LIFESTYLE AUTHOR
Shannon Dolan
HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL & TRANSITIONING OFF THE PILL n Many women are choosing
to get off of hormonal birth control — here’s why.
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f you’ve ever pulled out the paper slip in a birth control box, unfolded the massive paper and thought, “Wow, those are a lot of side effects,” you’re not alone. Hormonal birth control is not only used to avoid pregnancy, but also to help with decreasing pain during periods, lessening flow or easing acne flare ups. According to the CDC, in a study conducted between 2015 and 2017, over 60% of women ages 15-29 were using the pill or another form of contraception. In addition to the pill, other forms of hormonal birth control include an IUD and shots. The menstrual cycle is the fifth vital sign, meaning it can give tremendous insight into the health of the menstruating individual. There is a symphony of hormones orchestrated in a rhythm enabling the release of an egg for fertilization. If fertilization does not occur, then menstruation occurs. Often, the menstrual cycle is notorious for being the “worst part of the month.” However, it
JULY 2021
can bring tremendous gifts when balanced. (See my “Honoring the Female Rhythm” article in the October issue). When on hormonal birth control, this entire process gets shut down. Synthetic hormones are used in place of the natural hormones to carry out the process of the contraceptive. These hormonal contraceptives make ovulation impossible, and the period is a withdrawal bleed from the synthetic hormones.
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Many people get on the pill to help with the symptoms listed in the beginning of this article. While one may experience results on hormonal contraceptives, it is not addressing the root cause, and when you get off of hormonal birth control, those symptoms will still be present. Not only will you experience those symptoms you were trying to avoid, but there could be others developing — without you knowing. In Dr. Jolene Brighten’s book
