The subject of birth control has always been treated like it’s a taboo, so there’s very limited information out there on what your options are and how they can impact your mental and physical health, in addition to your sexual health. That being said, the most popular type of female contraceptive are birth control pills, with a variety of different types and brands to choose from. However, if you’re interested in using birth control, your first step shouldn’t be figuring out which pill is right for you; you need to figure out if the pill is right for you in the first place.
First, it’s important to ask yourself why you’re interested in taking birth control. There are a variety of reasons people start taking birth control besides for protected sex; I started taking birth control in high school because I’d lost a lot of weight during my first cross country season that resulted in a highly irregular period cycle. If you are deciding to take birth control solely for sexual reasons, it’s important to understand that pills don’t protect against STIs. Whatever reason you choose to use this contraceptive, make sure it’s something you’re actually interested in for yourself and not something you’re only doing for something else because, ultimately, it’s not their body that’s going to be affected.
You also need to understand that birth control doesn’t have the same effects on everyone; I’ve very commonly heard from other birth control users that their skin cleared up, they no longer had period cramps, they gained weight and they have lighter, shorter cycles. However, I didn’t really experience period cramps until I started birth control and I have heavy, long-lasting cycles. There’s also a chance that you will feel more emotional and have a lower sex drive. The symptoms differ slightly from woman to woman but everyone that takes it will see both positive and negative effects.
And the most essential factor to consider when thinking about taking birth control is the potential health risks. Birth control can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke and blood clots, though many of these increased risks are related to the levels of estrogen found in certain pills. These can also be exacerbated by age –specifically if you are a woman over 35– and whether or not you are an active smoker. It can also increase your chances of breast and cervical cancer, but it lowers your chances of ovarian and uterine cancer. These are due to the changes in hormone levels from estrogen and progesterone in birth control pills.
While I do hope that this helped you get an idea of what you might want for yourself, don’t let what I say determine your decision.There are a great variety of types of birth control pills and types of birth control in general, some which do change your hormone levels and some that don’t, so if you’re interested in a different form of contraception, do a little research and talk to your doctor about what suits you best.