“The Pill is taken by healthy women whose only problem is their fertility” Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope
The Pill is an icon. Proclaimed as one of the greatest inventions of the twentieth century, enabling women’s liberation, the catalyst of the sexual revolution, the Pill gave women independence and ‘empowerment’…
…But this was 55 years ago!
A LOT has changed since then. The definition of empowerment has changed and so has the appeal of synthetic hormones in this ‘one size fits all’ approach. Empowerment today means EDUCATION and CHOICE!
“The pill is an unique drug in that it is designed to interfere in one of your normal bodily functions – with fertility itself – and is the only prescription drug used long term that does so.” Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope
Hormonal birth control is usually the first (and most socially accepted) option women turn to when avoiding getting pregnant, and during these years many of us seem to find ourselves hopping from one type to another; never entirely happy with our ‘choices.’
“When the Pill is suppressing the hormone that is inducing ovulation it is also suppressing the person emotionally” Keith Bell, Holistic fertility Specialist.
10 Pill Facts
- 80% of women have taken or will take hormonal contraception at some point.
- Currently some 100 million women take the Pill.
- It’s the worlds most widely used drug and treats people who aren’t ill.
- The Pill is given freely on a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
- The dangerous side effects are not well-known (63.7% of women stop taking the birth control pill because of unwanted side effects).
- Synthetic hormones are easily prescribed for hormonal complaints, skin problems, irregular cycles, period pains, period-free exams, honeymoons.
- Taking the Pill doubles your chances of depression.
- The Pill can mask menstrual reproductive and fertility problems.
- The Pill stops the body being able to process some nutrients, leading to deficiencies and illness.
- The Pill can cause depression and anxiety which in turn affect libido.”Perhaps the most definitive research about the effects of the Pill on libido was carried out by Dr Irwin Goldstein and Dr Claudia Panzer. They found that for taking the Pill for as little as six months could potentially destroy a woman’s sex drive forever.” Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope.
“The use of the pill must be regarded as one of the most serious and influential causes of iatrogenic diseases. (Disease caused by a doctor).” Dr David Lilley, Medical practitioner and Homoeopath.
From a teenager’s perspective…
“Often we end up on the pill because it seems the most obvious thing to do as a teenager” It feels like a responsible way to deal with contraception. 10 minutes speaking to a doctor, a couple of questions like “Do you smoke?” and a little chat about what to do if you forget to take it…. and PRESTO you walk out of the surgery with 3 months of Pills in your bag! All you have to do is go back for a blood pressure test every few months and you get prescribed more! Your cycles are regular as clockwork, you get to feel ‘like more of an adult’, and then there’s the stress free contraception too. No one ever tells you about the chemical-free alternatives.
The good news…
“1 in 5 of women are interested in learning more about fertility awareness-based methods.” From ‘Sweetening the Pill’ kickstarter video
Body-literacy is empowerment
Many women are choosing to gain ‘body-literacy (learning to read and understand their bodily changes over the course of the menstrual cycle) and learn about ‘fertility awareness’ (specific practices such as charting basal body temperature and cervical mucus qualities) and use this knowledge to opt for non-hormonal options for contraception. Let’s stop supporting these big pharmaceutical companies and instead become EMPOWERED!
“A new generation of young women find liberation in not using the Pill.”
Click here to support Sweetening the Pill – a documentary made by Abby Epstein and Ricki Lake! Their video inspired this article.
Click here to buy ‘The Pill – are you sure it’s for you? Written by Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope. This incredible book opened my eyes to the truth of the Pill and motivated me to write this.
Click here for the Natural fertility management website; one of the many natural fertility kits out there.
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