Defending the pill

I see so many articles, across media, hating on the contraceptive pill. So many that claim it’s terrible for my health, going to give me blood clots, depression, cause weight gain, fuck with my hormones, and make it harder for me to have children in the future…

No one really defends the pill anymore. And I’m not talking about the bodily autonomy the pill gives women. Though, the introduction of the contraceptive pill played a huge role in the sexual liberation movement for women in the 1960’s. And the fact that I can have condom-less sex and never have to worry about pregnancy is truly the best thing ever. (Always get tested between partners!!!! Don’t have unprotected sex with the whole neighbourhood please lord)

I’m talking about severe mood related disorders, PMS and the insane suicidal ideation I experience during my pill free week every month.

I really hope that y’all know how the contraceptive pill works, but just incase you don’t, let me give you an incredibly brief summery…

Using the hormones eostrogen and progesterone, the pill tricks your body into thinking it is pregnant. Thus, your ovary doesn’t release an egg to be fertilised as it thinks you’re already with child lol. (That is how pregnancy is prevented. No egg released, no egg to be fertilised when a guy cums in you lol)

You take the pill for 21 days, then you stop taking the pill for a 7 day break, this is when you have your ‘period’; you bleed. However, it’s not technically a period in the traditional sense and more of a withdrawal bleed. During this time it’s the sudden drop in hormones (from stopping taking the pill) that cause you to bleed.

I suspect I may have endometriosis, as my mother and grandmother had it so badly they both had to have their entire uterus’s surgically removed *shudder*. The contraceptive pill is usually prescribed to help the symptoms of endo. And if this is all true (which it is) then that may be one explanation to why I actually have had such a positive experience taking the pill and why I feel like absolute death during my pill free week. Because honestly, when I tell you my whole headspace shifts drastically during my pill free week that is an understatement. I am so suicidal, joyless, sensitive and irritable, it goes far beyond your avergae girl on her period archetype. Girls with adhd are also known to be a lot more sensitive to hormone fluctuations too.

During my pill free period week any sense of satisfaction and purpose I have disappears. I feel so emotional, stupid and pointless that the only rational resolution to such feelings is suicide. Words cannot explain just how deeply terrible this feels.

Like I genuinely don’t know what to do either. I’ve tried not taking the break while taking the pill, but that resulted in me bleeding for a month ahahaha. Yeah, no. I know some girls can do that, skip their period and it’s all Gucci. But my body isn’t so tolerable.

Anyways, the point of sharing all this was to share my twopence on the whole pill situation, which I feel has an overly negative glaze. Not to take away from the terrible experiences of other girls, because everyone responds to medication differently. However, I feel that the pill has been demonised and become a bit of a media ‘folk devil’ in recent years and for a while I genuinely gas-lit myself, by believing that the pill was probably doing me some harm. When really, it’s taken me this long to actually see the wood for the trees. I’m really thankful for the pill. I feel we don’t hear enough positive experiences and that may prevent girls from using a drug that could potentially help them!

…Lastly, how BARBIE GIRL Y2K is my pills packaging!!!!