regarding the Pill and feminism

[finding_helena]

I know that this is not a debate community, but I've felt compelled to respond to some recent posts that have criticized the Pill on medical grounds. I do not mean to criticize any individual members of this community with this post, but rather to speak about a general political movement that I have seen some snippets of.

There are some people who say that maintenance drugs like the Pill are pushed by some medical professionals because it's "easier" to take them than it is to have cramps/your period/whatever, and no mention is made of the side effects. I believe that there is some truth to this statement. However, I do not believe that this is the whole story. The Pill is not a bad thing for all women, and not all women will choose to use natural methods of birth control/moderating physical problems, even if information is available to them on these natural methods.

Many of the people who are pushing women to realize that the Pill oppresses them do not take this into account. Their attitude appears to be that if women are made aware of the problems with the Pill, they will all realize that it is evil. To this end, they exaggerate problems that people have had with the Pill. They call this line pro-woman, as if scaring women into believing that the medical establishment is out to get them is a valid way to persuade us that we should listen to their gospel. I am not denying that there are women who have had serious medical problems while on the Pill, and that there are also women who simply don't want to take it for whatever reason. I believe that these women's voices should be respected and not minimized. However, there are many other women who have had few or no problems and are not bothered by taking the Pill. There are also women who are helped by taking the Pill--those with debilitating cramps, PCOS, or those who simply do not wish to get pregnant and don't want to use the fertility awareness method or other birth control methods.

Frankly, I am just plain turned off by a movement that implies that all women who take the Pill do so because they don't realize their options, aren't educated, and are pushed into it by evil doctors. I am not ignorant, stupid, or out of touch with my "true inner self" (which means something different to each person, too.) I am perfectly well-educated, researched all of my options, thought about it a lot, and eventually decided to take the Pill because I believe that the benefits outweigh the problems. I have also had only minor problems on the Pill, but if I began to have bigger ones, I wouldn't curse the medical establishment--I would simply rethink my decision. The types of articles that I've seen posted in this community lately imply that no woman would take the Pill were she to be clearheaded and have her eyes open to the whole truth about it. I am living proof that that is not the case.

I believe that a truly pro-women line would take all methods and ways of life into account. I would like to see a movement to educate women about the real consequences of their birth control decisions--all of them. I would like to see a movement that has a comfortable space for women who want to chart their cycles and tune in to their hormonal fluctuations, but also for women who don't really care (with an explanation of why they might want to care, but acceptance if they still don't want to anyway.) The truth is that neither the medical establishment nor those who claim that it is evil are entirely right. Both lines of thinking have their problems. I believe that there could be a happy medium in which knowledge is advanced, not blind following of any dogma, be it pro-Pill or anti-Pill. I would like to see medicine (any system of medicine) used less as a religion and more as a tool we can utilize as we see fit. I would like to see women sharing knowledge with each other and respecting each other's choices, rather than dismissing them because "obviously she's ignorant of the truth, which only I know!"

If we tell women that the only way of being in touch with their femininity is not to take the Pill, we are as bad as the patriarchy and any ways that they try to define femininity. Respect for, and information on, women's choices should be the order of the day.

Comments

[crankygirlie.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear.

As we've discussed before, I'm superguilty of a major anti-pill bias, but THANKFULLY, very few other women have the same problems I have. Like I said, thankfully, because it really really really ruined me. I am bitter because I've always been taught to hand my medical care and my body over to the medical establishment, because "they know what's best for me". So when I was told it was my only option, I believed it, and it ruined me. NOW I know they don't know what's best for me, but so many of us have been brought up to believe it, and it's not always the truth. :(

I think it's very important for others to SKIP the steps I took (disillusionment, anger, hatred, bitterness) and go straight to taking control and making informed choices about their health care and reproductive systems.

I wish I could convince every woman NOT to simply "not take the pill", but to really stop and consider her health care and the handling of her reproduction options, then make an informed decision from there. Furthermore, it's *so* vitally important for all of us to really LISTEN to what our bodies are telling us and to take action on that. I suppressed and ignored all the warnings, and I let it go too far. I feared not having other choices, I feared pregnancy.

I have friends and family who are very happy with the Pill, and I can't tell you how happy that makes me, because I wouldn't wish what happened on me to my worst enemy.

I think the Pill is a really important part of our reproductive options, because it gives us great power, power that was unavailable to women for a long time. However, I think it's time that we stop defaulting to it as if it is our ONLY great power. There are so many other options out there that simply aren't discussed, and unless we're ready and willing to take our health into our own hands, they WON'T be discussed.

So, I'm happy to hear you have taken control and gotten your own info. Now, how about everyone else? ;)

Thanks for your perspective. :)

Laren

[finding_helena]

"So, I'm happy to hear you have taken control and gotten your own info. Now, how about everyone else? ;)"

I would definitely like to see that. Anything I can do towards that end, I'm going to do. More education=good thing. I'm not trying to close off discussion by saying "Well, I like it!" but point out that people on both sides should look at different perspectives.

[falls2climb.livejournal.com]

I take a lot of flak, mostly from IRL people, for being so willing to take prescription meds--whether for my depression or as birth control. Yes, I'm on a lot of pills, but that doesn't mean I just take the little bottle and accept it as my only option: I've read up on all the drugs I've taken, I know about their side effects, I know what they're treating and what they're supposed to be doing.

Could I overcome depression without antidepressants? Maybe. Not easily. Could I have sex without becoming pregnant while not taking birth control pills? Maybe. But I'd rather know that I'm protected.

If a medication starts posing problems to me, I investigate what the problem is and I stop taking it or find an alternative. I've gotten so much crap about just taking a magic pill for every problem I might encounter, and it makes me angry with a lot of people. Yes, I'd prefer to be able to go without so much medication--but the simple fact is that my body functions better when it's regulated by the right hormones, and whatever is going to make me feel best is the option I want to take.

[bizetsy.livejournal.com]

Are you on the Pill yourself? If so, please tell me if you have had a good experience with it, or where I can find people who have!

My experience was really bad, but my gyn wants me to go back on it, and I'm trying to decide...

Would really appreciate your specific thoughts.

When I went on Ortho Tri-Cyclen, I gained 30 pounds in the first 2 months (1 pound every other day!), I became incredibly sexually insatiable (which might sound good, but actually made me almost completely incapable of thinking about anything else, ever), and I could not stop crying.

[caitlin.livejournal.com]

I went on the Pill on purpose for dealing with severe PMS.

Before the Pill: food cravings, crazy mood swings, weight gain, bloating... which would all start a week *after* the end of my period and would last through the middle of the next period. DURING the period, my cramps would be horrible.

I was prescribed Triphasil.

While I was on the Pill, the PMS symptoms either totally vanished, or got to be the "norm", which was/is the occasional crazy food craving, no bloating (or if there is, it's very mild), and not really any mood swings.

I took myself *off* the pill after being on it for a year. But if the crazy PMS started up again, I would not hesitate to get back on it.

That was my positive experience on the pill.

Your Mileage May Vary, however.

Much Luck!

C.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

I am currently on birth control pills, and yes I have had an overall positive experience on them. I started out on Estrostep FE to combat mood swings and cramping, as well as protect against unwanted pregnancy. Estrostep was effective and worked well for me, but proved hard to find when I lost my health insurance (my gyno provides me with free samples rather than making me pay the $30 a month). So I then switched to Ortho Tri Cyclen, which was an awful decision. I gained weight, had nasty mood swings, had bouts of insomnia, and my cramps weren't alleviated to a level that I was comfortable with. So I switched to Mircette after a couple of months. Mircette wasn't awful, but wasn't great either. I still had migraines and mood swings, and it didn't relieve my cramping at all (it's a very low dose pill). Finally, after 3 months on that and a lot of calls to my (very busy) gyno, I switched to Ovcon, which is where I've been for over six months, and I'm very happy. I still get migraines, but they're not cycle-related anymore (I'm thinking allergies but haven't quite proven that). I haven't gained any weight on it, it successfully kills the cramps, and I'm overall very happy with it.

These are just my experiences, and I hope they help you. Bottom line is that birth control pills are very VERY different, and I hope you don't judge them all based on your negative experience with one. Talk very honestly with your doctor about the things you weren't happy with, and see what she/he can do to help you find a good pill. Let me know if you have any more questions, and good luck!

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

If your experience was bad, why does the doctor want you on it?

[sooz.livejournal.com]

I wanted to get off the pill and get an IUD, (I don't know if you remember I posted about it in the girlsonly community) well no clinic nor planned parenthood would go for it because I haven't given birth. I tried discussing other options that weren't hormonal and that I wouldn't have to clean and the only one they said I could have would be a diaphragm. I have allergies to most spermicides and wouldn't go for that because they're not very affective with out being covered in spermicide and I didn't want to have that risk. They tried to get me on the patch and coudn't understand that I was angry they were suggesting things that did the same exact thing as the pill with out taking a pill. Then they tried to get me to go back on depo even though I had told them I was on it for 9 months before and had almost every bad side affect known to happen happen to me. they used the excuse "that was a few years ago your body may have changed now" .. I left rather unhappy and now i'm still taking the damn pill.

[crankygirlie.livejournal.com]

I've got an IUD and I have never had a baby. Travel to another city if you have to - you won't have to fiddle with the IUD for 5-10 years depending on which one you get... (Mirena, 5yrs or a copper-T, 10yrs)

Or check out Lady-Comp (http://www.lady-comp.com). It's like the SuperFertilityAwareness device. Apparently as effective when used correctly as the Pill. :D And no pills or hormones or objects in your uterus. Plus. :)

I would be very angry too. They are obviously not listening to you. Find someplace that will listen to you. You deserve it. You really, really do.

Good luck. You CAN get off the pill if you want to. You DO have other options. Don't let anyone take your choices away from you. You deserve way better. :)

Laren

Re:

[bizetsy.livejournal.com]

Because I have a really irregular cycle, and I have tried: cutting as much stress as possible, improving my diet drastically, completely cutting caffeine, exercising at least 4 times a week. None of these thing have worked.

My periods can range anywhere between 21 days to 3 months apart. Doctors keep giving me ultrasounds, blood tests to determine hormone levels, etc.

My current doctor currently is theorizing that this could be a sign that I'm developing diabetes, or that I have PCOS. All those tests have proven negative, thusfar. She doesn't know what to do. She wants to suggest more tests. I tell her that my mom's cycle was always irregular.

I'm currently 180 pounds at 5'7", and that's down from 230. I've read that being overweight can make periods irregular, but even when I was slender I was irregular.

I don't know what to do...any further suggestions?

Thanks, mactavish!

Re:

[bizetsy.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, I forgot to say this. I also have fainted many times, on either the 1st or 2nd day of my period. It hadn't happened in a while, but it just happened again yesterday. My last period had been 47 days ago, and several hours after it started, I was standing in Rite-Aid, and suddenly, bam, I was on the floor.

[mollyoreilly.livejournal.com]

Personally, my experiences with birth control pills have been good, though I did have a lot of side effects with the first pill I was given (Triphasil). Ask your doctor for a pill that has one, rather than three, level(s) of hormones- Orthocyclen is what I take currently- and you may well have a completely different (much better!) experience. Good luck!

[geminigirl]

I've had an incredibly positive, and life altering experience because of the pill.

I had incredibly heavy periods, anemia, severe cramps (the kind that would keep me in bed in tears) and had even fainted from the bleeding. My period would last for 10-14 days, plus a week or more of PMS, which left me a week maximum where I felt good. I was spending a fortune on menstrual products.

The awful part? No one, including my Mom told me there were ways to help.

I went on the pill, intending to use it as birth control. The menstrual stuff was just a bonus. But it changed my life, in positive ways. I lost weight...my moods improved, my periods became bearable.

I lucked out and was put on a pill that I responded well to with the first try. (lo-ovral) When I switched insurance and my pill wasn't in their formulary, I was terrified of trying something new, but my NP prescribed Levlen, which was very similar. And I'm still happy.

I'm not likely to go off the pill until I'm ready to try to get pregnant. It's made my period bearable.

Re:

[bizetsy.livejournal.com]

Wow! I've fainted too. Just yesterday, in fact. It's hard to explain to people: "No, I wasn't all, 'Woe is me, I think I'll faint now!' I just was ok, and then suddenly I was unconscious!"

Isn't it scary? Can you tell me, is it usually in the morning, when you pass out? Cause this last time it happened, it was afternoon, and it's always been first thing in the morning, before!

[geminigirl]

I haven't fainted since I went on the pill-seven years ago. It happened late in the morning most of the time when it did happen. It was incredibly scary to black out.

Like I said, the pill changed my life in very positive ways.

[crankygirlie.livejournal.com]

This is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. :)

I read some of the other comments down further.

Other people's good experiences, while comforting, will not guarantee you a good or even a better experience than you had last time. We are all so different... just because my aunt can take the pill with no problem doesn't mean I can. She gains 5 lbs every month and loses it all during the placebo pills. She loves it. It helps with her acne, and reduces her cramps. For her, it's GREAT. For ME, though, even though I am related to her, it doesn't help me at all. It's wrecked my body. I can never go on it again.

If the pill hurt you last time you took it, it's not right for you! *a whole bunch of hugs* I'm SO sorry you've been having a rough time with your cycle and with finding good birth control methods.

You are unlikely to have a sudden body turnaround and be receptive to the Pill if you have had bad reactions to it in the past. It CAN happen, sure, but it's not likely.

I highly recommend that if you're looking for just birth control, you consider the IUD, Lady-Comp (http://www.lady-comp.com) (a superultrafertilityawareness device that appears to be as effective as the Pill when used correctly) or some LOCAL hormone device like the Ring. If you have had bad reactions to the pill, patch or shot, you may do better with the ring, which administers the hormones locally. The IUD has worked fabulously for me and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to have something long term with no muss or fuss. When it's time to remove the IUD I will use Lady-Comp.

You have so many choices other than the Pill. :) There are some natural alternatives you may want to read about simply for the sake of reading about other stuff (I said "wow" a lot when gathering info) because it's pretty educational and a lot of docs just don't talk about our cycles and how it all really w orks, and works for us... http://www.sisterzeus.com/List2.htm

That's got a bunch of stuff about fertility awareness and stuff. :)

I hope this helps a little. Talk to your doc about the ring or about the IUD, see what s/he says. :)

*hugs hugs hugs* I hate for anyone else to have bad experiences with the Pill...it was so horrible for me, and all I wanted was no babies!! Heheh.

Laren

Re:

[bizetsy.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for all your information. This has been on my mind a lot lately, so your comments are incredibly appreciated.

Many hugs to you as well. :)

[winterredwood.livejournal.com]

I'm on Ortho Cyclen (not Tri-Cyclen) and have thus far had a good experience. Overall, my periods are much lighter, and I don't have the nausea and bloating anymore which used to occur during my period. Also, I don't know if I'm imagining it, but I feel like my moods are more stable. Has anyone else noticed this?…

pill experience

[xkookykrysx.livejournal.com]

I had excellent luck with the pill, and on my first try (unlike several friends who had to bounce from pill to pill to find something that didn't cause horrid side-effects). I'm on Demulen, and have been for several years now. Before I got on the pill, I had full 7 day periods, with IBS, very heavy bleeding, debilitating cramps (to the point that I would miss work and social events), headaches, emotional unstability, and worst of all, ugly facial cysts that would swell up, itch, and peel. I looked like the elephant man once a month, and it was horrible.

I got on the pill to battle all of the above, and also for pregnancy prevention. But I will never go back to going without it. I don't want to have to be sick and hide once a week for a month.

I've had no side effects with Demulen. No nausea, headaches. Only a little weight gain, but I can't tell if its from that, or the sedentary job that I started right around the time I started on the pill.

Hope that testimony helps - good luck finding something that works for you!

[delicata77.livejournal.com]

While I am against the Pill for certain reasons, I completely agree with your stance on women who are putting pressure on other women to get off of it.

You made great points.

:)

[katlynel.livejournal.com]

*applauds*
Very true of antidepressant medication also.

[sperenza.livejournal.com]

[isolt.livejournal.com]

*applause* This is beautiful, thanks. :)

The NFP evangelists have really been getting on my nerves lately, but many of them seem to be guilty of the same things they accuse pill prescribing doctors - not realizing that the same solution won't work for all women, because we're not all the same.

And you're absolutely right, I also cringe at the insinuation that I am out of touch with my body or underinformed if I choose the pill. It's not as if I've been on the pill my whole life - I had 6 or 7 years before the pill in which to get in touch with my body. And I know enough about how my cycle worked before to know that NFP is probably not a good solution for me. The pill, however, has worked out marvelously for me, and I am loathe to give up its benefits.

[finding_helena]

thanks for the support.

The natural fertility thing might have worked for me, but I didn't feel like getting a speculum, charting my mucus (all this and dorm life too...), and avoiding sex for 2 weeks out of every month because I don't trust condoms very much. I went with the simplest solution that works for me. So shoot me... I don't mind being in touch with my body, but I don't want to HAVE to worry about it every damn day when I have a bunch of other stuff to do. Convenience is a valid reason for making a choice, everything else being equal.

[humaazul.livejournal.com]

thank you! sometimes i feel like i should get off the pill and do the naturual thing, feel ovulation and all that jazz, but i remember that i can't enjoy it when i can't walk or move for a couple days out of every month. debilitating cramps are not good.