Why are we so Scared of the Combined Contraceptive Pill?

As of 2012 16% of women aged 15-44 in the U.S. were using the combined contraceptive pill - now consider the growing awareness of sexual health across the Western world, can we not assume that figure has risen considerably? Of course it will have done; the Pill is the most common form of hormonal contraception, it is the easiest form to use, and is 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when used properly and consistently.

Yet while the Pill is so popular and effective there is still a massive fear in young women of whether it really is worth taking. The main myths around this form of contraception include fear of weight gain and detrimental effects on mental health. And myths is exactly what they are…isolated experiences from a small portion of women that has been blown out of proportion and likely has little to do with the Pill in the first place. 

Science and research itself is ongoing and continuously disproving these myths, with no biological evidence to support the claim that the Pill causes or is linked to weight gain. Of course I am by no means qualified to eradicate the idea that the Pill does not effect some women differently in terms of their weight and physical appearance; but the fact stands that there is no direct link, only the suggestion that the Pill increases appetite which in a domino effect could cause some weight gain. Additionally I do not mean here to devalue the experience of those women who did undergo a considerable weight change, as other medical factors can definitely contribute to varying results. All I want to reassure in young women particularly is that the Pill should not be feared and rejected for this myth, this generally false media claim is irrelevant when it comes to the wider benefit of preventing pregnancy. Even in research based on the mental health effects of the Pill results are largely inconclusive, the mainstream ideas surrounding the issue neither proven or disproven. In a study carried out in Denmark in 2016 the Mail Online reported conclusions that women who use the combined pill are up to 70% more likely to be on antidepressants. So, I imagine you’re thinking, this clearly means the Pill has a direct and adverse effect on women’s mental health; but the study also found that there was no chemical or biological link, and while correlation was apparent, causation was not obvious. The NHS, additionally, have since claimed that this study did not prove the Pill caused depression, and the women involved in the study were not advised to cease use of their contraception. Of course I am not claiming to invalidate that the Combined Pill does not factor into many young women’s mental health issues, I am no scientist. Some young women do suffer debilitating mental health due to hormonal imbalances in the early stages of the Pill, but to claim such effects are long term and solely because of contraception is far fetched. What I am claiming is that there is a widespread stigma around the Pill, there is a growing fear in young women which results in them not using such an effective form of contraception. Just as there was in me years earlier. 

In my own experience with the Pill I was susceptible and guilty of believing bad things about the Pill; I had refused to take oral contraception for two years before finally realising it was the only method which would fit my lifestyle and health. So by no means am I on a high horse of contraception, I am just finally embracing my own mistakes of the past. I had suffered from intensely painful periods, to the point where I began to fear I had endometriosis, something no women at the age of 20 should ever have to feel. This persisted for months until I finally came to the conclusion that the Pill might be my only non-drastic option…however as someone who had experienced severe mental health problems in the past I was intensely anxious and scared for what it could mean. Taking the personal risk of going on the Pill was a massive step in both my health and my womanhood. Suddenly I went from being a fearful young woman to one who takes control of her on health, both physical and mental. Since coming on the pill, I have found it has been one of the greatest decision I have ever made in terms of my biology and reproductive organs. Now on my fifth month on the Pill my mental health has never been so consistently stable. I don’t have any fear that the Pill is affecting my bad days or good days, I am aware that my contraception cannot be to blame for changes in my life. And no, the Pill is not for every women, not everyone is as lucky as I have been; but the Pill should not be something one dismisses before they have given it a chance.