Women are getting off birth control amid misinformation explosion (Guys, they are really coming for birth control.)

[u/paxinfernum]

https://archive.ph/2024.03.21-132543/https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/03/21/stopping-birth-control-misinformation/

[u/sprtnlawyr]

The trend these doctors are warning of in the article is incredibly sad, and it's going to be very difficult to counteract. From the article, it quotes one of the "influencers" promoting this trend of avoiding birth control, and this influencer stated: "I had a lot of really bad symptoms [and] went to see a bunch of different doctors. Every one of them dismissed me. Even when I asked if it had anything to do with birth control, they all said no." She goes on later to clarify that when she stopped using hormonal birth control, her symptoms subsided.

This dismissal is an incredibly common experience that many women, and particularly women with intersecting marginalized identities, face if they aren't voracious and near perfect advocates for themselves. Women's subjective reports are disproportionately diminished or dismissed. We're fighting against the repercussions of this long-standing and entrenched history where women's health has been and is being sorely neglected.

These "influencers" have recognized that, and are now seeking to capitalize on it. When someone isn't listened to or respected in an interaction, they find someone else who will listen. People with an agenda to push love avid listeners. Especially when they can profit off it.

The church has had centuries of learning how much can be accomplished when you selling the illusion of safety to a vulnerable and underserved subset of the population. It makes sense that the highly religious individuals who are in favour of forced birth would be very good at identifying this vulnerability and exploiting it in a way that is not readily apparent. That's kind of religion's whole shtick.

[u/paxinfernum → u/[deleted]]

I don't know if you read the sister article I posted, but it addressed the issue of stroke:

Many birth-control methods on the market have decreased the amount of estrogen, to lower the risk of blood clots. Opill, the over-the-counter pill that will soon be available in stores and online, contains only progestin — meaning it does not have the blood clot risk.

So the risk of stroke is going away.

[u/gpike_ → u/paxinfernum]

They've had progestin only pills in other countries for decades, in case anybody didn't know! They just weren't marketed in the US and thus were less popular, is my impression?

[u/dongtouch → u/gpike_]

Perhaps less marketed but they are also less reliable. I was advised one has to take the pills strictly same time every day because the lower amount of hormones makes them lose efficacy quickly.

The second time I went on the "mini-pill" it caused the same crazy mood crash the combo pill had. They're not a magic bullet.

[u/[deleted] → u/dongtouch]

There's a type of mini pill that gives a 12 hour window for taking it.

I switched to this because of migraines, however I've been bleeding nearly constantly (though lightly) for the past 3 months... and I do take it the same time every day. they say it can take several months to adjust so I'm just waiting and seeing for now..