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Truth Exposed: Oral Contraceptives

 
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From my perspective, oral contraceptives may provide you with a 99 percent chance of safety against unwanted pregnancies, but beware; the risk of taking oral contraceptives may have a tremendous effect on your life. How? Here’s my story…

My first baby was by cesarean section so I knew I had to be careful about subsequent pregnancies. After a lot of research and face-to-face doctor discussions, I assumed pills to be an effective way to avoid any unwanted pregnancy for at least two years. A month after my delivery, I started taking contraceptive pills (those that were safe while breastfeeding) and I noticed how emotionally sensitive I became.

Small matters would make me cry, I would be angry all the time, my sexual appetite diminished and I would be upset throughout! Further, I’d sleep most of the day, feel tired most of the time and would do nothing except look after my baby. I was no longer interested in anything. These were the psychological effects.

Now for the physical effects: I gained nearly 45 pounds in my first pregnancy and lost hardly 10 pounds. I knew I had a long way to go on weight loss, but with the oral contraceptives, I was not able to do that either. I was working out in a gym for two months and instead of losing weight (Note: I was breastfeeding too), I kept on gaining pounds! I ate healthy foods and the scale was moving in the opposite direction! I was supposed to lose weight and ended up gaining more than 20 pounds until my second pregnancy (Note: I left my contraceptive pills and was pregnant immediately the following month).

It was in my second pregnancy where I realized what the pills were doing to me. I was happy, not gaining much weight, ate well, was active and ended up having a happy pregnancy. Now 37 weeks pregnant, I came to know that oral contraceptives increase the chances for cervical cancer. My colleagues (who were nurses) warned me about breast cancer and its link with the oral contraceptives.

While the effects of contraceptives may vary from woman to woman, there are thousands of women like me out there who have/had gone through a very similar situation like me (or even worse - these contraceptive pills almost ruined me in every way: personal and professional life). If you are having weight issues and taking oral contraceptives, there are high possibilities that both are interlinked.

Better be safe than sorry … I have been there, gone through it and now I have shared my experience with you and I truly hope this helps those thousands of women like me who have been ignorant about the effects of oral contraceptives.

About Fatmah Azam Ali

Fatmah Azam Ali is a Certified Health Specialist (C.H.S.) and an N.D. (Doctor of Naturopathy) candidate in the Clayton College of Natural Health. She is a Certified Nutritional Counselor (C.N.C.) and a Stress Management Consultant as well. As a freelance journalist with over six years of writing experience, she has written over hundreds of articles on health, fitness, alternative medicine and many more for national and international publications - online and print. Get to know her at: http://naturedoctorfatmah.wordpress.com.

Add a Comment16 Comments

Dear Kristin,

Thank you so much for your insight. I really appreciate it. As stated in my article, there are women like me out there for whom the hormone treatments don't work at all. My sister-in-law takes the pill and she experiences no such effects. Every woman is different and as long as something works for you, it's good and if it doesn't, then those women are like me. This is based on my personal experience. Talking about today, I was watching a show on television (it's in Arabic- Al Jazeera) where a news piece stated that women with hormone/hormone replacement treatments are at high risk for cancer- cervical and breast cancer. Every woman is different and I have seen and witnessed many women like me who have experienced/are experiencing the same hormone effects on their bodies.

You are right- ovarian cancer and contraceptive pills have no link but cervical cancer and breast cancer do. I will edit the article right away. I'd like to thank you so much for pointing! My mistake...

July 29, 2009 - 12:24pm
(reply to Fatmah Azam Ali)

Don't worry about the mistake -- I think we are so bombarded with info on what does and doesn't cause cancer that it can be really difficult to weed through it all. When you hear something in the media, like the show you saw earlier today, it's important to take note of what study was done, where, and who did the study, and most importantly, who funded the study. It doesn't help anyone to say that HRT causes cancer. That's such a broad, general statement and doesn't say anything about what it's based on. One thing I've learned, since I joined EmpowHer, is that we have to be really critical of the info that is thrown our way because there is so much misinformation floating around. That's one of the main reasons why EmpowHer was founded -- so that women can have easy access to the best and latest health information so they can lead healthier lives.

July 29, 2009 - 1:19pm

I have been doing a lot of research. Take a look at John Lee's book "What your doctor may not tell you about premenopause" What he describes happens to a lot of women is exactly where I was headed. A more natural estrogen is what I would take if I were you Kristin.

July 29, 2009 - 12:12pm
(reply to CharlotteSal)

Thanks for the tip, Charlotte! I am familiar with John Lee and think he did some amazing work. I do try to look at more current work and studies though. He sadly died in 2003, and quite a bit has come out in the area of hormones since then. I've thought about going to natural options, but at the moment I need the birth control option, and the pill is my favorite of the b.c. options that are out there.

July 29, 2009 - 1:12pm

Whoa! There are some assertions made here that I don't believe are based on fact. For one thing, this article states that birth control pills increase the chances of ovarian cancer. I'd like to know what study that is based on, because any study I've read has shown the exact opposite. Not only does the birth control pill reduce the chance of ovarian cancer, the longer you're on the pill, the more your risk for this cancer is reduced. In fact, the protective effect you get from taking the pill apparently lasts for even 30 years after you stop taking it. Here's an article explaining a study done on this topic that is posted on the American Cancer Society web site: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Birth_Control_Pill_Use_Cuts_Ovarian_Cancer_Risk.asp

Charlotte, when you state that birth control causes us to be out of balance hormonally, I have to disagree. I'm currently on a birth control pill just so that I can keep my hormones balanced. For me, it's a form of HRT (hormone replacement therapy) that I really need right now. I'm 43 and well into the perimenopausal stage of my life. The pill has greatly increased the quality of my life since I started taking it a few years ago. I no longer experience the awful night sweats, heavy periods, depression and other symptoms I was having prior to starting on the pill.

I'm not sure what you mean by referring to a "cone biopsy" and how that relates to being on a birth control pill. I also haven't heard that the pill causes fibroids. Where did you read that? And the "usual cure" for fibroids is not a hysterectomy -- at least it shouldn't be!! Yikes.
I'd be interested to see the studies you've based your statements on.

July 29, 2009 - 11:59am

Thank you for sharing your story. So many people believe that if our doctor gives us a prescription that it must be safe so I like that you are sharing this story to show how birth control is not safe.

Birth control causes us to be out of balance hormonally and that is what causes the cancer. We need our hormones to be in harmony or they cause our body trouble. These "unusual" cells lead to a cone biopsy and that biopsy can cause difficulty with fertility. It can also cause unusual cells in the breast AND cause fibroids for which the usual cure is removal of the uterus.

Thank you for sharing your story in hopes that it will help others.

July 29, 2009 - 10:57am
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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