Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread
Interview With AuthorAfter 1960, when the contraceptive pill was first approved in the US by the FDA, it was still very controversial and illegal in eight states. Then, five years later, 6.5 million women were taking it daily as it became the most popular form of birth control. Fast forward to today, and many women could hardly imagine their lives without it, as CDC reports that 14% of women in the US aged 15-49 are currently using the pill. But at what cost?
20-year-old student Georgia Shaw from Leicestershire has recently shed light on the potential risks and side effects that come with the pill. In an honest Twitter post, she expressed her horror at the enormous size of the leaflet that came with the Rigevidon pill.
“Started a new pill today and wanted to show men on here what women have to go through so you don’t have to wear a bit of rubber,” Georgia tweeted in a thread that went viral, amassing 23.9k likes. More women joined the thread to share their experiences of taking the pill and the alarming side effects that they had to endure while on it, or after quitting it.
So let’s see the eye-opening thread right below, which will surely make us question how on earth nobody gives a second thought about such a high-risk birth control method.
20-year-old Georgia from Leicestershire has recently shared her horror at the enormous size of the warning leaflet that came with the Rivegidon contraceptive pills
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Bored Panda reached out to Georgia, the author of this viral thread that opened up a much-needed discussion on the often overlooked side effects of taking contraceptive pills. Georgia believes that the fact that such a high-risk birth control method is normalized in our society is “down to systemic sexism.”
She added: “women always being the ones who look after the children whilst the man goes out to work, I think it stems from societal ideas of gender roles and has just never changed, even in a time where women in western society have more equality than ever.”
So she penned an honest Twitter post about the risks of the pill that many women found very relatable
Image credits: georgiaas00
When asked about her own experience of using the pill, the thread’s author said that “with Rigevidon, I’ve had some instances of mood swings, but for the most part, it’s been okay.” Fortunately, she feels fine and her “skin has actually cleared up,” while “the only side effect I’ve fully experienced is craving fatty foods.”
Image credits: georgiaas00
Image credits: georgiaas00
Image credits: georgiaas00
For men whose partner is on hormonal birth control, Georgia would like to ask to “give them time and understanding and just to go the extra mile to make sure they’re feeling okay.”
“It means a lot to us when a man is accommodating and understanding of what we go through. They also should make sure they’re educating themselves on the side effects and risks, looking out for signs of stroke and blood clots in their partners as there’s a relatively high risk of us having one on hormonal birth control.”
The enormous leaflet contained a chilling number of potential side effects that came with using the pill
The thread’s author also said that she’s quite pessimistic about the future of birth control, specifically for men. “I’d love to see a male contraceptive brought to the market, but I doubt it will happen. For me, education is the most promising way and hopefully boys in school can start to be taught about female sex education as well as male sex education and from that, attitudes and understanding will change, as many men in the replies to my tweet had no idea it isn’t just used as a contraceptive.”
Georgia was wondering why it’s the women who have to go through all these potential risks without questioning
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Image credits: georgiaas00
It’s no secret that many women who have used contraceptive pills or are currently taking them have experienced some sort of unwanted side effects. Of women aged 18 to 49 who choose to use contraceptives, there was a 4.5 per cent drop in those using the pill in 2015 compared to in 2008.
The decrease in the use of contraceptive pills is associated with many women coming forward about their negative experiences that often overshadow the positive ones. But the exact number of women who experience the pill’s side effects is still hard to pin down.
The author said the goal of her tweet was to let everyone know about the dangers of taking the pill
Image credits: georgiaas00
Nausea, sore breasts, and irregular bleeding typically occur “in the first three months,” usually settling after that time, says Jean Hailes for Women’s Health medical director Elizabeth Farrell.
More serious complications occur rarely, but they have been documented. These include an increased risk of blood clotting, a slight increase in breast cancer (1 in 50,000 additional cases), and increased stress on the liver.
If that wasn’t enough, a growing number of cases have suggested that the pill may be linked with mood swings, anxiety, and even depression in women who take the pill, but it still hasn’t been researched thoroughly.
Many women found the tweet very relatable as they shared their own alarmingly negative experiences of taking the pill
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And while it protects from an unwanted pregnancy, no contraceptive pill keeps you safe from STDs, which is, of course, a crucial point to consider when choosing a birth control method that works for you.
It’s also important to mention that although side effects are real, some women never experience any of them, and are very happy with the experience and the benefits of the pill.
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Others praised the author for bringing up this very important topic
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As a guy to all the women: if a man won't use a condom, because then "he doesn't feel anything", then he doesn't need sex, but he needs a doctor, because there is something wrong with his thingy. But most of the time it's just a power-thing: if he makes you give in to sex without a condom, he has power over you, and if you make him use a condom, he feels like you have power over him. Please remember that condoms not only protect against pregnancy, but also against STDs. If he won't use a condom, don't have sex with him.
@Rob is correct. If you can't feel it through a condom, you need a doctor. Am female, but please, practice safe and smart sex, and if someone says "no" to safety, say NO! to them. Peace.
Load More Replies...The vaccines that we have for Covid-19 did not take a few months to "whack up." The research for mRNA vaccines began decades ago.
THANK YOU! Medical research on mRNA vaccines was begun after the first SARS outbreak and has been in the works for much longer than that. We got dumb lucky we had coronavirus-relative-mRNA-vaccine research at all. (Note: Got my MD, did research, now advocacy for patients)
Load More Replies...I'm on a different pill. Yes, there are side effects, and yes I get my blood pressure checked every 6 months to be safe. But I don't take it so my partner doesn't have to wear rubber. I take it to maintain and control what would otherwise be unbearably painful and irregular menstruation. And the pill I take does that. There are multiple pills, and this is so much more complicated than a Twitter thread can cover.
There are a lot of off label effects of the pill that are crucial to some women. I had PCOS and fibroids. Many women like me take birth control pills to preserve their fertility until they want to have kids. Both of those conditions only have one cure - a hysterectomy. The pill stops the progression of those diseases (including endometriosis) and makes it possible for these women to have at least one child if they want one.
Load More Replies...Uhm.. a condom is not just for preventing pregnancy. It also protects from STDs which the pill doesn't.
I think she's talking more about long term relationships where both partners know they're both clean than flings and one night stands where that's very much in doubt.
Load More Replies...As a man, before I was married I wore a rubber if I didn't want to make a baby. That was on me. If the woman was on the pill, that's great, but I wasn't counting on that. As a pharmacist, I'd encourage you to look at the package insert for ANY drug. For starters, try the one on acetaminophen. It'll read just as scary as the one for oral contraceptives. I understand your reaction but don't get the wrong impression that they're more dangerous than they are, or your are taking excessive risks. Doc wouldn't have prescribed without evaluating your risk factors.
Yes! I love what you said there - EVEN if a woman is taking birth control pills, don't count on that as your only method of protection! Better be safe than sorry!
Load More Replies...This is just a whole concerning attitude. Everyone having flings should be using proper protection against STDs and HIV, if a man won't wear a condom in that situation then the sex stops there. That's a deal breaker. So I presume this is talking about women having to go on the pill so the man won't have to wear a condom in a long term and loving relationship? What the heck? I mean if the women also prefers it condom free, then fine, but if the general feeling between the couple is 'that's what the woman does' then this is a problem.
In long term monogamous relationships it’s common for both partners to not want to use condoms every time. For casual sex condoms are essential, but two methods are more effective than one when it comes to preventing pregnancy. With perfect use condoms have about a one in 50 chance of failure per year. Multiplied by all the years of a woman’s sexually active fertile life that isn’t such a small chance.
Load More Replies...1. The pill is not only for contraception, but for hormone control for endometriosis, perimenopause, menopause, etc. 2. The fact women have the option of "the pill" doesn't mean we should stop seeking better treatment from doctors, or from sex partners. 3. I AM A PILL BABY. I WAS CONCEIVED WHILST MOM TOOK THE PILL. THE DAMN THING WON'T ALWAYS WORK. Now, "pill babies" are less common these days, but still occur ----- so it is not 100% effective as is, maybe realistically the same as condoms in the real world,a bout 70-80 percent? (This is a range of estimates based on 30 years of data, all self-reported by patients, ergo not 100% reliable of itself.) Why? People forget. Pills are affected by other medications, alcohol use, etc. 5. If you think access to the pill means women should sit down an dshut up? I respectfully suggest you look in the mirror and ask why you think so little of fellow human beings. Peace. Out.
My wife was on the pill from her late teens, her choice. When she hit about 30, she started having bad side effects, so she went off, and we were just...careful. Once we had our kids 5 and 6 years later, I happily went (on my birthday) to get a vasectomy. Simple procedure, no pain, and now no worries. One of the best things I've done.
I only partly agree - of course, there’s tons of side effects to the pill, however a big amount of them are those which occur only in a small percentage of cases. It doesn’t mean you’ll get all of them, though of course it is important to find the best one for you with the help of a doctor.
Just to point out: Every single drug sheet in the world points to a myriad of horrific side effects.
To say that every drug sheet in the world points to a myriad of horrific side effects (experienced by a small minority of patients) overlooks the fact that horrible side effects from the pill are experienced *not* by a small minority of patients, but by *most* patients who take that drug. Sure not every woman will have a stroke because the pill cause a blood clot, but I challenge you to find a single woman who’s taken hormonal birth control without experiencing a really, really shitty side effect.
Load More Replies...There are a lot of contraceptive options available. For some women oral contraceptives work well, and there are a large number of them, but there are also IUDs and diaphrams. My biggest recomendation is to ask around and find a good gynacologist, who listens to patients and pays attention to their symptoms.
And for some, pumping your body full of hormones and sticking foreign objects in just doesn't work.
Load More Replies...The most fun thing for me was being on the pill made me want to commit suicide (seriously. It was all I could think about) but when I mentioned it to the doctor she said "Oh, that won't be the pill". Forgot to take it for a couple of days and was instantly "cured" of my issue.
I have never been able to take any form of contraceptive. I have tried almost every type out there to try and help with endometriosis. They all make me extremely moody...I'm talking Jekyll/Hyde moody. Fine one minute, crying the next, ready to punch someone the next. It also skyrocketed my blood pressure.
Thank you for this! To all the guys out there, please, just use a condom! It will protect you against STDs, and if your partner is female, it will protect them against pregnancy, which can have a lot more repercussions for them than it can for you!! Remember, even if unprotected sex isn't as big a deal for you because you can't get pregnant doesn't mean you shouldn't make responsible and safe decisions.
He can use a condom. If he whines he can't feel it "as much", then remind him he won't be feeling it "at all" if you choose to not have sex with him because he's being a giant spoiled manchild. Your health is worth far more than his pleasure. Hormones are delicate things that control our health--never mess with yours just because sex only feels 80% as good to him with a condom as without. Yes to condoms! Also, people seem to forget, penetration does not have to happen during sex for both parties to experience satisfaction. Yes ladies--it's true! He doesn't actually need to stick his d**k in you. Imagine!
For a lot of people having penile vaginal sex is essential. It’s not the only part of sex, but for many people (both men and women) it’s a major part and one they don’t want to give up. As far as condoms go, they should be used *in addition to other methods.* Even with perfect use they have about a one in 50 chance of failure per year. Magnify that by all the years someone is fertile and sexually active and those are not great odds.
Load More Replies...Months to get back to normal after being on the pill 8 weeks? I can beat that. A week in the hospital and 6 months on blood thinners after getting a clot after being on the pill LESS THAN A WEEK. The worst part is I was only on it to control my period so I could get a different contraception method put in - and after getting a blood clot, that was deemed too risky.
you know some OTC allergy meds come with those same long things as well. Had one twice as long for basic antibiotics a few years back. They are required in the US by law to provide those full lists, even if the riks is 0.001% chance. This isnt a birth control thing, it is a common thing with many meds to comply with US govt information laws. Same reason why commercials are half disclaimer on meds.
One of the main differences here is if you're on antibiotics and you have a reaction, you change meds. With the pill, your doctor is more likely to shrug and say "Well that's what happens". It's a difference in attitude to the medication, not just that the medication has side effects.
Load More Replies...If you want to know why there is no pill for men and the whole history about this topic, I recommend to watch the Netflix documentary "explaining sex" episode 3 about contraception!! It's really enlightening even though very depressing for women!! It explains how a woman's life doesn't seem to worth as much as a man's... and all these researches has caused many women's life in history...
This is so scary. I was on and off the pill for years and it eventually led to wacky periods that would last sometimes over 2 weeks as well as severe pain. By the time I went off the damage was done. I ended up having two miscarriages and that eventually led to having a partial hysterectomy. My OBGYN said it was more than likely due to continuous use of the pill. I already have it burned in my daughters head to avoid taking the pill.
I’m so sorry! I knew someone who had a stroke at 32. She was a smoker on birth control. I don’t know if doctors really impress upon their patients how high the risk of a stroke can be.
Load More Replies...My wife went on birth control, not so we didn't have to use condoms, but because the pill is so much more effective than condoms. As long as you don't miss pills, the pill's effectiveness is around 95%. If you use a condom perfectly each time, then condoms can be 98% effective, but real world effectiveness is around 85%. But the pill worked for her with few side effects (and a positive side effect of reducing menstrual cramping). If you're in a committed relationship, you should be able to come to an agreement on which birth control method(s) you want to use. If you're not in a committed relationship, you should be using condoms just for the STD protection.
ANY pill or even treatment which is aimed solely at women has less time and effort put in. Women are supposed to accept pain, nausea and depression as 'normal' in the 'first few months' This is in the same way that doctors are STILL telling women with endometriosis (if they can even be bothered to diagnose it) that they should 'have a baby' I get what people say, many medications have side effects and come with sheets EXACTLY like this one but remember - those taking 'the pill' are predominantly young and healthy and otherwise would NOT be risking side effects. I keep hearing that they are developing one for men but nothing ever comes of it. Would they be as motivated to take it? IDK. But they have to be improved, that's for sure..
Every drug has side effects, and work better with an organism than with another one. It just depends. I took the pills for a while and for me it was not ok. My friends is also on the pills for other reasons and she feels perfect. It depends on each body and how the body reacts to the pills.
Two things should really be mentioned: First, the original 1960s pills were very different and much stronger. Today's birth control pills carry a far lower dose of hormones. Second, women enthusiastically embraced the pill when it first came out because it freed them from constant fear of pregnancy. Families of 5 or more kids were common in the late 50s. Ten years later people were already having much smaller families. So yes, there can be serious side effects, but millions of women take them with no problems.
Have *you* taken them with no problems? Have you asked women? Is that how you know they have no problems?
Load More Replies...Actually had the blood clot was frightening. The mood swings the vomiting super happy husband got the vasectomy
Hello, Hoping someone will have some insight. My 15 year old daughter has been bleeding out when she has cycles. She hardly gets a break! She's needed transfusions it's so bad. Her doctors won't take action except for to prescribe more birth control pills. It keeps the bleeding away, but the painful and uncomfortable side effects keep her from wanting to take them. She's starting to bleed again now that she stopped taking the progesterone only pills. The only other thing the doctor wants to try is an IUD; which the other ladies in my family have had bad experiences with. My daughter isn't interested in having kids, but they won't listen. How do I deal with this?
Without all the side effects you might ask your man if he's ever heard of a vasectomy
It's not just the pill. Any hormonal contraception that we women use comes with a long list of risks and side effects. The rod in the arm makes some women bleed non-stop until their iron levels are dangerously low, IUDs raise the risk of pelvic infection and therefore infertility. I had a stroke while I had an IUD inserted AND I still fell pregnant with the damned thing
Intrestingly the common ones and some of the uncommon ones are symptoms of PCOS. Which might expalin why its difficult to get a diagnosis or treatment. Also why mixing PCOS with teh pill (standard treatment) usually makes it miles worse.
As a FEMALE who takes a lot of prescription medications for a number of conditions, like insulin for type 1 diabetes (can cause death within hours - been there, organ transplant - one of my meds us a chemo drug, and many more), you're not going to find many drugs that don't include information sheets just like this, with loads of scary sounding potential side effects, many (include ones I take) are way worse than the effects of birth control. Which I took for years, so I know. It is what you are willing to potentially risk in order to be more convenienced, fix a medical problem, or like with insulin, stay alive. You have to weigh the risk against the benefit. No medication is risk free because every single human body is different.
I cannot take ANY pill. I tried so many and had different side effects with each, one of which was so rare my doctor asked a colleague to come in and see as they had only ever read about it in books! It was a rash on my legs, in case anyone's wondering. 25 years of using the withdrawal method cos SO "doesn't like" condoms and wouldn't have the snip, despite neither of us wanting children. Still child-free, though!
Hormones are highly regulated within the human body and are involved in numerous biological processes. Interfering with these causes a number of side effects. The reason we were able to develop a female pill is because the female body naturally has a mechanism to interrupt the release of ova, namely pregnancy. Scientists were able to mimic that mechanism thus arresting ovulation in women. Men have no such mechanism naturally present, so hormonal suppression in men isn't straightforward. The levels of hormonal interference in men to arrest spermatogenesis is significant and with it carries of number of side effects including possibly permanent sterilization, something women do not experience. The other reason is that for women, to prevent pregnancy, the pill needs to stop the release of a single egg, once a month. For men spermatogenesis is an unrelenting, 100 million per day, every day, problem to tackle, with no natural process to hijack. And to work one needs full suppression.
Continued. For women the side of effects of the pill largely mimic those that exist within pregnancy, so women trade off a (higher) risk they already are potentially exposed to for another lower one that gives them control of their cycle. The pill doesn't just have negative side effects but positive ones. It lower the risk of a number of cancers, it helps regulate cycles, it can reduce hormonal acne and hormonal migraines. Some are better than others. Many drugs cause adverse side effects including those that people need to take every day. For example cholesterol lowering drugs, which have myriad of side effects. Still many surveys and studies support that men would want a male pill, to have a modicum of control. So men want it. The side effects are not that same as the female pill even if they seem similar. Erectile dysfunction, which kind of defeats the purpose and alone is generally an effective treatment, permanent sterilization, blood clots, depression, are significant.
Load More Replies...I would have greatly preferred a vasectomy immediately after being born, rather than the genital mutilation I was given. Doctors who refuse to do vasectomies for men without children are assholes. Also: NON-hormonal IUDs can be awesome for many women. They should push these more than hormonal s**t, but drug companies like that perpetual cash...
I would love for there to be a male contraception pill so I wouldn't need to worry about broken condoms anymore.
Errrm, just gonna say if you write a post about contraception, calling out men to understand the risks you take for their sake (which is weird) and then say it’s risks you take for your sake but men should be responsible for (which is also weird) and then tell men not to give their opinion, you are being a selfish asshole. Perhaps, and this is coming from the kid of a single teenage mother abandoned by his father, you should just not have sex until you are ready for the responsibility of children and especially don’t have sex with someone who also isn’t responsible for having children. My wife is 38 weeks pregnant. My views on sex have changed dramatically... 🙃
I went on the Pill for a while in my late teens/early twenties. I stopped taking it when I was about 23 so I could get pregnant (I wanted the health benefits that come from having your first child before 25) and never went back on it. That was partly because "extended" on-demand breastfeeding kept my period away for two years, and partly because I realized how much the hormones had messed with me when I was using the Pill. I switched to NFP and haven't looked back in 20 years.
I understand the issue very well and I will still tell you not to take it. If your partner has a problem with wearing a condom or being careful, then find another partner. The man who will make me go to that length, hasn’t been born yet. I am simply not loading myself with hormones so he can enjoy himself. If you are taking the pill because it helps with PMS or PMDD, then you have no choice. Just make sure you choose one with less hormones and side effects.
You admit you don’t know very much about the topic, so making a blanket statement telling women not to use a specific form of birth control is pretty irresponsible. Birth control doesn’t have the same effects on all women. For some women it actually has positive effects, including reduced period symptoms and acne. Some women specifically take it for those reasons without being sexually active. My mom did it for her periods, had a positive experience, and is now encouraging me to do the same. I have not made up my mind yet but I’ve been reading a lot about it and it’s clear experiences vary a lot. The pill is also more effective than condoms at preventing pregnancy, and many women don’t like using condoms every single time in a long term monogamous relationship either.
Load More Replies...And they are passed out by doctors as if they are not dangerous. Of course nobody cares since at this point it’s so common. Birth control pills really messed me up, and I just can’t take them. Many of the awful side effects were constant to me, and I never even noticed it until I already had a new disease and had to stop. Immediately a lot of those symptoms went away. This is why abortions are important too and shouldn’t be shunned as “not a method of birth control.”
Any doctor who doesn't say, "this comes with potential problems" needs to be reported to the AMA.
Load More Replies...okay, but what about the people who need the pill for other reasons, like endometriosis? also i just want a way to make the periods stop that doesn't throw my hormones all out of whack. it's 2021, and i'm so tired of periods.
I'd rather have side effects than accidentally get pregnant. I really don't want kids, I'd probably f**k something up somehow.
What a load of bullshit. Stfu and try another type of birth control. Or don't take any and deal with the consequences. I think this is a bullshit story.
Just don't take it then. Simple. It's not f...ing rocket science.
It’s extremely reckless and irresponsible to present only the negative sides of birth control with none of the positive. The pill has side effects as all medications do. It has also emancipated women and allowed them to have their own lives and careers instead of staying home popping out baby after baby. This whole thing feeds into the pro abstinence only education, anti contraception narrative that is actively threatening the health and wellbeing of women.
All she has to do to avoid all those side effects is learn self control and not have rampant sex with multiple partners.
I agree with most of what is said, but I can't help but get the feeling some of the tweets call for revenge. Like if WE go though it, MEN must too. A side thought: I wonder why there is such a difference to ignorance. Like from what I seen, a man and woman can be oblivious to birth control, but I see females siding more often, even if they never took birth control and men tend to get defensive. The gender debate is everywhere.
Wow, you do not get how women's bodies work, do you? 1. The symptoms of pregnancy, perimenopause, and PMS are all similar so 2. different hormone therapies will adjust for certain conditions. It's not that simple. All those "side effects" you mentioned are how bodies react to PMS; stress; perimenopause.... Get the idea? Thank you.
Load More Replies...With respect, there are also millions whose experiences were rotten, and it depends on the pill you get. They aren't all identical. Some are progestin-heavy, some are combination, etc., and what works can be a process of trial and error, which HMOs mandate take up to 6 months per pill. Please don't call people "whining babies" for feeling concern about potential side effects. Peace.
Load More Replies...As a guy to all the women: if a man won't use a condom, because then "he doesn't feel anything", then he doesn't need sex, but he needs a doctor, because there is something wrong with his thingy. But most of the time it's just a power-thing: if he makes you give in to sex without a condom, he has power over you, and if you make him use a condom, he feels like you have power over him. Please remember that condoms not only protect against pregnancy, but also against STDs. If he won't use a condom, don't have sex with him.
@Rob is correct. If you can't feel it through a condom, you need a doctor. Am female, but please, practice safe and smart sex, and if someone says "no" to safety, say NO! to them. Peace.
Load More Replies...The vaccines that we have for Covid-19 did not take a few months to "whack up." The research for mRNA vaccines began decades ago.
THANK YOU! Medical research on mRNA vaccines was begun after the first SARS outbreak and has been in the works for much longer than that. We got dumb lucky we had coronavirus-relative-mRNA-vaccine research at all. (Note: Got my MD, did research, now advocacy for patients)
Load More Replies...I'm on a different pill. Yes, there are side effects, and yes I get my blood pressure checked every 6 months to be safe. But I don't take it so my partner doesn't have to wear rubber. I take it to maintain and control what would otherwise be unbearably painful and irregular menstruation. And the pill I take does that. There are multiple pills, and this is so much more complicated than a Twitter thread can cover.
There are a lot of off label effects of the pill that are crucial to some women. I had PCOS and fibroids. Many women like me take birth control pills to preserve their fertility until they want to have kids. Both of those conditions only have one cure - a hysterectomy. The pill stops the progression of those diseases (including endometriosis) and makes it possible for these women to have at least one child if they want one.
Load More Replies...Uhm.. a condom is not just for preventing pregnancy. It also protects from STDs which the pill doesn't.
I think she's talking more about long term relationships where both partners know they're both clean than flings and one night stands where that's very much in doubt.
Load More Replies...As a man, before I was married I wore a rubber if I didn't want to make a baby. That was on me. If the woman was on the pill, that's great, but I wasn't counting on that. As a pharmacist, I'd encourage you to look at the package insert for ANY drug. For starters, try the one on acetaminophen. It'll read just as scary as the one for oral contraceptives. I understand your reaction but don't get the wrong impression that they're more dangerous than they are, or your are taking excessive risks. Doc wouldn't have prescribed without evaluating your risk factors.
Yes! I love what you said there - EVEN if a woman is taking birth control pills, don't count on that as your only method of protection! Better be safe than sorry!
Load More Replies...This is just a whole concerning attitude. Everyone having flings should be using proper protection against STDs and HIV, if a man won't wear a condom in that situation then the sex stops there. That's a deal breaker. So I presume this is talking about women having to go on the pill so the man won't have to wear a condom in a long term and loving relationship? What the heck? I mean if the women also prefers it condom free, then fine, but if the general feeling between the couple is 'that's what the woman does' then this is a problem.
In long term monogamous relationships it’s common for both partners to not want to use condoms every time. For casual sex condoms are essential, but two methods are more effective than one when it comes to preventing pregnancy. With perfect use condoms have about a one in 50 chance of failure per year. Multiplied by all the years of a woman’s sexually active fertile life that isn’t such a small chance.
Load More Replies...1. The pill is not only for contraception, but for hormone control for endometriosis, perimenopause, menopause, etc. 2. The fact women have the option of "the pill" doesn't mean we should stop seeking better treatment from doctors, or from sex partners. 3. I AM A PILL BABY. I WAS CONCEIVED WHILST MOM TOOK THE PILL. THE DAMN THING WON'T ALWAYS WORK. Now, "pill babies" are less common these days, but still occur ----- so it is not 100% effective as is, maybe realistically the same as condoms in the real world,a bout 70-80 percent? (This is a range of estimates based on 30 years of data, all self-reported by patients, ergo not 100% reliable of itself.) Why? People forget. Pills are affected by other medications, alcohol use, etc. 5. If you think access to the pill means women should sit down an dshut up? I respectfully suggest you look in the mirror and ask why you think so little of fellow human beings. Peace. Out.
My wife was on the pill from her late teens, her choice. When she hit about 30, she started having bad side effects, so she went off, and we were just...careful. Once we had our kids 5 and 6 years later, I happily went (on my birthday) to get a vasectomy. Simple procedure, no pain, and now no worries. One of the best things I've done.
I only partly agree - of course, there’s tons of side effects to the pill, however a big amount of them are those which occur only in a small percentage of cases. It doesn’t mean you’ll get all of them, though of course it is important to find the best one for you with the help of a doctor.
Just to point out: Every single drug sheet in the world points to a myriad of horrific side effects.
To say that every drug sheet in the world points to a myriad of horrific side effects (experienced by a small minority of patients) overlooks the fact that horrible side effects from the pill are experienced *not* by a small minority of patients, but by *most* patients who take that drug. Sure not every woman will have a stroke because the pill cause a blood clot, but I challenge you to find a single woman who’s taken hormonal birth control without experiencing a really, really shitty side effect.
Load More Replies...There are a lot of contraceptive options available. For some women oral contraceptives work well, and there are a large number of them, but there are also IUDs and diaphrams. My biggest recomendation is to ask around and find a good gynacologist, who listens to patients and pays attention to their symptoms.
And for some, pumping your body full of hormones and sticking foreign objects in just doesn't work.
Load More Replies...The most fun thing for me was being on the pill made me want to commit suicide (seriously. It was all I could think about) but when I mentioned it to the doctor she said "Oh, that won't be the pill". Forgot to take it for a couple of days and was instantly "cured" of my issue.
I have never been able to take any form of contraceptive. I have tried almost every type out there to try and help with endometriosis. They all make me extremely moody...I'm talking Jekyll/Hyde moody. Fine one minute, crying the next, ready to punch someone the next. It also skyrocketed my blood pressure.
Thank you for this! To all the guys out there, please, just use a condom! It will protect you against STDs, and if your partner is female, it will protect them against pregnancy, which can have a lot more repercussions for them than it can for you!! Remember, even if unprotected sex isn't as big a deal for you because you can't get pregnant doesn't mean you shouldn't make responsible and safe decisions.
He can use a condom. If he whines he can't feel it "as much", then remind him he won't be feeling it "at all" if you choose to not have sex with him because he's being a giant spoiled manchild. Your health is worth far more than his pleasure. Hormones are delicate things that control our health--never mess with yours just because sex only feels 80% as good to him with a condom as without. Yes to condoms! Also, people seem to forget, penetration does not have to happen during sex for both parties to experience satisfaction. Yes ladies--it's true! He doesn't actually need to stick his d**k in you. Imagine!
For a lot of people having penile vaginal sex is essential. It’s not the only part of sex, but for many people (both men and women) it’s a major part and one they don’t want to give up. As far as condoms go, they should be used *in addition to other methods.* Even with perfect use they have about a one in 50 chance of failure per year. Magnify that by all the years someone is fertile and sexually active and those are not great odds.
Load More Replies...Months to get back to normal after being on the pill 8 weeks? I can beat that. A week in the hospital and 6 months on blood thinners after getting a clot after being on the pill LESS THAN A WEEK. The worst part is I was only on it to control my period so I could get a different contraception method put in - and after getting a blood clot, that was deemed too risky.
you know some OTC allergy meds come with those same long things as well. Had one twice as long for basic antibiotics a few years back. They are required in the US by law to provide those full lists, even if the riks is 0.001% chance. This isnt a birth control thing, it is a common thing with many meds to comply with US govt information laws. Same reason why commercials are half disclaimer on meds.
One of the main differences here is if you're on antibiotics and you have a reaction, you change meds. With the pill, your doctor is more likely to shrug and say "Well that's what happens". It's a difference in attitude to the medication, not just that the medication has side effects.
Load More Replies...If you want to know why there is no pill for men and the whole history about this topic, I recommend to watch the Netflix documentary "explaining sex" episode 3 about contraception!! It's really enlightening even though very depressing for women!! It explains how a woman's life doesn't seem to worth as much as a man's... and all these researches has caused many women's life in history...
This is so scary. I was on and off the pill for years and it eventually led to wacky periods that would last sometimes over 2 weeks as well as severe pain. By the time I went off the damage was done. I ended up having two miscarriages and that eventually led to having a partial hysterectomy. My OBGYN said it was more than likely due to continuous use of the pill. I already have it burned in my daughters head to avoid taking the pill.
I’m so sorry! I knew someone who had a stroke at 32. She was a smoker on birth control. I don’t know if doctors really impress upon their patients how high the risk of a stroke can be.
Load More Replies...My wife went on birth control, not so we didn't have to use condoms, but because the pill is so much more effective than condoms. As long as you don't miss pills, the pill's effectiveness is around 95%. If you use a condom perfectly each time, then condoms can be 98% effective, but real world effectiveness is around 85%. But the pill worked for her with few side effects (and a positive side effect of reducing menstrual cramping). If you're in a committed relationship, you should be able to come to an agreement on which birth control method(s) you want to use. If you're not in a committed relationship, you should be using condoms just for the STD protection.
ANY pill or even treatment which is aimed solely at women has less time and effort put in. Women are supposed to accept pain, nausea and depression as 'normal' in the 'first few months' This is in the same way that doctors are STILL telling women with endometriosis (if they can even be bothered to diagnose it) that they should 'have a baby' I get what people say, many medications have side effects and come with sheets EXACTLY like this one but remember - those taking 'the pill' are predominantly young and healthy and otherwise would NOT be risking side effects. I keep hearing that they are developing one for men but nothing ever comes of it. Would they be as motivated to take it? IDK. But they have to be improved, that's for sure..
Every drug has side effects, and work better with an organism than with another one. It just depends. I took the pills for a while and for me it was not ok. My friends is also on the pills for other reasons and she feels perfect. It depends on each body and how the body reacts to the pills.
Two things should really be mentioned: First, the original 1960s pills were very different and much stronger. Today's birth control pills carry a far lower dose of hormones. Second, women enthusiastically embraced the pill when it first came out because it freed them from constant fear of pregnancy. Families of 5 or more kids were common in the late 50s. Ten years later people were already having much smaller families. So yes, there can be serious side effects, but millions of women take them with no problems.
Have *you* taken them with no problems? Have you asked women? Is that how you know they have no problems?
Load More Replies...Actually had the blood clot was frightening. The mood swings the vomiting super happy husband got the vasectomy
Hello, Hoping someone will have some insight. My 15 year old daughter has been bleeding out when she has cycles. She hardly gets a break! She's needed transfusions it's so bad. Her doctors won't take action except for to prescribe more birth control pills. It keeps the bleeding away, but the painful and uncomfortable side effects keep her from wanting to take them. She's starting to bleed again now that she stopped taking the progesterone only pills. The only other thing the doctor wants to try is an IUD; which the other ladies in my family have had bad experiences with. My daughter isn't interested in having kids, but they won't listen. How do I deal with this?
Without all the side effects you might ask your man if he's ever heard of a vasectomy
It's not just the pill. Any hormonal contraception that we women use comes with a long list of risks and side effects. The rod in the arm makes some women bleed non-stop until their iron levels are dangerously low, IUDs raise the risk of pelvic infection and therefore infertility. I had a stroke while I had an IUD inserted AND I still fell pregnant with the damned thing
Intrestingly the common ones and some of the uncommon ones are symptoms of PCOS. Which might expalin why its difficult to get a diagnosis or treatment. Also why mixing PCOS with teh pill (standard treatment) usually makes it miles worse.
As a FEMALE who takes a lot of prescription medications for a number of conditions, like insulin for type 1 diabetes (can cause death within hours - been there, organ transplant - one of my meds us a chemo drug, and many more), you're not going to find many drugs that don't include information sheets just like this, with loads of scary sounding potential side effects, many (include ones I take) are way worse than the effects of birth control. Which I took for years, so I know. It is what you are willing to potentially risk in order to be more convenienced, fix a medical problem, or like with insulin, stay alive. You have to weigh the risk against the benefit. No medication is risk free because every single human body is different.
I cannot take ANY pill. I tried so many and had different side effects with each, one of which was so rare my doctor asked a colleague to come in and see as they had only ever read about it in books! It was a rash on my legs, in case anyone's wondering. 25 years of using the withdrawal method cos SO "doesn't like" condoms and wouldn't have the snip, despite neither of us wanting children. Still child-free, though!
Hormones are highly regulated within the human body and are involved in numerous biological processes. Interfering with these causes a number of side effects. The reason we were able to develop a female pill is because the female body naturally has a mechanism to interrupt the release of ova, namely pregnancy. Scientists were able to mimic that mechanism thus arresting ovulation in women. Men have no such mechanism naturally present, so hormonal suppression in men isn't straightforward. The levels of hormonal interference in men to arrest spermatogenesis is significant and with it carries of number of side effects including possibly permanent sterilization, something women do not experience. The other reason is that for women, to prevent pregnancy, the pill needs to stop the release of a single egg, once a month. For men spermatogenesis is an unrelenting, 100 million per day, every day, problem to tackle, with no natural process to hijack. And to work one needs full suppression.
Continued. For women the side of effects of the pill largely mimic those that exist within pregnancy, so women trade off a (higher) risk they already are potentially exposed to for another lower one that gives them control of their cycle. The pill doesn't just have negative side effects but positive ones. It lower the risk of a number of cancers, it helps regulate cycles, it can reduce hormonal acne and hormonal migraines. Some are better than others. Many drugs cause adverse side effects including those that people need to take every day. For example cholesterol lowering drugs, which have myriad of side effects. Still many surveys and studies support that men would want a male pill, to have a modicum of control. So men want it. The side effects are not that same as the female pill even if they seem similar. Erectile dysfunction, which kind of defeats the purpose and alone is generally an effective treatment, permanent sterilization, blood clots, depression, are significant.
Load More Replies...I would have greatly preferred a vasectomy immediately after being born, rather than the genital mutilation I was given. Doctors who refuse to do vasectomies for men without children are assholes. Also: NON-hormonal IUDs can be awesome for many women. They should push these more than hormonal s**t, but drug companies like that perpetual cash...
I would love for there to be a male contraception pill so I wouldn't need to worry about broken condoms anymore.
Errrm, just gonna say if you write a post about contraception, calling out men to understand the risks you take for their sake (which is weird) and then say it’s risks you take for your sake but men should be responsible for (which is also weird) and then tell men not to give their opinion, you are being a selfish asshole. Perhaps, and this is coming from the kid of a single teenage mother abandoned by his father, you should just not have sex until you are ready for the responsibility of children and especially don’t have sex with someone who also isn’t responsible for having children. My wife is 38 weeks pregnant. My views on sex have changed dramatically... 🙃
I went on the Pill for a while in my late teens/early twenties. I stopped taking it when I was about 23 so I could get pregnant (I wanted the health benefits that come from having your first child before 25) and never went back on it. That was partly because "extended" on-demand breastfeeding kept my period away for two years, and partly because I realized how much the hormones had messed with me when I was using the Pill. I switched to NFP and haven't looked back in 20 years.
I understand the issue very well and I will still tell you not to take it. If your partner has a problem with wearing a condom or being careful, then find another partner. The man who will make me go to that length, hasn’t been born yet. I am simply not loading myself with hormones so he can enjoy himself. If you are taking the pill because it helps with PMS or PMDD, then you have no choice. Just make sure you choose one with less hormones and side effects.
You admit you don’t know very much about the topic, so making a blanket statement telling women not to use a specific form of birth control is pretty irresponsible. Birth control doesn’t have the same effects on all women. For some women it actually has positive effects, including reduced period symptoms and acne. Some women specifically take it for those reasons without being sexually active. My mom did it for her periods, had a positive experience, and is now encouraging me to do the same. I have not made up my mind yet but I’ve been reading a lot about it and it’s clear experiences vary a lot. The pill is also more effective than condoms at preventing pregnancy, and many women don’t like using condoms every single time in a long term monogamous relationship either.
Load More Replies...And they are passed out by doctors as if they are not dangerous. Of course nobody cares since at this point it’s so common. Birth control pills really messed me up, and I just can’t take them. Many of the awful side effects were constant to me, and I never even noticed it until I already had a new disease and had to stop. Immediately a lot of those symptoms went away. This is why abortions are important too and shouldn’t be shunned as “not a method of birth control.”
Any doctor who doesn't say, "this comes with potential problems" needs to be reported to the AMA.
Load More Replies...okay, but what about the people who need the pill for other reasons, like endometriosis? also i just want a way to make the periods stop that doesn't throw my hormones all out of whack. it's 2021, and i'm so tired of periods.
I'd rather have side effects than accidentally get pregnant. I really don't want kids, I'd probably f**k something up somehow.
What a load of bullshit. Stfu and try another type of birth control. Or don't take any and deal with the consequences. I think this is a bullshit story.
Just don't take it then. Simple. It's not f...ing rocket science.
It’s extremely reckless and irresponsible to present only the negative sides of birth control with none of the positive. The pill has side effects as all medications do. It has also emancipated women and allowed them to have their own lives and careers instead of staying home popping out baby after baby. This whole thing feeds into the pro abstinence only education, anti contraception narrative that is actively threatening the health and wellbeing of women.
All she has to do to avoid all those side effects is learn self control and not have rampant sex with multiple partners.
I agree with most of what is said, but I can't help but get the feeling some of the tweets call for revenge. Like if WE go though it, MEN must too. A side thought: I wonder why there is such a difference to ignorance. Like from what I seen, a man and woman can be oblivious to birth control, but I see females siding more often, even if they never took birth control and men tend to get defensive. The gender debate is everywhere.
Wow, you do not get how women's bodies work, do you? 1. The symptoms of pregnancy, perimenopause, and PMS are all similar so 2. different hormone therapies will adjust for certain conditions. It's not that simple. All those "side effects" you mentioned are how bodies react to PMS; stress; perimenopause.... Get the idea? Thank you.
Load More Replies...With respect, there are also millions whose experiences were rotten, and it depends on the pill you get. They aren't all identical. Some are progestin-heavy, some are combination, etc., and what works can be a process of trial and error, which HMOs mandate take up to 6 months per pill. Please don't call people "whining babies" for feeling concern about potential side effects. Peace.
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