As a sexually active 22-year-old woman, birth control has saved my ass a couple of times. However, if I am being honest, it has also ruined a lot and the side effects followed by birth control are not talked about enough.
My birth control journey started at the age of 12 for the sole reason of my unbearably painful cramps and heavy menstrual cycle.
After taking the pill for a couple of months I suddenly stopped getting my period entirely.
I also broke out with huge pimples all over my cheeks and forehead.
My moods were like a roller coaster. One minute I was super happy, and the next minute I was ready to punch a hole through a wall.
I was around 16 when I decided to change birth control methods, mostly because I started forgetting to take the pill every day.
I started forgetting to take the pill every day and the pill is a serious long-term commitment that was really hard to keep up with.
I switched to a hormonal IUD (intrauterine device), called Mirena.
Within a couple of days I started to turn into an entirely different person and not in a good way.
I began to think dark thoughts like, “Is life worth it anymore? Am I good enough?” I’ve never had these thoughts before in my life, but after taking this new birth control for a week I was ready to end it all.
I went to my gynecologist and broke into tears explaining my experience with the Mirena IUD.
Instead of listening to me and removing this device from my teen body, I was told to “reconsider” and “give it more time.”
My doctor also told me I should consider seeing a therapist for my dark thoughts.
I mean— what the fuck?
I sat there in my most vulnerable state begging in tears for them to hear me out and take the foreign device out, but I was instead seen as a sensitive, depressed teenager.
I remember looking the doctor right in the eyes and saying, “If you don't remove this device today, I will take it out myself one way or another.”
Thinking back, it might've sounded like a threat, but I was at my limit. At last, they finally took me seriously, and decided to follow through and remove the device.
Somehow that wasn’t my worst part of my experience with the Mirena IUD.
After the doctor proceeded to remove the device, I sensed that something was wrong. This procedure was taking longer than expected.
After 20 minutes, the doctor rose and said to me, “One second, I am going to bring in another doctor.”
With my legs up and my feet still in the lithotomy stirrups, my mind was racing, thinking of the worst scenarios as I always do.
The doctor came back with another specialist, who informed me that they could not find my IUD.
What a damn nightmare.
Thankfully, after days of stress and a new gynecologist, I successfully got the Mirena IUD located and removed.
Birth control methods can have various side effects, and it's essential to consider these side effects when considering or using contraception.
I feel as if most of these side effects are not talked about enough, and that is something healthcare professionals should change.
I would like to know if the birth control method I am considering is going to make me gain 20-plus pounds, cause intense acne and mood swings, or in my case, suicidal ideations.
I find it disturbing that doctors push women to get on birth control without properly informing them of the risks and side effects. It was even more disturbing to see how my doctors made me feel like I belonged in a psychiatric hospital, especially after telling me they could not find a foreign object in my body.
According to an article published by Harvard Health, all forms of hormonal contraception were associated with an increased risk of developing depression. This risk was higher in teens ages 15 to 19, especially for non-oral forms of birth control such as the ring, patch, and IUD.
After my experiences with hormonal birth control methods, I have found that non-hormonal contraceptives are what is best for me and I will seriously never go back to anything else.
I wouldn't have had to come to this conclusion the hard way if my doctors had been more proactive in sharing the risks and side effects with me sooner.
I made a promise to myself to never let any birth control make me feel like that again.
