The Pill, also commonly known as the BCP (birth control pill) or contraceptive pill, has been something I've contemplated taking since I was about 16 or so. I've been researching it for a long time and I finally started taking it only 2 months ago. There was a reason I've tried to hold it off for so long (you will find out later.) Firstly, I will talk about my experiences before the Pill, followed by how the Pill works, and finally, how I feel after taking it.
Before the Pill
Ever since I've started my period, it has been crazily irregular - sometimes it vanishes for months on end, which would something of a concern (pregnancy alarm!) if I wasn't a virgin, and sometimes it comes again just after 2 weeks. Sometimes it lasts 5 days, sometimes 9. It's a horrible inconvenience and a cause of extreme discomfort to me. If you weren't in an all-boys secondary school when you were younger, you would certainly have noticed occasions where a girl would appear sickly, weak and uncomfortable during certain times of the month; some are even so sick that they had to go home. Not all girls are like this, but some of us suffer from a serious form of menstrual sickness, called dysmenorrhea.
I was definitely one of them. Most periods were a time of horror for me. Nausea, extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness and extreme pain came with almost every period, and I've collapsed a handful of times on the bathroom floor after a shower because I was too dizzy and weak to stand. It became even more of a problem when I started uni, where handing in work even an hour late would be heavily penalized - it was stated clearly that 'menstrual pains' were not in anyway admissible as a reason for delayed assignments.
The worst memory of my foundation year was of me hunched over the dining table at 5 in the morning, tears streaming down my face as I tried to slice panels out of the mounting board I needed to present my work with a mere 4.5 hours later. I had been crippled with pain and nausea the previous 2 days, rendering me unable to anything without compromising the quality of my work. (My teacher pressured us to redo entire assignments if our measurements were half a millimetre off, I'm serious.)
I couldn't move from my foetal position on my bed without feeling like throwing up. But deadlines called, and with no choice but to try and work or fail the assignment, I dragged myself out of bed and forced myself to do it. And the reason I was standing hunched over like that was not because that it was the most comfortable position to cut the board - I was literally cramped in that position, bent over 90 degrees at the waist. Attempting to stretch out and stand straight would send a wave of pain through my entire abdomen so intense that my vision would fade to white for a few seconds. So yes. It was a fucking horrible experience, coupled with the stress and fear of failing.
Physical pain and discomfort wasn't the only problem. I also had to deal with severe mood swings and emotional problems stemming from the hormonal changes during that period of time. Sometimes it was mild and manageable, but sometimes it was horrible to the point that I'd feel utterly depressed and was utterly convinced that everyone secretly hated and laughed at me. This problem reached the point where I could no longer tolerate it when this year, I had a panic attack (which I've blogged about earlier) and a minor emotional breakdown where I was convinced that everyone was my enemy and out to get me. (Yes, I was pretty much a raving lunatic at that point.) This manic episode culminated in a phone call back home where I broke up with my boyfriend because I was convinced that it was absolutely impossible to be together.
It was the most horrible and emotionally devastating thing I've been through, and right after that phone call, I realized that it wasn't me talking. My voice of reason was completely gone and I had no idea why I did what I did; I had no idea what my mind was doing to itself and why. That was the point where I decided that I had to take control of my body and not let it continue ruling my life and emotions.
The Negative Connotations and Myths of the Pill
- The 'Slut' Pill
I had hesitated to take the Pill before this for one reason - the negative implications and stigma of a young woman/teenage girl taking the Pill. I won't lie, I was terrified of what my mom would think if I'd brought it up before, and what people would think of me - a young, unmarried teenager, on the Pill. Although I'm not a very religious person, I realize that the Pill has a bad reputation among certain religious or conservative people as the 'slut pill'. (I have issues with the use of the word slut, but let's not talk about that in this post.)
Apparently, their reasoning was that if this pill, a pill that could cure basically every menstrual problem a woman can have, could also prevent pregnancy, then it would encourage sleeping around. /eyeroll
Although I am aware that these views are ultimately false and ignorant (talk about a slippery slope), I was afraid of what people would say and how they would treat me, especially since at least half my extended family are extremely conservative people.
Anyway, after that horrible incident, I was like fuck it. Whoever who wants to be judgemental can go ahead and do so; why should I let your false perception of me rule my life? They can mind their own damn business. My mom Skyped me every day for a few days after my panic attack and I eventually broached the topic with her. I was extremely surprised when she seemed to be all for it - I was so touched that she put my health and wellbeing above all her concerns with the Pill.
- 'The Pill Affects Your Fertility'
Like most uninformed parties, my mom was led to believe that the Pill messes up your fertility because it's supposed to stop women from getting pregnant right? I know at least 2 relatives of mine are on the Pill (a cousin and a cousin's wife) and my cousin's wife had problems getting pregnant after coming off the Pill. This led my mom to believe that taking the Pill will render you sterile in the long-term; if I take it, I won't be able to give her grandkids in the future!
Well, that notion is completely FALSE. Basing beliefs on anecdotal evidence is extremely unreasonable. Furthermore, my cousin's wife came off the Pill when she was in her mid-40s -___- It is a time where most women already have trouble falling pregnant or are completely infertile ANYWAY. It just seemed more convenient to blame the Pill, although scientific evidence and basic understanding of how it works would lead you to believe otherwise.
How the Pill Works
If you've ever passed PMR Biology, you'd have a basic understanding of how the period cycle works. Here's a quick run down to recap your secondary school education, anyway (I hope I'm accurate!)
- The lining of the uterus thickens in preparation for pregnancy
- An egg is released
- If it is fertilized, congratulations you are pregnant!
- If it isn't, the egg is expelled out the vagina along with the uterus lining and you have your period (that's where all the blood comes from)
- Uterine lining is repaired, back to step 1
So what the Pill does is basically feed you a steady dose of hormones that prevent the egg from being released, thus preventing pregnancy. What it ALSO does is prevent any side effects of periods by keeping the hormone levels in your body consistent throughout the cycle.
Without hormonal fluctuation, that means:
- No more pre-menstrual cramps
- No more heavy bleeding
- No more mood swings due to hormone fluctuation
Other beneficial side effects:
- Better skin, no more period-related pimple breakouts
- Breast swelling/tenderness/growth
- Much lighter and completely predictable periods (if you choose to have them - more on that later)
- Reduced risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer yay! (More on this later too!)
- Cures endometriosis
How the Pill Affected Me
I waited to blog about this so I can experience the reported side effects myself. And experience them I did!
After finishing my first packet
Firstly, 0 pre-period cramps. I stopped having severe mood swings and haven't experienced a bout of temporary depression since. My skin has improved mildly (I don't suffer breakouts often anyway) and my periods now last a grand total of 2.5 days. They came at the exact same time for the 2 months that I've taken them; since the pills I'm taking go in 4-week cycles, it comes on the 4th Tuesday after I've started each pack (on a Friday). Which is incidentally my only week day off from uni, so I can experience any discomfort (barely any) in the comfort of my own home. ^__^
I have not experienced any breast tenderness or swelling, but they definitely have grown a little. I have no complaints about THIS particular side effect whatsoever XD
However, please note that however much The Pill sounds like a miracle cure to all our menstrual woes, there are potentially harmful side effects that must be considered.
Firstly, there is an increased risk of blood clots and a purported increase in risk for breast cancer. However, the increase in chances of acquiring any of these 2 medical conditions is extremely low, so as long as you go through your family medical history with your doctor and he/she says it is safe to take the Pill, have no qualms about taking it.
John Rock's Error
After hearing that I've been prescribed Monofeme by the doctor, my sister reacted almost gleefully to the news and promptly asked me read an article from a book she had. It's called John Rock's Error - I've found this online copy if you're interested. For instance, did you know that John Rock, one of the scientists who created what has become the modern Pill today, was an ardent Catholic?
Also, did you know that a typical woman's cycle is NOT naturally 28 days/1 month long? A lot of things that I was led to believe about my body today is simply not true. Basically, the article discusses what went wrong with the Pill's 'branding' and how it could have been so much more if not for the way it was portrayed by the church.
Also, I mentioned earlier that the Pill greatly reduces the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers. Why is that so? Firstly, we must understand what cancer is and how it happens. Cancer is basically a bunch of your own cells gone rogue - or mutated, you could say. Every time a cell divides and reproduces, there is a small chance of error that leads to uncontrollable growth, and that eventually becomes a cluster of uncontrollable cells or a tumour, which is known as cancer.
So how does the Pill factor into this? By stopping ovulation. Every time a woman ovulates, the egg literally punctures through the wall of the ovaries to be released, and thus stimulates cell reproduction to repair the breach. Same goes with the uterine lining; without ovulating, the uterine lining does not thicken, and thus unnecessary cell reproduction is avoided. When cell division and reproduction is reduced, the chance of it going awry is also greatly reduced, thus reducing the risk of these two cancers.
I found it very enlightening the first time I read it. After all, how many times have we heard of reduced or increased risk of cancer with a certain kind of medication? Now I finally know why and how it happens.
Anyway, the article ends sadly, with John Rock losing his spiritual faith.
A quote from the article really resounded with my beliefs:
It was the fault of the haphazard nature of science, which all too often produces progress in advance of understanding.
People are naturally suspicious of what they do not understand. A lot of misled beliefs about things nowadays could be easily averted had we fully understood how they work.
How I Feel Now
I'm really happy with my decision. I went to the clinic with my mom and ran through our family's medical history together. At first she was very suspicious about the clinic, but she was fine after I explained why I chose to go there. The nurse commented that it's almost unheard of for a teenager to come to the clinic with a parent. :/ Well, my mom's cool like that!
I chose to go to the Planned Parenthood clinic because:
1. Fees are greatly subsidied by the government ($10 for consultations for a whole year, no matter how many times you visit)
2. Appointments are not required
3. The doctors would be more experienced and capable of handling teenagers with questions about contraception
...and I didn't know this when I visited, but...
4. Contraception is also heavily subsidized
1 month worth of Monofeme only set me back $3.50.
A measly $3.50 a month could have saved me YEARS of suffering and misery. Pfft. I'd beat myself up mentally for not starting it earlier, but what's the point? I'm much better now. I imagined it costing MUCH more though :/
Also, I'm turning 21 in 2 weeks and will officially be an adult soon. So what I consider the secondary - and by others the primary - use would come in handy now. *wink*
At the start of the appointment, the doctor asked me if I wanted my mother to leave the room while we had our consultation. I said that I had nothing to hide. Then she asked me how long I'd been sexually active, and if there was any possibility I was pregnant. I said both were non-applicable to me, and Mom was like OH NO, she has to turn 21 first!
So yes, there has never been a greater time to start on the Pill, though I fervently wished I had started it years ago.
And finally, to address the 'slut pill' issue: If wanting to have sex with my steady bf that I love makes me a slut, go ahead and call me a slut ;) I feel great about it and I don't believe in shaming either men or women who enjoy carnal pleasure, as long as they are mature and responsible about it.
So, in the end I have decided that people's archaic beliefs will never take precedence over my physical and emotional well being ever again.
And I feel so much better now.
Edit: I mentioned earlier about being able to choose whether you want to have your period or not, and I realized that I forgot to talk about it -_- So much for 'more on this later'.
Anyway it's simple. Above is a picture of Monofeme, a monophasic version of the Pill. This means that each white pill carries the an equal dose of hormones that suppress ovulation, while the red ones are merely sugar pills. (Triphasic versions of the pill have varying dosages of hormones in each pill, to more closely mimic the 'natural' cycle.)
When you start on the red pills (to be taken at the end of the packet) you are only taking in sugar, so without the dose of hormones, you body is tricked into thinking it has already ovulated, and you have your period. The period will be much lighter than normal because it hasn't built up much extra uterine tissue because your body wasn't preparing for ovulation.
It is completely safe to skip the red pills entirely and start on a new packet of white pills immediately. The only downside to this is that breakthrough bleeding, or 'spotting', can occur. Which means that you may experience a tiny bit of bleeding due to build up. It's recommended to have a period at least every 3 months to prevent this from occurring. I don't like the idea of unexpected stains, so I take the red pills every cycle.
If you read the article on John Rock's Error, you will discover that there are red pills only because men thought that women would feel more comfortable having a period every month like 'normal'. Which isn't exactly normal. (But I feel more comfortable with it anyway.) Just read the article if you're curious, cause I'm too lazy to elaborate at 6.30 am :p Kthxbye.
