natural It was like, actually hard to get out of bed some days. And … taking an IUD out is just a lot different than just stopping taking pills.”
The only positive to the implant, she said, was the elimination of her excruciating cramps.
There are two main hormones found in common birth control. Progestin is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring hormone progesterone. It is used in contraceptives such as the implant and hormonal IUDs and thickens the mucus on the cervix. It can also stop eggs from leaving the ovaries. Estrogen is the other hormone commonly found in birth control and, along with the aforementioned effects, can treat acne and create lighter menstrual cycles, according to online birth-control service Nurx.
Prill endured these mood changes and extended menstrual cycles— bleeding up to four months at a time—for two years until she went onto the pill about a month ago. Her doctor said it would take about three months for her body to regulate and feel any side effects.
Adams sometimes works in the women’s clinic at the UF infirmary and said she has had “plenty of opportunity to talk with the providers there and gather information” about birth control options. She also said she has observed people come in to request stopping their birth control and to talk through options that may work better for them.
THE CLOUDY CORRELATION BETWEEN contraceptives AND contentment
Story and Photos Morgan Goldwich
Birth control can play an important role in personal freedom. It can be a useful option not only for people who are avoiding pregnancy but also for those who are looking to regulate menstrual cycles, prevent sexually transmitted infections or alleviate painful periods and other health complications. Options for contraceptives come assorted and abounding: there’s intrauterine devices, vasectomies, implants, internal and external condoms, birth control pills and many more. Some methods act as physical barriers, while others rely on releasing hormones, such as estrogen and progestin, to regulate the menstrual cycle. The Guttmacher Institute found that about 60% of “women of reproductive age” were using a contraceptive method in 2018. Of them, 72% used nonpermanent and primarily hormonal methods such as the pill, patch or implant. Despite this large population size, there is little definitive research on how contraceptives affect mood. A 2013 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that hormonal contraception may actually reduce levels of depressive symptoms among those who take them. Conversely, an extensive 2016 analysis in the Psychiatry Journal of the American Medical Association found a small but significant risk of depression with hormonal birth control. Personal essays across the internet document an abundance of anecdotal evidence linking the two, and depression was also found to be one of the most common reasons people stop using birth control pills, according to Healthline.
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And a 2016 study in the Nature Reviews Endocrinology journal contends that, though a link between mood disorders and hormonal fluctuations “has long been known … the direction of this correlation has been questioned.” Julia Adams first went on the pill when she was 20, but about two months into taking it, she was miserable. At the time, the now-22year-old thought she was just going through a rough time because of a family history of mental health issues. But on a Christmas vacation to New York, she quickly decided something was wrong.
“There are plenty of options, and people often end up finding one that they are happy with,” Adams said. “It’s just a shame that we have to go through the struggle to find one that we are happy with.” Marissa Prill, 20, also struggled with finding a good contraceptive. She went to the Planned Parenthood Gainesville Health Center when she was 18, where she was presented with options such as the pill, IUDs and Nexplanon. She chose Nexplanon, a birth control implant that goes in the arm, but soon felt her emotions spiral downhill. “I was beginning to feel more irritable about literally everything,” she said. “I was also much more sensitive to things at times and would cry much more frequently than pre-procedure.”
Accessibility of contraceptives is another factor that people might have to consider when exploring their options. For those without health insurance, methods such as IUDs or implants may be off the table, as they can cost up to $1,300, according to Planned Parenthood’s website, though the organization offers comprehensive financial aid. Some contraceptives, such as the birth control implant, hormonal IUDs and the birth control shot, contain no estrogen, making these better methods for those whose bodies are sensitive to it. Completely hormone-free birth control options exist and include the Paragard IUD, which is wrapped in copper, an effective spermicide, internal and external condoms, diaphragms, birth control sponges and fertility awareness. A contraceptive method that works well for one person may not function the same for another. Some people sing the praises of their contraceptives for regulating their cycles, eliminating acne and allowing them to be in charge of their sexual health. At the end of the day, there still isn’t enough definitive research to say for sure how mood and birth control may be linked. But, if you’re looking into contraceptives, it’s important to educate yourself on the available options, talk to healthcare providers about your needs and give yourself the time to determine what works best for you.
“Everything was so beautiful and perfect, but I was feeling so crappy,” the UF behavioral and cognitive neuroscience and preprofessional biology senior said. “I found myself crying in the middle of Times Square, which was my dream destination, and I realized that it just wasn’t right.” Adams stopped taking the pill but went to see her doctor about a year later to discuss other options. “I explained to [my doctor] what happened, but she expressed to me that I was on the lowest dose of estrogen so, unless I wanted to try a different method, I should just try the pills again,” Adams said. “So I started taking them again, and basically the same exact thing happened, so I stopped.” Adams said that the copper IUD, which does not affect hormone regulation, isn’t an option for her because of how its potential side effects of increased bleeding and cramping could make her “already bad” periods worse. “I may try a plastic [IUD] next because it releases progesterone, rather than estrogen like the pills do,” she said. “Maybe my body will have a better reaction. I haven’t done it yet, though, because I’m so worried it’s going to make me miserable again.
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