7 Other Uses of Birth Control Pills
- Victoria Johnson
- Oct 24, 2015
- 5 min read
For some organizations and political parties, it’s not enough to try and restrict women’s access to abortion: many of them want to impede women’s rights to birth control pills. Though it has been proven time and again that several politicians have no idea what they’re talking about when it comes to women’s reproductive rights, anti-contraceptive groups insist that birth control is unnatural, anti-life, and promotes promiscuous behavior without fear of consequence.
Most of these groups don’t seem to realize that many women are using birth control for other reasons than pregnancy prevention… In fact, a 2011 study shows that 58% of women are using birth control for methods other than pregnancy prevention. Listed below are the seven most common reasons that people who menstruate use “The Pill” other than pregnancy prevention.
1. Acne
For those of you who are unaware, there is a high correlation between hormone fluctuations and pimples, especially if you already experience bad acne. Acne is mostly triggered by an excess of sebum, an oil that your skin glands make. Sebum can clog pores and promote bacterial growth, which results in painful acne.
So what does this process have to do with your hormones? Our ovaries and adrenal glands produce low levels of androgens, which can spike up to high levels of androgens during the premenstrual period. The higher the androgen levels, the more sebum your skin produces. However, taking birth control pills with estrogen and progesterone lowers the amount of androgens your body produces, which causes less sebum and thus, less acne. This can come as a relief to those who experience severe and uncomfortable acne.
2. Menstrual Cramps
If you don’t menstruate, you might not realize how much cramps can be a hindrance. Cramps often feel like a tightened ache in the lower abdomen, upper thighs, and lower back that can flare up throughout menstruation and sometimes pre-menstruation. While some menstruaters do not experience cramps, others have cramps so bad that it renders them immobile, causing them severe pain and nausea. Some women have compared their cramping pain to that of kidney stones and appendix ruptures.
The reason that birth control helps with these cramps is that they decrease prostaglandin production. Prostaglandins are chemicals that the body produces to make the uterine muscles contract. With fewer contractions, the cramping isn’t as severe.
3. Heavy Menstrual Flow (Menorrhagia)
Heavy menstrual flow can be massively inconvenient. It can cost a lot of money because individuals with heavy flow have to buy more pads and tampons. They also have to be careful; period blood can stain severely, and can be very difficult to get out of clothing. The “white pants” stereotype is absolutely accurate. Menorrhagia can also be associated with painful periods, though not always.
This is where birth control steps in, helping to save both money and clothing from the wrath of uterine blood. The progesterone found in birth control pills can help to thin the lining of the uterus. This can prevent the amount of blood you lose up to 40% percent less. There are also pills available that reduce period frequency to just once every three months, or once a year.
4. Irregular Period Management
On average, the time between periods ranges from every twenty-one to thirty-five days. However, for some women, the time between periods can be less than twenty days. This can lead to severe acne, frequent headaches, bloating, nausea, and can end up resulting in anemia. On the other end of the spectrum are women who have more than thirty-five days between their periods, without any sort of regularity. Some women can go many months without getting their period at all.
Both of these occurrences can make women have difficulty getting pregnant, and can make their periods worse when they actually do occur. Both ends of the spectrum are a result of irregular amounts of estrogen being produced by the body. By introducing a steady, consistent amount of estrogen and progesterone, the body regulates menstruation occurrences to what the pill indicates it should.
5. PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)
I talked about PMS in the blog post before this. In case you need a refresher, PMS happens in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, a few days before menstruation begins. PMS side effects can include insomnia, fatigue, bloating, acne, depression, appetite changes, and radical mood swings. In some cases, PMS can progress to premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which can be detrimental to every day function.
Even PMS in itself can interfere with everyday life: it can be hard to keep up your daily routine with the physical and mental effects that come with PMS. Like many of the other symptoms discussed in this article, PMS results from the hormone swings that come with menstruation. Luckily, the steady quantity of hormones that the birth control pill provides some relief, as your body doesn’t react as severely when the extra hormones enter your system to cause menstruation.
6. Endometriosis
Endometriosis came up in my last article as well. Endometriosis is a disease that causes the uterine lining to grow on the outside of the uterus, and can also cause the uterine lining to grow on the fallopian tubes and ovaries. While doctors are not sure what causes endometriosis, they are aware of the side effects. Those can include: severe cramps, heavy period flow, infertility, fatigue, painful urination and bowel movements during periods, diarrhea and nausea, and frequent yeast infections.
A lot of these problems are assuaged by birth control. Because birth control thins out the uterine lining with the hormones it contains, it can significantly decrease the side effects that come with endometriosis. In some cases, hormones can cause the uterine lining to thin out so much that it will temporarily stop growing on the outside of the reproductive organs.
7. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Cystadenomas
Look at that, yet more conditions that I very briefly glossed over in my last post. Polycystic ovarian syndrome occurs when the eggs that grow on the ovaries are not released when they come to maturity, or are not released after cell death. Cystadenomas occur when fluid-filled cysts develop upon the ovaries.
Ovarian cysts cause a lot of pain, and include side effects such as severe pain, infertility, weight gain, acne, thinning hair, anxiety or depression, and sleep disturbances. Because birth control pills prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs, nothing grows on the surface of the ovaries when users take the pill appropriately. This relieves pain and symptoms.
And, the best thing about all of these reasons is that you don’t have to take the birth control as regimentally as you do when you’re using the Pill for pregnancy prevention. There are several other reasons why women might use birth control pills, though they are not as prevalent motives.
However, 42% of women do use birth control pills for pregnancy prevention… and there is nothing wrong with that. Birth control is relatively safe and effective both for contraception and for the reasons listed above. Birth control is frequently evaluated for efficacy and safety, and you have to obtain it through a doctor to ensure that you’re taking the Pill properly.
Regardless of your reasons for taking the Pill, you are completely within your right to do so. You are not immoral, and you are not a slut. Please don’t let anyone make you feel bad about using the Pill, though if you are using it for birth control, you might want to consider doubling up with condoms for extra protection and STD prevention.
If you’d like to learn more about alternative uses for birth control pills, feel free to reach out to me. If you’d like to learn more about methods of pregnancy prevention, feel free to check out my blog post about contraceptive options.
Comments