Fathers, doctors, mothers and friends generally presume that if you’re on the pill, you’re doing the deed. But recent research has shown that many teens are using the pill for others reasons like fighting acne, cramps, and migraines!
Yea, right! Wait. Really?
It’s true! According to a study done by the Guttmacher Institute, one third of teenagers using the pill rely on it for purposes other than contraception.
The study, “Beyond Birth Control: The Overlooked Benefits of Oral Contraceptive Pills, found that 14% of pill users—1.5 million women—reported that they use the pill exclusively for non-contraceptive purposes!
In fact, only 42% of women use the pill just for preventing pregnancies. So, why are women taking the pill?
The most common reason listed was to reduce cramps or menstrual pain. The second –regulating periods and painful side effects like migraines and cramps! Other common responses were: treating acne (14%) and endometriosis (4%).
Even girls who haven’t had sex are using the pill!! But what are the consequences?
Some studies and doctors argue that since birth control pills affect and regulate the body’s natural endocrine system, that risks can be serious. Such “risks” are said to include an increased chance of developing breast cancer or blood clots.
Dr. Larry Norton, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City who was interviewed on Oprah said that the increased risk is very slight.
She explained: “ Breast cancer cells, at least in the formative stages, like estrogen. So the more continuously you feed them the estrogen, the greater the likelihood you’ll have a malignancy. With the sexually transmitted diseases that we have to worry about nowadays, I think barrier methods make a lot more sense.”
If birth control pills were so dangerous, millions of women wouldn’t be taking them. And millions of doctors wouldn’t be prescribing them. Contrary to popular belief, the FDA’s regulations are the most stringent in the world and some of the most effective, though sometimes slow in approval processes.
So, what do gynecologists recommend for young teens?
The answer: IUDs. The country’s leading group of gynecologists has reported that they are now a “first line recommendation” since they’re less long lasting and don’t require consumption on a daily basis.
But, due to cost and invasiveness, teens and women are still choosing the pill.
The point is, whichever contraceptive method you choose, for whatever reason, you should be aware of what you’re putting in your body. Things that are unnatural and foreign to the body often have risks; that is why Maxim features organic and natural products with no chemicals added! Learn more about our products here.
Tell us about your choices and your thoughts – we support women critically thinking about their health and making informed choices!
The information contained in this post was inspired by our friends at Pacific Herbs, where the power of the most natural and potent herbs are used to empower our health.