Treat the Cause

Oral contraceptives (OCPs) are increasingly popular with young women.  Surely this is not surprising, as the media has popularized the pill, advertising the control women gain over their lives by simply taking one pill a day.  No doubt the feminist movement in the 60’s influenced this. Many women also use the pill to control their menstrual cycle, regularity, menorrhagia, and acne etc. Despite all the potential benefits, I don’t believe women are being adequately informed of the risks associated with taking OCP’s. I also believe women are not getting to know their bodies as we use to in the days of the Calendar method.

The many benefits to the pill are definitely understandable. The freedom for women to choose when to have a baby is a definite advantage to OCP’s. When there was discussion of thrombotic disease in the news, many women discontinued the pill and induced abortions went up by 11%.  Although it does help with cycle regularity and flow, there are other natural ways to treat this that doesn’t involve artificial hormones. Acne is another concern for young women who go on the pill. Again there are natural ways to battle this uphill struggle for girls.

Women walking into a doctor’s office today to discuss contraception are immediately told about the pill and how it will be a wonderful addition to their daily life. There is no immediate discussion about other options, or of risks associated with the pill, or about their monthly cycle and how their body works. The risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVTs), certain types of cancer and STI’s seem to be a fleeting thought. From Nelson’s textbook on Pediatrics (2007): “Thrombophlebitis, hepatic adenomas, myocardial infarction, and carbohydrate intolerance are some of the more serious potential complications of exogenous estrogen use”. I wonder how many doctors actually told their patients about these risks before talking about how wonderful it would make their patients life?

Lastly, many women don’t even know when they ovulate! Explaining the cycle in a simple manner is an excellent way for women to get to know their bodies better. Learning about the changes in cervical mucus to help understand ovulation, gauging their cycle on a calendar and paying attention to other physical changes in their body are ways women can better understand how their bodies are made to function. There are all kinds of app’s online that help you determine when you are ovulating. There are devices now that take a sample of saliva and can tell you when you are ovulating based on ferning due to increased estrogen in the body. The body temperature of a woman also changes during her cycle and can help indicate ovulation. Learning that the egg that is released from the ovary doesn’t necessarily live all month long and that sperm can live in the woman’s body for 3-5 days, are all important details in understanding your body and your cycle better.

Furthermore, the transmission of STI’s is increasing, and although many STI’s are treatable with antibiotics, many are not. Hep B is sexually transmitted, as well as HPV and HIV. Long term effects of STI’s are also a major concern. “STIs can lead to genital warts, blisters, infertility, spontaneous abortion, cancer and death. “

“In 2003, 854,817 people aged 15-49 who have ever had sexual intercourse reported ever being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection”

“Close to 63,000 cases of Chlamydia were reported in 2004, the highest number of cases since the disease became reportable in 1990.“

Although the pill may prevent interrupting the spontaneity, perhaps better knowledge of one’s body in combination with the use of condoms is an important step in preventing unwanted pregnancies and STI’s, without the risks associated with constant hormone subjection.