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Men do not accept the side effects of birth control pills. Why women then?
The pill is a widely accepted contraceptive used by young girls and women. About 37 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 45 take the pill daily. The pill allows women to regulate their menstrual cycle, reduce blood loss, delay motherhood and prevent pregnancy. These are the beneficial effects of the pill. But there are also disadvantages to using the pill, which not every woman is aware of.
‘In her book Your brain on the pill, Sarah Hill, American professor of evolutionary psychology, writes that the pill influences a woman’s sexual preference and choice of partner, diet, emotions, humor and stress level. In the Netherlands, GPs also receive many questions from women who experience psychological complaints due to the use of the pill. Complaints ranging from reduced sex drive to mood swings. For this reason, the Dutch Association of General Practitioners (NHG) revised the general practitioner guideline on contraception in 2020. At least 15 percent of women notice a big difference in their libido after taking the pill.
How come we know so little about this in our country? Belgian sexologist Kaat Bollen suspects that this is because girls start taking the pill at an early age. She thinks that GPs may find it uncomfortable to talk to 14 to 16 year olds about loss of libido. This is also not discussed with young people during sex education at school. They only teach that girls can take the pill to prevent pregnancy. However, the GP informs first-time pill users about the risk of thrombosis. Partly because this risk is greatest in the first year of taking the pill.
The Thrombosis Foundation says that when a woman takes the pill, the composition of her blood changes. The blood contains more female hormones, which increases the risk of thrombosis by as much as four times. Yet a large proportion of women are not aware of this. On April 26, 2021, Karina Meijer, internist-hematologist at the UMCG, called on women aged 35 and older in the Radar program to reconsider their use of the pill. She states that the risk of thrombosis for women aged 35 and older is 1 in 333. So no negligible risk.
In addition to the risk of thrombosis, women also have an increased risk of breast cancer. Danish research showed that women who used hormonal contraception for a year or more are 20 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. For this study, 1.8 million women between the ages of 15 and 49 were followed for eleven years. Women who take the pill therefore have an increased risk of thrombosis, breast cancer, mood swings and loss of libido.
When there are so many disadvantages, isn’t it time for all women, young and old, to reconsider using the pill? Or is it time for more sexual equality? Because where is the male pill or a gel that blocks men’s sperm supply? Why does it take so long for the pharmaceutical industry to bring a male pill to the market? Is there a fear that they will not be able to earn enough from a male pill? That is not completely incomprehensible. In 2003, a study into the men’s pill was stopped because the participating men found the side effects unacceptable. These included mood swings and loss of libido. Side effects that women who take the pill have been facing for years.
Isn’t it time for women to opt for other contraception such as condoms? Possibly in combination with a pessary or a cycle tracker such as the Daysy, Pearly or Lady-comp that do not pose any risks to your health? Finally, men do not accept the side effects of a contraceptive pill. Why women then?
2023-11-16 19:33:58
#Reconsider #contraceptive #pill #Joop #BNNVARA
