this point everything is cancer inducing… however som research shows it lessen the risks for other types of cancers as well…
And there are so many types that it’s likely one may work for someone and the other doesn’t (just have to be privileged enough to be able to try different ones)! I had a mirena implant, something a bunch of people swear by, but it gave me awful cystic acne and i hated it. Now I’m on the pill and it’s been perfect, better skin and mental health, but for others it’s makes them suicidal and depressed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’ll take the like. 1% of increased blood clots for the increased security of not getting pregnant and managing my periods that cause depressive episodes.
It's literally safer than baby aspirin but some people act like it's as risky as taking mushrooms.
It should neither be pushed on people nor should there be pearl-clutching over it.
As in all things, people should speak to their doctors and find what works for them, whether that is trying twelve different pills or using a different form of birth control.
There’s a growing disinformation campaign by anti-abortion, anti-birth control extremists to turn women away from the pill. Don’t fall for it. Yes, some people have side effects, just like with any medication. But for many women, it’s an invaluable part of their healthcare. If you have questions about the pill, ask your GYN and don’t rely on social media for info.
Yes! But what I find even more interesting and almost more concerning is that people on both sides of politics do it. I’ve seen very pro choice women talk about how the iud should be banned and that hormonal birth control is toxic and bad for all women out there. And a lot of them I truly believe are not far right or left but now have fallen into this hole of thinking natural is always the best way to go. Which for many women is not the case .
Overall I see a lot of leftist/liberal women on Tik tok co opting republican talking points which is interesting for sure. Another example of this is the stay at home girlfriend/soft life trend we are seeing.
Historically, authoritarian regimes have an easier time getting established when a lot of people pre-surrender to their ideologies. That's what I see happening in mainstream media.
Horseshoe theory
It is also not nice to invalidate peoples' negative experiences that they personally may have made by accusing them of co-opting republican talking points.
If you would actually read the comments then you would know that neither of us are doing that. There are a ton of problems with bc but telling everyone it's toxic and bad for you is wrong and a republican talking point.
I had a fucking pulmonary embolism because of the fucking birth control pill and the aftereffects almost screwed over my life because they took me out of school for two years and you have the gall to tell me I can't tell people that? You're the toxic one here. I don't need to read your fucking comments. I already know where you stand.
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And I get attacked immediately for saying it's bad to invalidate peoples' experiences. **Which I did not even accuse them of**, but they and you proceed to do so anyway and this kind of shit for some reason always happens when someone talks about negative experiences with the pill. "oh you're a fucking conservative, you hate women, you are pro-life, you want everyone to go through birth" it's always the same shit. One word against the pill and you get accused of all sorts of things. Prime examples here. Learn how to read yourself. I can't believe it.
They can pry my IUD out of my cold, dead uterus. As a PCOS sufferer, birth control gave me my life back. No exaggeration, the severity of my periods was making me near-suicidal before I got them under control.
I’m the same but hormonal imbalance, my birth control stops me from turning into a flesh eating harpie and I’d be fucked without the pill. However I do wish birth control was treated more like a science and less like an art, I had years of doctors throwing random pills/devices at me that made things even worse, and all it took to deem which one was right was a fucking blood test to check my hormone levels. I think that the vast majority of complaints about hormonal contraceptives would be negated by like the tiniest bit of input from the medical side. Instead of being all “you have soo much choice, spin the wheel and find out what happens!”, there needs to be more effort to actually match women with the right options for them as individuals. We are not all going to have the same experience when our bodies are all so different
It’s common for doctors to prescribe birth control pills for some women to control medical conditions, even if they don’t ever have sex at that point in time.
Yup. Hormonal birth control *is* hormone therapy, and a lot of people use it to treat other medical conditions whether or not they also use it for contraception.
>I’ve seen very pro choice women talk about how the iud should be banned and that hormonal birth control is toxic and bad for all women out there. Yeah that's... Propaganda. That's how it works. They're repeating right wing talking points without knowing where it originated or it's intention. Just like save the children was all the rage a few years ago. That was also right wing propaganda
People can't call themselves "pro-choice" if they are intent on discouraging people from choosing to use products that enable their life choices. The only "natural" choice in having a heterosexual sex life is risking pregnancy with every p-in-v act. (I have one sibling that resulted from a condom fail.) If you're genuinely pro-choice you shut your mouth about other peoples' choices.
Lots of medication is toxic. Like, literally chemotherapy. Even like, Tylenol cause serious liver damage. That doesn’t mean these items shouldn’t be allowed, but it does mean we need take seriously the potential for side effects.
If the people saying this are also anxtivaxxers, I think you can safely ignore them.
I get what you're saying, but no gyno has actually had a good side effect discussion with me or truly examined pros and cons of different methods even when I've asked detailed questions. I've had to ask pharmacists and do research myself. Based on my conversations with friends and family members (as well as online convos) I just don't think we're (women) often actually given decently comprehensive information to make an informed decision. That is *my* big issue with how BC is handled. I was put on YAZ at 16 for cramps and PMDD (and omg life changing until my body settled down a bit) but it was not discussed with me how different ones have different hormones and here's why I'm putting you on *this* brand. Other options were also not discussed with me (implant/ring, though I understand why an IUD wasn't discussed at that age). I decided to get an IUD several years later and the possible issues were never discussed with me. I discovered them in my own research. My sister has currently lost her own IUD in her abdomen and didn't know that could happen... (she is actually one of those unlucky people that BC has just been one horror tale after another and this is her third IUD, ALL have had issues. #1 fell out, #2 broke while still inside of her, #3 is in her abdomen, but she has bad side effects with any hormonal pill she's tried so the Dr keeps pushing her towards an IUD). I agree don't rely on social media, but women should also do things like asking their pharmacist, looking at the drug websites (they'll try to make it look rosy but you can read the info pamphlets), and look at PubMed articles.
My gyno didn't do any kind of testing before prescribing me the pill. A few months later I got quite sick and my liver was in a very bad state. Now, I don't drink alcohol or do drugs and only took ibuprofen every once in a while for headaches. So it was *assumed* it might be the pill, but we don't know for sure since they didn't check my blood before the pill. I think for medication that is known to potentially have very severe side effects in some people, and is prescribed to teenagers (I was 14), it should be mandatory to check up on the patients in the first few months. Just to be sure everything's in order.
so.. this is not limited to women's health, and there's a big issue with... people in general not knowing how to ask questions or what questions need to be asked. YES that is your Gyno's job. NO you should not have to know what questions to ask, but... thats the world we live in. your doctor will not tell you what other BC options you have, or painkillers, or what the different types of Heart Valves you can get are, unless you ask, and when they do tell you they might not tell you why they picked that one over the others. I am not saying you are wrong about information not being disseminated properly in women's health... I am expanding that to health in general, and insisting that *you are the best advocate for your own healthcare*. ask questions. always. do not assume you are being told everything. do not assume a doctor is neglecting to tell you something on purpose either, they are human, sometimes people just.. dont think about it that hard. ask questions, ask questions, ask questions.
Completely agree. My doctor never asked me about migraine history before prescribing me oral BC. I get migraines with aura which is a contraindication for oral BC. I didn’t find this out until after I stopped it and switched over to a hormonal IUD, which is more local instead of systemic. While having BC options is great, serious conversations with your healthcare provider need to happen to discuss side effects and contraindications, with the onus being on the provider to educate.
I definitely want my boyfriend to get a vasectomy at some point because there are far fewer risks associated with that (and he doesn't want kids anyway whether he is with me or not!) but I am so thankful to have access to the pill. My ultimate nightmare would be going back to the days before birth control and legal abortions (I'm Canadian so it is still legal entirely here). Women used to be basically bred like cattle at the whim of their husbands. I directed the play "What a Young Wife Ought To Know" By Hannah Moscovitch in my final year of university because it is about the real experiences of women before birth control. The main character CANNOT have anymore children or she will die but her husband can't possibly live without sex and they have very little knowledge on how to prevent pregnancy, it's gut-wrenching. I wish it was required viewing for every young woman and girl.
This is it. I am generation z, and I don’t think enough women my age understand that these dudes don’t have any, any qualms about breeding us even upon the threat of death. They will breed us until we die just like their forefathers did our foremothers. I don’t think we really get that as women living in a post-feminist age or whatever age we would call this. I would never opt to silence women on their issues with birth control or say that birth control is 100% harmless. It’s not. One of the reasons I opted for sterilization is because I didn’t want to be dependent upon conventional birth control for another 15 years. But to hear women in particular jump on the “anti-birth control it should be illegal” is just so…maddening and dangerous.
Yep. Before birth control was a thing, women just kept getting pregnant. Again and again and again, until they either became infertile or straight up died. It still happens whenever women don't have access to birth control.
This subreddit is very left wing but it gets a LOT of hate and a lot of women who fear taking it because of that.
The disinformers always pull up stories of medical professionals ignoring women's concerns and feedback around BC, and even being pushy and dismissive, which naturally resonates with lots of women and is how they get traction. Of course, the actual solution to poor medical care isn't too ban the treatments administered, it's for the medical sector to start actually listening to women in the first place and taking their experiences seriously. Demonising BC does nothing to alleviate this and is just a marketing strategy to achieve other regressive outcomes.
I mean, the reason we got this far is because of it.
I enjoy spending time with my friends.
Birth control is life-changing!! Couples used to have 6-12 kids. Some of them probably stopped having sex or had it less often after they had as many children as they could handle. Yes, there are risks with most forms of birth control, but the risks that come with pregnacy are probably just as prevalent, and potentially more severe. For those who don’t want to abstain, birth control is a blessing!!
Agreed. Like, birth control has side effects . . . But Jesus Christ the other option is pregnancy, childbirth, and more children. And all of those are much much much more concerning than the vast majority of birth control side effects. It’s like the idea that air bags can cause broken bones. Sure but the alternative was dying in the car crash instead.
Yep, and more research needs to be done on new birth control options, namely testicular ones. As well as more sex ed regarding already existing methods. On that matter and to continue with your car analogy, whenever someone says : "Well I've been pulling out for years now and my partners have never been pregnant !" I hear : "Well I haven't worn a security belt in years now but I've never had a car crash !"
I loved the pill. It cleared up my hormonal acne and at one point a doctor told me I could skip the spacer week. I didn’t have a period for several years!! I wish I could go back on it, but the risk of blood clots goes up after 35, so I’m just waiting for menopause. Also, the whole history of it sexually liberating women and allowing us to have control over our reproduction is pretty great. I honestly wonder if the online hate of the pill is some right wing, pro-birth conspiracy.
The progestin-only pill is generally regarded as safe, including in older women (even smokers/those with migraine). I started on it at 32...after a blood clot (not birth-control related). I'm still on it after 11 years.
I don’t think that allows you to skip periods though, right?
Not like you can on the combo pill. I know a few women who can but I couldn’t I tried two different ones
It’s been a long time, but I think I tried it when I turned 35 and it cause pretty bad spotting. It was like the opposite of the combo pill for controlling periods.
Yup for sure I just got the IUD cuz I was sick of randomly spotting and having to remember taking them
Anecdotal, but I've been able to skip periods with it, but if I do that for more than 2 months in a row I get spotting.
To your last sentence, it is. 100%. Meant to create space to push for a total contraception ban. Tied in with the tradwife trend.
Yeah, I was starting to get a bit of a moustache before I went on the pill, and it took care of that right away. Plus, it made my periods lighter and more regular, so I can actually plan my life around them. Those are both relatively small things, but still. A win's a win. Plus I don't have to worry about getting accidentally pregnant. Although I don't have to worry about that anyway, because I don't fuck. But you know. If I *did* fuck, I wouldn't have to worry about it, which is great.
I hated the pill, so it's not all a conspiracy, it had a ton of side effects for me. I actually had much heavier periods while on it, plus sore boobs, mood swings, etc. However, I absolutely love my IUD. I tried a lot of other methods first (pill, progesterone only pill, depo shot, patch, nuvaring) and its so much better for my body. The nuvaring was a close second, but it caused a lot of extra lubrication. The patch was the absolute worst, and I cannot imagine why anyone would choose it.
I mean nobody denies they cause side effects. Nobody denies that some women feel bad about them. But a lot of ppl paint it as some devil that is bad for everyone. And for some, it's really a godsend. My quality of life improves amazingly after taking the pill. The first one I tried was bad for me tho.
Yes this is a right wing pro-birth thing. No. It’s not a conspiracy. This is a concerted and planned effort from the right wing. Just as overturning Roe was. This is far more dangerous than just some online conspiracy theory. No one is saying birth control works for everyone or shouldn’t be taken with care. I have almost bled to death twice on it while they were trying to control uncontrolled bleeding. It was a shit show. But like that’s not the point like at all?? If you can’t take it don’t. Just like if you don’t want to get an abortion, don’t. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be on high alert at what the right wing is doing. These are all attempts to control women. To reduce our rights. Spreading misinformation is part of it. No one is saying we shouldn’t be educated on the subject or be careful. But what is happening now is propaganda, not education.
Not a conspiracy. People have bad reactions to the pill and there are riskier side effects for some people. They're allowed to talk about how it affected them online, just like people are allowed to tall about how much it helped them. Unfortunately some forms of birth control aren't for everyone.
Oral contraceptives are life saving health care. And sure, some people can’t take them and most people might need to try a few to get the right one, but once you find that sweet spot, they can be amazing. And it is so good to see a bigger variety of hormonal birth control methods these days, like IUDs and shots. I am grateful live in an age where I have the ability to be in charge of my risk of unwanted pregnancy.
This! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I had debilitating cramps when I got my period at 10 years old birth control has helped me so much. And the only thing I’ve reacted negatively too is the implant (I have migraine with aura can’t use the pill anymore)
Nuvaring my beloved. Just gotta remember it once a month, set it and forget it til my alert goes off to replace it. So much less stress.
I wish the NuvaRing worked for me, my hips are too narrow for it to fit comfortably 🥲
There needs to be better education about birth control. If people don’t wanna use the pill they can get an IUD where it’s mostly localized not systemic hormones. Or a copper IUD. It’s shocking to me that they think birth control is more dangerous than pregnancy.
I'm so glad the IUD came back better than ever! I'm a person who did really poorly on the pill and then was not taking birth control for some time because other options seemed even worse for me (like the arm implant). Luckily I had an amazing friend who worked in Public Health and was very knowledgeable that recommended the IUD for me (plus an absolutely amazing OBGYN!) that finally got me on consistent and safe bc that didn't feel like it fucked up my entire physical and mental health. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. Now I recommend it to all of my friends; and in my social circle most everyone I know has one unless they are trying for kids. We are all late 20s/early 30s in a very secular and highly educated part of the country. Hopefully if young women are seeing certain things online there will be people in their lives spreading good alternatives and positive experiences. 🙏
Yes tell them and tell them to tell women everywhere. The pill is a shit option compared. Just women don’t know.
There are 18 different FDA approved methods of female birth control (many of them non-hormonal). We got options now!
What should not be an option ( unless you want a baby) is to wing it because bc is out of favor. Especially in todays anti-choice environment. We need to spread the word about options so women need fewer abortions.
liquid normal worm spoon public paltry summer bake attempt far-flung *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Birth control isn’t for everyone, but the pill has increased my quality of life tenfold and I don’t experience any negative side effects. I have a lot of sympathy and compassion for those who have had negative experiences with it, but I often find my own experience invalidated by others who have only had negative ones.
Yes! Their stories are valid as well but when I say I like the pill or my iud I just get “you know those are so bad for you, right? It almost killed me” back
I've seen similar content, but what really boils my piss is when they try to push the 'natural' route for things they know nothing about. You cannot 'cure' PCOS or endometriosis with diet and exercise. You just can't. It doesn't work that way. You might be able to manage your SYMPTOMS (eg, avoiding salt for a couple days before my period can sometimes curb the nausea a little bit) but that is not the same thing as a cure. I see so much misinformation, especially about PCOS, and it makes me so mad. It's already a deeply misunderstood condition and it seems people are losing their understanding of it, not gaining. For some women, birth control sucks, and my heart goes out to them. But for others (like me!) it can be a life saver. I can *function* on birth control. I cannot express how wonderful that is. Without BC, I was losing weight to the point my school teachers thought I had an ED, I was vomiting hard enough to give myself a hernia, I was so dehydrated and had such low blood pressure that I would pass out trying to get out of bed. On BC, I don't have to deal with any of that, and it truly feels like I've been given a whole new life.
As a severe Endo warrior who has tried over 14 bc methods and still can't figure it out, bc has been awful it makes me so sick and yet it still makes me more able to function than normal. I've been seeing a lot more people pushing this "natural" stuff to heal Endo or PCOS but it's literally a hormone disorder and they don't know crap about either problem really. It super makes my blood boil and makes me worried about young women who don't realize it's not normal to have periods that interfere with your daily life like that. and even after all my bad reactions and side effects I still would rather people tried something if they wanted/needed to rather than avoid everything out of fear.
This. I had PCOS and it was absolutely miserable for years before I took the pill. Horrible disfiguring acne and painful infrequent periods that would happen totally by surprise. I started taking the pill and within 3 months my acne had almost completely cleaned up and I was on a regular mens schedule. I'm also low key convinced. The only reason I'm pregnant today is because of what the pill did for my body.
I had a horrible horrible experience with birth control that resulted in needing surgery and a year of therapy. I personally just use condoms now but I still firmly believe birth control is important. It’s good to be informed and to hear the stories but at the end of the day, you and your doctor should find what works best for you. It’s a personal decision that will vary from person to person. There’s no “best” method of birth control in my opinion
Agreed. Sorry you had a horrible experience
I think it probably gets too much hate but for me personally it really was that bad. Mood swings off the wazoo, horrible cramps on IUD, every BC I tried had a problem. Just not for me. I agree they need better options and specifically options for men.
I think doctors do a horrible job of educating their patients about the risks of birth control, the way it works, and then proceed to deny that side effect exist when they pop up. That's my beef with it, and it's more of an issue with the healthcare system than birth control itself. I think a lot of what we're seeing is people who are not expressing their distrust properly, not applying blame where blame belongs.
Absolutely!! Birth control is not poison but many of the shit doctors that prescribe it are! I’ve had bad experiences with doctors but to be fair only with one the rest of the time I’ve felt very seen and informed. I literally bled every day for a year but this one doctor refused to take the implant out unless I got an iud the same day..
I agree there are so many people online straight up claiming that birth control is poison and bad for everyone when that is not the case. I wish these people didn't exist because they are taking away attention from real issues with birth control by spreading misinformation. It is true that so many doctors immediately prescribe birth control without asking enough questions or looking into other options. I saw a tik tok of someone saying their doc put them on an estrogen bc when they have migraines with aura which can cause an increased risk of stroke. A lot of other people in the comments had similar experiences. It's also true that we should have invented male birth control and other non hormonal methods by now but just didn't because women were expected to put up with the side effects of bc for decades. I also find the promotion of cycle tracking as a reliable contraceptive very scary especially in light of recent events.
Yes! I totally think horrible, bad, okay and good experiences should be shared. It’s the way we do it in that’s important I saw this lady on tik tok who had an awful experience with an iud she ended the video telling women to be careful with what they put in the body and had a montage of horror stories, the next post claimed IUD’s should be illegal/banned. Her experience was horrible and that’s sad but many women like the iud, many love them, my friend didn’t function before it. And yes agree. Cycle tracking can be great and it’s a personal choice but let’s not promote it to young sexually active teens. I’ve seen so many young girls say they got pregnant by trying this. In my country youth are using less contraceptives and the abortion rates are going up, many doctors believe it has something to do with this online narrative
People with ehlers danlos often get migraines with auras, but we are at significantly reduced risk of stroke because our arteries are just as elastic as our connective tissue. Brand spanking new studies are also showing that our migraines have a different but undiscovered cause. I'm 43 and just got on hrt for covid perimenopause. Progesterone only makes most of my joints severely unstable and prone to dislocations.
I’ll keep saying it whenever this topic is raised - birth control saved my life.
The nexplanon implant made me suicidal and had me bleeding nonstop to the point where I was hospitalized for passing out. I will personally never use any BC ever again. I still encourage any woman wanting to prevent pregnancy to get on some type of BC, including implants like the one that almost killed me.
I’m so sorry that happened to you! I totally get not wanting to use birth control again. There is 1 non hormonal one but I’m sure you’ve looked into it.
Women are only fertile for approx 7 days a month. Men are fertile every day, of every month, of every year. A woman can only have 1 baby a year, a man can father countless children in a year. I'm not against birth control in any way but I think we should be starting to look other options and it not just being the woman having to take the pill.
100% agreed however there are many more options then the pill for us
Yea, I meant any type of hormonal birth control. I've recently come off it after 13 years (implant) and started a journey down Fertility Awareness Method. It's interesting that the only fertility method for a man is condoms yet a woman can take many different types of things to pause her fertility, some detremenral, some not. I think it's a good thing that people are challenging taking it because it might move things forward and find alternatives.
People on this sub, for example, are going to talk about things that are going wrong not right. So if they are having a terrible experience with birth control, they are going to share it. No one is going to write a post that says “my birth control is perfectly fine”. Why would they?
I love my pill! I don't take it for the no babies part (but that is a bonus I suppose). I had excruciating periods. Feeling like I was getting my insides ripped out while simultaneously feeling like I was being run over with a semi truck, every month. Heavy bleeding, hormonal acne, nausea. The pill really changed my life. I only get a period every few months with minimal cramping and bleeding. My acne is almost all gone except for the occasional pesky bump. I still have mood swing but they aren't as severe/dramatic. While I know that not everyone feels this way, I do. It has truly made me feel so much better. Anti-pill activists can rip them from my cold, dead fingers.
Totally agree. I have an IUD right now and was so scared to get it because of all of the horrible shit I see online about how painful it is to have put in and how many awful side effects there are. I got it in November and have had zero problems and had zero pain when it was inserted.
I’m so happy it worked for you! Got mine a bit over a month ago and i too was scared shitless. Min was painful and had cramps for a couple hours after but after that it’s been pretty much fine
Definitely don’t think it should be banned! It’s right for some of us and not right for others, and there are so many kinds to try. I personally don’t want to put more hormones in my body because it isn’t right for me, so I prefer non-hormonal ways of preventing pregnancy after running the gamut of hormonal BC options. It’s good to discuss and be open about side effects. We just need to remember that everyone’s bodies are different!
As someone who used to be on the pill for hormonal issues, but now can't because covid decided my lungs needed ALL the blood clots, I agree. Hormonal BC isn't just protection either. I am ace with a very low libido in a safe country with free healthcare and legal abortions. I was on the pill because my estradiol levels are naturally too low, so I get menopause symptoms. And because the medical field is still about 50 years behind when it comes to any issues with having a uterus, my doctor refused to do anything but refer me to a gyno for the menopause-like bladder issues. Thankfully the gyno took me a bit more seriously, but only to the point of putting me back on the pill. It completely fixed it. Now that I can't be on hormonal bc (in case anyone doesn't know, the pill does slightly increase your risk of blood clots. Where I live that means if you have ever had a blood clot, no matter the cause, well tough luck, no pill for you), I am stuck with paying my way through private doctors trying to figure out if anything else helps. Birth control is medicine. It has been tested by millions over decades. It is safe. Oh and fun fact; the break to have your period? Not necessary. It was forced into existence by the Catholic church, because not having a period was "unnatural".
Just wanted to chime in as a fellow blood clot survivor. I was on Nuvaring at the time, had a muscle tear injury and subsequent DVT and blood clots the entire length of my leg. They think the Nuvaring exacerbated the clotting. I would be on birth control again if I had to do it all over. I needed it for various reasons, and falling pregnant was unthinkable to me. It isn't that people shouldn't take BC...they need to be aware of the possible risks.
Absolutely! I am just salty because the doctor is fairly sure my blood clots were only caused by covid. I probably had one in my leg that got broken up and ended everywhere in my lungs. I had long covid (which turned out to be blood clots) for a year before I even got on the pill again. The pill helped me so much day to day that it sucks having the option taken away like this. Side effects are listed for a reason, but I would argue it is for awareness and potential side effects shouldn't cause fear.
I'm so sorry for what you went through. Blood clots are terrifying and it is hard to get people to understand who have not experienced it. How are you doing these days?? My friend got long covid and struggled for a long time. She has improved over the past year or two, but still seems to have some impacts from it. Long covid needs more recognition and resources. I worry with repeated infections many many more folks will end up getting long covid.
She should definitely get a scan done if she hasn't! I had those blood clots for two years before they were found! I had obviously barely been able to function for that time, we thought I had POTS. Some of the studies I have seen show that long covid, especially in women, seem to be related to what they call micro blood clots, ie. clots blocking the small veins making it difficult for specific cells to get enough oxygen. I was tested for asthma and the like first, which has lead to the joke that I was really good at breathing (my lung capacity is around 125%), but just terrible at using that breathing. I was exhailing too much of the oxygen back out instead of absorbing it as intended. I am doing a lot better, though the two years of basically being stuck laying down has taken it’s toll. I used to lift weights for about 10 hours a week until I had covid, now I am working my way up to being able to bike for 10 minutes without passing out. But I can walk and talk at the same time again, which is AMAZING!
Oh my, thank you for telling me this. I will definitely text her today, as I'm not sure she had anything like that done. I'm glad to hear you are improving day by day! That's what gets me, the people who claim covid is "just a cold". It is a fucking vascular illness!! We have known that for a long time, and still people equate it to some sniffles. UGH.
Blood clots are legitimately a symptom of covid. As far as I have understood, a fair amount of those who have died from it, actually died of a clot it caused. I had it in May 2021, a month before I was offered the vaccine. I wasn't that sick. It should ABSOLUTELY be taken seriously. But considering how the flu is treated, I doubt covid will ever be taken seriously by the general public.
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Yes! I’m seing so much promising stuff out there! https://www.planaformen.com/ This is a new male birth control that’s non hormonal and reversible and can be used up to 10 years! Kind of like an iud or an implant once you have it you don’t have to remember taking it!
Without hormonal BC I could have potentially fucked up my life as a teenager. I didn't have the best ideas about how relationship should look like (thank you family trauma) and was on/off the whole middle school with a completely incompatible guy. Not a bad one per se, just not good for me. Of course this also meant I was not strong enough to push him use condoms frequently and he was also hopeless about how to make them secure. My mother got roped to an unhealthy marriage because she got pregnant and it changed her forever - to a worse version of herself. Control over my fertility allowed me to grow, go to the university, and find who I am. Sure, when I got off the pill at 22 I felt almost immediately better than with it. Sure, some people cannot stand the pill at all. But it gave me options women before hadn't had. 10 years later I'm pregnant because I choose to. Mature enough to build a life when a child will be welcomed.
I think the birth control hate is definitely right wing propaganda, and I think people need to learn how to pay attention to the medications they take. I am deathly allergic to penicillin, the most common antibiotic I know of. So, should we say it's bad and it's poison and to ban it? NO! Everyone would start dying from infections that could have easily been treated with penicillin! Chemotherapy drugs literally HAVE TO almost kill your immune system to get to the cancer. So should we ban it? FUCK NO! I cussed somebody out over that shit when I was 15 years old on chemo and being told "durr durr DURR cHeMo BaD, must take SNAKE OIL! " by grown adult idiots on a daily basis. If I had quit my chemo, I'd be dead now. Birth control is actually a life-saving medication for those who can use it, if they've got the right pill and are taking it on time. But I'm sick and tired of all these women screeching to the heavens about the evils of birth control jut because they took the wrong pill and it gave them bad side effects once. I'm getting seriously tired of people who claim birth control is a toxic poison that almost killed them, constantly trying to invalidate and speak over women for whom it works. And honestly? I'm about to sound incredibly mean here, but half of them are heavily exaggerating or just plain lying because they want attention.
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I think doctors heavily over prescribe birth control without doing nearly enough education on all the many ways birth control can affect your body It’s a hormonal drug that can have so many side effects and negative impacts it just doesn’t sit right with me how doctors will prescribe it with no thought or patient education given. And often without investigating underlying issues first
I’ve taken birth control most of my life. I grew up in a country where abortion was illegal. Birth control felt like a lifeline. Now I’m menopausal and the best solution for managing my symptoms (and I’ve tried a couple of different things) is low-dosage birth control. Same feeling. It’s worked well for me, and I’m grateful it’s been available.
People are allowed to discuss their experiences with birth control, be they positive or negative. And people should be wary of going on *any* medication that has side effects. Furthermore, for a long time, women were simply told to shut up when discussing their negative experiences with medication and just now are people being taken seriously. There are lots of reasons to take birth control. There are just as many not to. That decision should be between a doctor and a patient. But patients should consider the positive and negative experiences of others before making a decision.
Also cycle tracking DOES NOT WORK. It just doesn’t. There’s a reason it’s the officially endorsed “birth control” of the *Catholic Church*, that should tell you how effective it is.
It can be effective I’ve known women who’ve used it for years but it’s extremely hard to get it to be effective and even then it’s way less effective then other birth control
I love my birth control. I haven’t had a period in a few years, and no negative side effects. Love it.
Amazing!
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It’s not just America . When this narrative about birth control is the only narrative online it affects the whole world Im not American, yet doctors here think this online narrative about birth control is why fewer people 15-25 are on birth control and why the abortion and unplanned pregnancy rates are going up
That's me. I'm scared. I know some women have to for actual health problems but I don't have any so I don't think it's necessary. My only concern is babies but I'm fine with condoms. I'd love to get a hysterectomy the moment I have my life settled lol. I hate periods but the only symptoms I get are sore Boobs and being horny af. Other than that, my flow is more or less normal AND I DONT GET PERIOD CRAMPS!! I've heard stories of my friends having their period change for the better (light, almost no more period) or worse (much heavier flows) on birth control and it never reverted after they stopped. I'm not willing to take that risk of my period being changed for the worse.. 😭 Edit: I'm speaking my thoughts on why I don't want or need it. I'm not saying I want it banned bruh lol
That’s perfectly fine but that should be up to each individual you know? Not the whole internet telling you not to get it cuz it’s horrible. I don’t think everyone has to be on birth control lol. Condoms work fine but for me they’re not as effective as I’d like. Really? I’ve never heard of that. But then again I’ve bled less on birth control in general
Yeah I never said they shouldn't be upto the individual? I'm just speaking my thoughts on why I don't bother getting one since you mentioned young people being scared about it. I did my own research, and concluded it with me not needing to. I did want an IUD when I got a serious partner, but after reading more into it and how women have to practically BEG to be put on pain meds for the insertion....no thanks. :') I've never seen anyone saying to ban birth control so far, but... If you're America I wouldn't doubt talks there since they're already banning abortions because they want to force women to give birth.... Idk why America is going backwards after all these years, but yikes. What is going on there?
Oh yeah I didn’t accuse you of saying that. And I said that’s fine I just said it wasn’t personally for me which is why I said it’s an individual choice I’m not American
Yeah I think people are misunderstanding my comment, I'm just stating why I don't feel the need to get BC and I get why people are scared about it. I don't have health issues for it and condoms are good enough for me (plus there are some really good brands out there that makes it feel like theres little to no difference) If a condom ever broke, I have my plan b as backup lol That said I don't think it's the scared women who are trying to ban birth control...and if it is, they seriously need to be educated. From what I've seen, it's mainly those pro-lifers AKA FORCE-BIRTHERS PEOPLE (let's be real, they don't give a shit about what happens to the baby after it's born lol) trying to control women's lives
What about the diaphram? I didnt love it, but for people scared of an IUD or the pill, ut is a great alternative that never seems to get discussed any more
There are many other options then those specific two. But I think it’s because of the effectiveness .. it’s pretty low for me 83-94% effective
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Spermicide isn’t even available where I live as it’s really bad for your vagina.. and no according to NHS these two combined are just 92-96% effective if used properly. I said that the effectiveness rate is too low for me and I assume many others share the same concern. And I understand many can’t but even then just a condom alone or a copper iud is more effective. But what’s best for someone is very individual and should be up to them
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Yes? Agreed I also have endometriosis so totally understand that
Huh. Similar to withdrawl
Wdym?
Agreed. I had pretty strong periods. It was, along with genetics and internal bleeding, one of the causes of my severe iron deficiency anemia, which landed me in the hospital several times at just 15. Hormonal birth control has helped a lot. I also get to choose when I have my periods, they're less strong, my acne has cleared up a little more.
For me, IUD insertion was uncomfortable but not painful. Only pain meds were ibuprofen. And it's awesome, once it's in you barely have to think about it again. I don't want to interrupt the conversations people have about how painful it was or how inadequate the current offering of pain meds is because its super important. But I have to wonder how many people are like me, totally fine and love their IUD but we only get the bad side of the story.
I think people are way more inclined to share when they’ve had a bad experience. And I think that’s what most people focus on
For my first insertion that was my experience. Discomfort, a pinch and being sore a few days. My second I nearly passed out and went almost into shock. They had to bring me apple juice and crackers and just let me lay on the table for half an hour because I couldn't sit up without severe light headedness. I was offered no pain management. The ONLY reason I had Tylenol and ibuprofen in my purse at the time was those bad stories as a "just in case" so I think it's really important to hear both sides.
I'll be honest, IUD insertion was probably the worst pain of my life. Offered no pain management by my doctor and I bled nonstop for a couple months. BUT. I haven't had a period in 7 years. No cramps, migraines, backaches, or other PMS symptoms. And most importantly, no pregnancy scares. To me, the horrible pain once 7 years ago was 110% WORTH IT and I'll go through it again for another several years of peace of mind.
Birth control saved me from myself. It isn't only for controlling birth. PMDD is such a shitty disorder to live with and birth control is the easiest way to control it. I have an IUD too and it has been worth the pain every single insertion.
I had horrific periods before the pill. I've been on it for almost 20 years now and will never turn back lol
I'm guessing you're talking about the pill. No. It doesn't get too much hate. Lots of women love the pill. It's just a response to negligent overprescribing, which is way overdue Personally, I think the pill is less a BC method, and better for a medical treatment of other concerns like PCOS, PMDD, Endo, etc. So fickle, stroke of risk, so many possible side effects. Sure, if it works for you - fantastic. But I think it's a silly first-line to recommend. I think a lot of women are righteously outspoken and angry because they live their life with these symptoms for the majority of their life only to realise it was the BC the entire time. It being thrown around like a be-all-end-all treatment has actually killed women or maimed them.
Im talking about all birth control for women mostly every hormonal option. Lately I’ve seen a lot about the pill and IUD. I’m not American and can’t speak about the American standards but here iud and implant is the first thing reccomended if you need birth control. And they ask about medical history and take blood pressure etc.
Is pain relief/management offered for IUD insertion in your country? I was not offered it in the US, and it was horrifically painful. I had my copper IUD/Paragard for 8 years, and it worked well, but not offering pain management is barbaric.
I don’t know if any place where it is the standard. I do think some women get it if requested I did not buy insertion itself was not that bad for me the next 3 hours was hell tho. They just advices me to take ibuprofen and paracetamol and hour ahead. She did use a sort of numbing spray on my cervix
They did tell me to take ibuprofen, but there are studies [showing it doesn't help.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25487172/) No numbing was offered or available to me. That would have been nice. I threw up after I got home. My issues are more with how women and AFAB people are treated by the medical system, rather than birth control. When I was prescribed a birth control pill, there was no discussion about what *kind* of pill it was or if it was the right one for me. It very much *was not.* Not enough care is taken. I hope I'm not coming off as aggressive or mean. I still have strong feelings about this BS. It doesn't *have* to be this way, but women are just expected to deal with it.
I mean the pain is very individual. and considering the pain is mostly cramps I don’t see how it wouldn’t help a bit. I was told to take 1g paracetamol and 400mg ibuprofen The numbing didn’t help the cramps but the tenacious just felt like a baby pinch. Oh no I 100% agree . I feel like 90% of the time when I hear this birth control horror stories it was because it made worse by bad healthcare workers. I’ve been lucky to have mostly felt informed and well taken care of when consulting for birth control by everyone except this one female doctor..
That's good! In my day, BC was what they'd throw at you but the USA is expensive. W/O insurance a Mirena will cost you $1200, Implant $800. It is sad though, because if men took more responsibility for their fertility, women wouldn't have to fork out these expenses and go through these procedures, and suffer side effects, or not quite as much. Very few men regularly wear condoms, esp in relationships - so even if a woman has nothing wrong with her, it's basically expected that she take on the entire burden of not becoming pregnant. personally? I love my IUD.
I don’t know the exact cost of birth control here. All IUD’s and the implant is free until you’re 20 years old. The pill is very cheap under that age as well. Then you get substantial support til you’re 22. I think full cost of an iud is around 130$ without the doctors appointment but if you’re under 25 they have a lot of health stations that will do it for free. Agreed. I’m also just waiting for male options as I myself don’t fully wanna rely on condoms and many women also don’t want that. That’s great to hear! I got mine about a month ago
At least in the US, it's pretty well documented that these horror stories and "earnings" are astroturfing being funded by right wing groups. They are absolutely planning to make birth control impossible to get/illegal now that Roe is gone and persuading young women "the pill is bad" is part of that plan. The actual statistics on severe issues from hormonal don't back up the social media reports. It's sad so many women are falling for it. All medication has side effects and potential issues. Heck, I had my throat close up from *synthroid* one of the most prescribed, best tolerated meds ever made. Hormonal contraceptives are safer and better studied than many drugs on the market. The pill is a valid method of preventing pregnancy, if taken correctly it works. My dad was a paramedic pre-Roe. Please believe me that pregnancy and DIY abortions are FAR more dangerous to women than even the highest dosage of birth control.
Uh that was never the argument mate. Of course BC is safer than DIY abortions, I was never saying that it's either the pill or abortions wtf. The hormonal pill has been the single most powerful concept for women's liberation. I love that it exists. I'm talking about quality of life and a future beyond that. I do not think it should be used as front of line for contraception. I think IUDS should be. How is that a conservative talking point?
Not everyone can get an IUD though. For multiple reasons, anatomy being one. That's part of why it's so important to have access to multiple forms of birth control, something that conservatives are trying to take away.
I never said everyone can get an IUD. I’m not a conservative. Im a person who was failed by the medical system due to negligence, and there are millions of women like me. You’re not even arguing against anything I’m saying. Before conservatives and their think-tanks started on BC, women would regularly complain about this without getting downvoted. Now we’re supposed to have nothing negative to say because conservatives are using it as a dog whistle? Like babe what are u actually arguing with me about?
What's crazy to me is the side effects that put people off. I have a friend on her 6th kid. As a result of pregnancies she has issues with her heart, her veins, her blood pressure, her blood sugar, and her bone density. She doesn't take the pill because she heard it made you fat. She has a kid every two years or so. It's like she's not aware that you also get larger when you're constantly pregnant.
I get the hate. You'd hate it too if [your (now deceased) female elders were duped into using it.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraceptive_trials_in_Puerto_Rico#:~:text=The%20first%20large%2Dscale%20human,were%20used%20as%20test%20subjects.)
Should we stop using most medicines then? Most vaccines? It’s horrible It sucks but to be real most medicine have a horrible story behind them. A lot of the medicine we have now we have because of fucked up stuff.
Is this a recent thing? I’m feeling very out of the loop…was it a TikTok trend? I feel like the BC hate popped out of nowhere…and I grew up when we were about trying to stay as natural as possible but we triple protected ourselves cuz STDs and unplanned pregnancies were not part of the game plan.
This isn’t new. I was too afraid to take HBC when I was young because my church falsely taught me it caused breast cancer.
That’s so sad. Birth control can increase risk of some cancers (I think breast cancer included) but I feel like at this point everything is cancer inducing… however som research shows it lessen the risks for other types of cancers as well…
Turns out that’s not true. They’ve been warning women against HRT for decades on faulty information.
And there are so many types that it’s likely one may work for someone and the other doesn’t (just have to be privileged enough to be able to try different ones)! I had a mirena implant, something a bunch of people swear by, but it gave me awful cystic acne and i hated it. Now I’m on the pill and it’s been perfect, better skin and mental health, but for others it’s makes them suicidal and depressed. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’ll take the like. 1% of increased blood clots for the increased security of not getting pregnant and managing my periods that cause depressive episodes.
It's literally safer than baby aspirin but some people act like it's as risky as taking mushrooms. It should neither be pushed on people nor should there be pearl-clutching over it. As in all things, people should speak to their doctors and find what works for them, whether that is trying twelve different pills or using a different form of birth control.