It is time for the routine Pap smear again. As the drape goes on and I place my feet in the stirrups, I remember, it is not the procedure I dread, but the conversation at the end.
It always starts off so well -lots of small talk- and then, the same question is asked that I have answered so many times:
“Have you considered going on hormonal birth control?”
And for what seems like the 100th time, I answer, “no, I learned about my cycle, how to track it and all my symptoms have improved. I like to know exactly what is happening with my body and you can’t do that on birth control.”
Not that I need to justify my own health decisions, especially when they are informed, but I feel confident that I can advocate for my hormonal and general health, despite the eye roll and dismissal of the obgyn.
And while this is not the case for so many women, there are more women speaking up to help bring a change in reproductive health.
The Untold Truth
Many women who have painful, heavy or irregular periods are instructed by the doctor to go on birth control to regulate their menstrual cycles. Many women are under the impression that birth control will solve all of their period problems but this is not the truth.
Unfortunately, women are deceived to believe that they have regular cycles on hormonal birth control because their periods come like clockwork every 28-30 days. The truth is that hormonal birth control actually stops menstruation.
When a woman takes hormonal birth control, she can bleed every 28 days but this is not a true period; this is withdrawal bleeding from hormone suppression.
In order to have a true period, a woman must ovulate. Hormonal birth control completely or partially suppresses ovulation. When hormones are suppressed or absent, it is impossible for the body to make the hormones required for ovulation.
The Truth About Side Effects
Many women are not told the side effects of hormonal birth control which may include blood clots, anxiety, depression, weight gain, infertility, inhibited brain development, heart health issues, and immune system health issues.
Women are not learning that there are side-effect-free methods of effective natural birth control methods that can also shed light on reproductive and menstrual disorders that are too often covered up by birth control and not treated.
Women need answers to the symptoms they are experiencing and there are providers who can provide those solutions.
Alternative Birth Control Resources
At True Choice Medical Clinics, we understand that women are showing more dissatisfaction with the current birth control methods and their adverse side effects.
We understand that through correcting hormonal imbalances that can cause painful periods, heavy periods, irregular periods and infertility, a woman can better her health and wellbeing.
TCMC offers programs like Whole Body Health Education empowering women to achieve hormonal health through charting their cycles while working side-by-side with a medical professional who will help them significantly improve their overall health.
To consult with a certified fertility education instructor, call 858-397-1970 or email [email protected].
Lisa Hendrickson-Jack explains how natural menstrual cycles provide the “fifth vital sign”