I’ve had a lot of complicated relationships in my life, but the most complex of them all has been my despised love affair with contraception.
I’ve tried two kinds; the combined pill and the Marina coil, of which my body hated them both. So much so, that each time I subjected my temple to hormonal hell, she found new and exciting ways to punish me; thus, leaving me repenting and pleading for her forgiveness. Punishment came in many forms: depressive moods, anxiety, weight gain, immense cramping and for me personally, the worst of them all, hormonal acne.
Like many Women, throughout my contraceptive journey I have been ill-informed of the risks. I’ve been repeatedly gaslit by medical professionals who remained adamant that none of these side effects had anything to do with the synthetic hormones that I was pumping into my body. And despite my reservations, I’ve been repeatedly pressured by doctors and nurses who insisted that a Woman of my age should be on it.
A whole host of stories to share with you, but let me begin this series with my first; the combined pill.
There are many reasons why Women choose to go on the pill:
For me, it was the avoiding/controlling when I had my periods. I was 18-years-old at the time and had a whole host of A-level party holidays to go on. Shallow reasoning, I know. But ain’t nobody trying to bleed on the beach b.
1 in every 10 on the pill will experience:
The brand of combined pill that I was first given was Levest. The pills were small and round and came in a white and pink box. I remember the nurse at the sexual health clinic informing me that any side effects, such as nausea and headaches, were short-term/would resolve themselves in about three months when my body had adjusted. She also assured me that the pill was not linked to weight gain, nor would it trigger depressive or anxious episodes; a concern I had, given that as a teenager I had struggled with my mental health.
Being the naive teen that I was, I took her word as gospel. And so, when I read that mood swings were a possible side effect on the leaflet inside the box, I thought nothing of it. When I gained a significant amount of weight in the first few months on the pill, I thought nothing of it. When I experienced periods of prolonged sadness and intense anxiety, I thought nothing of it. Instead, I assumed that the changes in mood were an unwelcome resurgence of previous mental health issues and that the weight gain was just a by-product.
To be fair to the pill, after some time, my moods balanced out. Though, I wouldn’t say that I was ever completely mentally sound. Instead, it was as if I’d been capped and was operating at 50% capacity, where overtime I understood 50 to be my new 100.
1 in every 100 on the pill will experience:
Another thing that I mistakenly took as gospel was when they switched my pill for a cheaper alternative, noting that both pills and their effects would be exactly the same.
Rigevidon is a brand of combined pill that is chemically identical to several contraceptive pills that have been on the market for decades, including Microgynon and Ovranette. It’s often used as a replacement due to its low cost of production. However, the NHS’s declaration that its impact on one’s body is like that of its counterparts has been disputed by many.
In 2016, a petition to remove Rigevidon from the NHS gathered over 27,000 signatures. It followed just a year after the contraceptive pill was ruled the cause of death on 21-year-old Fallan Kurek’s death certificate. Fallen was switched from Microgynon to Rigevidon by doctors, dismissed when she complained of symptoms and subsequently developed a blood clot and later died. As if that wasn’t enough, online Women have documented experiencing depression, anxiety, blood clots in the brain, hormonal acne, migraines, decreased libido, suicidal thoughts and psychotic episodes; a common theme among them being that doctors had not fully informed them of the risks. And that, is the greatest cause for alarm.
See, the real problem is not Rigevidon, for much in the way that many Women have had an atrocious experience on it, there are many who haven’t and continue to take it without issue. Such is the case with all combined pills. Some Women experience sunshine and rainbows, while others are put through hormonal hell. Thus, the issue is not a particular pill, rather it’s the reluctance of medical professionals to fully inform Women of the risks and their disregard for our experiences.
I’ve been in talks where medical personnel have refuted the side effects of the combined pill. I’ve heard debates where members of the audience shared their traumatic stories and were dismissed. I’ve been appalled by doctors and nurses who fail to empathise and never waver on their position, despite the overwhelming evidence that the combined pill has the potential to cause more harm than good.
1 in every 10,000 on the pill will experience:
Perhaps I’m one of the unlucky ones, for they say that the majority of Women take to the pill very well. However, most of the Women that I know, have not. And you may make of that what you will.
Who can say for sure whether my continued struggle with mental health was prolonged, worsened or unaffected by the combined pill, but I do know this: When I eventually came off the pill, it was like seeing the sun for the first time; as if my world had been tinted grey for the past 2 ½ years and I was now seeing in true colour.
I remember the feeling in the first few weeks as the synthetic hormones left my body. I was euphoric; high of the unregulated flow of serotonin that surged through to all my nerve endings. Sadly, I continued to struggle with mental health; I still experienced extreme lows. However, post-pill I also experienced extreme highs; pure joy, no cap. I finally saw the sun and it wasn’t until that moment that I realised I’d been missing it for all those years.
To add, I also lost a bunch of weight in the first 3 weeks and from this deduced that the nurse who first gave me the pill was either lying or misinformed. Now, I’m a big believer in public healthcare, but on the NHS’s part, it’s just not good enough.
It’s important for me to reaffirm, my experience is not universal. You’ll be hearing many different perspectives throughout this series and as you do, remember: everyone’s body is different and we are all ever-changing. So, what works for you may not work for another. Similarly, what worked for you then, may no longer work for you now.
For the most part, contraception is a trial and error practice and it’s up to you to decide what works best. Only you will really know the true effects it has on your body, not the doctor or nurse sitting opposite you. They may be the medical professionals, but you know a mood swing when you feel one. Trust your gut.
And on that note: I would have rather bled on the beach. The pill’s a bitch. *Sips Tea*
More on Gender & Sexuality
More on Health: Mental & Physical
Subscribe to the newsletter
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Post Comment
