After 50 years is the pill a good answer for women?
Have you ever wondered why when you visit the doctor and start talking about your period you end up with a prescription for the pill at the end of your visit?
Do you have legitimate menstrual cramps, irregular periods, unusual bleeding, or premenstrual syndrome and the doctor can not tell you what is wrong with your body?
On the contrary he or she will offer an easy solution. “Taking the pill daily will help relieve your symptoms.”
Do you want a family planning method and you get a prescription for synthetic hormones with many side effects?
50 years ago the FDA approved artificial hormones to be used as contraceptives. The pill was marketed as an effective, healthy and even “natural” family planning method. Years later the medical community began using the contraceptive pill as primary treatment for health problems in women.
The world’s newspapers and magazines are doing a great display on the occasion of the anniversary of the pill. But in truth it has shown that since its development in the 60’s the pill has not answer to different women’s issues as it was proposed 50 years ago, it has not led to any progress in the area of women’s health, treating medical conditions, and its use is associated with multiple medical, social, and environmental problems among others. A famous actress of the 60’s, Rachel Welch, talking about the effects of the pill on morality has raised a red flag and said in a CNN article “Seriously, folks, if an aging sex symbol like me starts waving the red flag of caution over how low moral standards have plummeted, you know it’s gotta be pretty bad.”
What is the pill?
The pill consists of two hormones: An artificial replacement of estrogen and progesterone. These hormones work suppressing the reproductive system of women in order to suppress their fertility.
There are three main reasons why it is believed that the pill works to prevent pregnancy
1. The pill works by suppressing the pituitary hormones LH FSH that regulate ovulation. So the pill suppresses ovulation and prevents egg release by preventing the conception of a new human being.
2. The pill alters the production of cervical mucus not allowing the sperm penetrate the cervix.
3. The pill changes the lining of the uterus so that if conception occurs makes implantation of the new baby in the uterus.
Many women are unaware of this latter mechanism of action of the pill, which is basically an abortifacient. The low dose of modern pill prevents the release of an egg only 65-75% of cycles. For this reason, pregnancy can occur and then a chemical abortion is produced.
The pill is associated with symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, weight gain cyclical, swelling, growth and sore breasts, inter menstrual bleeding.
Synthetic hormones in the pill may increase the risk of thromboembolic events, pulmonary embolism, strokes (especially in smokers), hypertension, migraine headaches, depression, liver tumors, acceleration of gallbladder disease bladder, breast cancer and cancer in the cervix. Other effects are acne, hirsutism (increased body hair), increased appetite, itching, intolerance to carbohydrates.
Despite millions in lawsuits to pharmaceutical companies for victims of the pill and other hormonal contraceptives, it continues to be an option not only as a contraceptive but as an alternative for the treatment of painful periods (dysmenorrhea) and anovulatory irregular cycles, polycystic ovaries, acne , heavy periods, PMS, abnormal uterine bleeding, and endometriosis.
Why the pill is used to treat these medical problems?
The pill suppresses the normal menstrual cycle that occurs in women.
It creates an artificial cycle using hormones for three weeks and then removed for a week creating a bleeding discontinuance. The effects in the lining of the uterus and the abolition of the curves of the natural hormones of the fertility cycle, can relieve the symptoms of medical illnesses that affect the reproductive system. The pill thins the lining of the uterus and therefore makes heavy periods become lighter. The disadvantage of using the pill to treat these symptoms is that the underline cause is not being diagnosed or corrected. It’s like wearing makeup to treat a wound. This is covering or suppressing the symptoms. In addition, women have to deal with the annoying and dangerous side effects of the contraceptive pill. More importantly many of these changes in the menstrual cycle have the ability to affect long-term fertility.
Is the pill effective to reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortion?
The pill has not been as effective as it promised 50 years ago. One of the most serious consequences of hormonal contraceptive use has been an increase in unwanted pregnancies that led to abortion of these babies. It is well known that contraceptive use usually leads to a fearful mentality at least anti-birth mentality. Women using contraceptives and pregnancy are left in a way predisposed to abortion as a contraceptive method. In the United States more than half of women seeking abortions report that they used contraception the month they became pregnant, indicating a strong connection between contraception and abortion.
It is also important to consider that in these fifty years after the massive spread of artificial birth control methods promiscuity, cohabitation and divorce have increased. Of all the false promises of the pill that suffer most are the children. Not only are not allowed to be born but they have the burden of being children of broken parents with broken relationships like single mothers or divorce parents
Is the pill natural?
The hormones in the pill are not the natural hormones found in women. They are artificial hormones therefore they are not natural. Synthetic estrogens not only cause the damage to the health of women but also are hurting male fertility and the environment. Recently, researches are studying the correlation between the excess estrogen in the water and the increase in cases of male infertility. Other groups are also investigating the correlation between early puberty in girls and exposure to environmental estrogens. Since the synthetic estrogens are excreted in urine and water treatment plants do not have a mechanism to remove it, there is water pollution with hormones also affecting the ecosystem. There are reports of a disproportionate number of male and female fish and is reported the existence of hermaphrodites in water contaminated with estrogen. Artificial hormones in water are affecting other species such as frogs and river otters.
Are there any alternatives to the use of the pill?
There are natural alternatives not only to avoid the use of the contraceptive pill but also to properly treat disorders of the reproductive system. Learning the natural method of fertility care you can learn to observe biological signs of your menstrual cycle and learn manifestations of normal or abnormal functioning of your reproductive system. Looking at these charts, doctors trained in these natural methods can assess and diagnose the health of women and offer a treatment plan which cooperates with the female body and has no harmful effects of synthetic hormones on the environment. Also the best chance of preserving fertility and preventing infertility is avoiding the pill as a solution to the problems of reproductive health.
The natural method of fertility care is morally acceptable to people of all faiths, is environmentally friendly, maintains the dignity and self-esteem of women, appreciates and supports the foundations of marriage, and respects and nurtures the immeasurable value of human life from its earliest stages.
Rachel Welch in the CNN article also points out that she is ashamed of been married four times. She feels marriage is the cornerstone of a civilization and it is the essential institution that stabilizes society, provides a sanctuary for children, and saves us from anarchy. Rachel Welch finishes with a word of challenge to every women saying, “Come on girls! Time to pull up our socks! We’re capable of so much better” This challenge can be extended to embrace the truth about the pill and the real, effective, healthy, and natural method for family planning and fertility care.