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| No | 79% | 312 votes | Total: 397 votes | |
| Yes | 21% | 85 votes |
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Add to FavoritesWe've had drugs produced by pharmaceutical companies and supported by the medical establishment that purportedly "help" women with their periods before. Drugs like Seasonale and others. Now we have Lybrel. A new series of birth control pills have come out on the market that will get rid of our periods completely. There have always been a minority of women who have abnormal and even dangerously heavy menstrual cycles and some these drugs can help give them relief. But those who support the use of these new pills seem to be taking a different tack. They say that we can do away with the inconvenience of the period. Much of what is being offered to women from Big Pharma is great for shareholders but what about the health of women? How many times have we heard over the decades about some miracle drug that does this and that only to find out years later that it was detrimental, even lethal to? Natural body functions are not to be fooled with but it seems that people don't learn. Nothing should get in the way of what we want to do these days, not even regular normal body functions! We've become an extremely selfish society and Big Pharma is cashing in on that selfishness.
If you take these drugs because you have a period that is abnormal, i.e., unusually long, heavy and painful this drug may seem like a godsend. Even so, there are natural ways of dealing with abnormal periods. The scary thing is that these pills are marketed to all women. Why shouldn't a woman have her period each month? What's wrong with having a period? Who is she taking these drugs for? Herself? For for her own reasons or to be available for sex 24/7? To please some boyfriend/husband who has no respect for a female's natural bodily functions? For simple convenience because the menstrual cycle is "Eww, oh so gross"? I would advise women with normal periods to take a long time think about what's motivating them before they take pills. Menstruation is part of the system in a woman's body that enables her to give life. It ain't a disease. We need a reality check in this culture. A serious attitude readjustment. Having a period is integral to being a woman and the promotion of these drugs is just one more cue to young women that being a woman is disgusting, gross or shameful. We get enough of these negative cues in western culture already. Do we really need more?
Women with abnormal periods may need drugs to help them; I get that. But these drugs are often marketed to ALL women. Sure, bleeding each month is painful and heavy for some of us and PMS often comes along for the ride. It may seem in the short run that taking a pill to rid ourselves of the nuisance is a good thing but is it? Do we know what health issues may reveal themselves down the line? Often the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies will throw unknown treatments and drugs on people without knowing what will happen down the line and guess who pays in the end? in cancer, deformities and other costly, life threatening illnesses. They're throwing these drugs out there because they want to make a lot of money but do they really now or care what will happen to women?
It's very sad to see people trying to suppress natural body functions for the sake of convenience and it's sad that much of this is directed at women's bodies. Our breasts aren't good enough, our public hair is evil, our faces aren't pretty and youthful enough, our lips aren't full enough or they're too big. What's next? When will the insanity end? When will people learn that you don't mess with nature unless you want more trouble on your hands? The menstrual cycle exists for a reason, not just to annoy you. Mess with that without knowing what you're doing and you risk creating a major health problem for yourself later. Once that happens you'll wish you still had your period! Drugs like Lybrel are being marketed in such a way as to train young women and girls that menstrual bleeding is something that should be hated. This womanphobic, unhealthy and unnatural attitude needs to be counter-acted with common sense. We have all seen the long term effects of hormone replacement therapy which increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer and drugs to "help" pregnant women that led to gross deformities in babies. I'm not for banning the drug but I am for re-educating young women about being proud to be women - and yes part of that means accepting and appreciating the natural menstrual cycle.
Learn more about this author, Victoria Jeffrey.
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Yes
After reading several articles of the opposing side of this argument, it is clear that those opposing a contraceptive method that prevents menstruation have not done their research on this new scientific discovery. Luckily however, I am not only a user of this new contraceptive pill but I have also done my research and know the "ins" and "outs" of how it works.
First, to clear up the confusion. We first need to understand how your menstrual cycle works when you are not taking a hormone-based contraceptive (normal or extended birth control). Every month your body will ovulate which means that your ovaries (one or both) will release an egg into your fallopian tube which travels to your uterus. If fertilized along the way it will go into your thickened uterine lining and you become pregnant. If not fertilized then your body will shed the unfertilized egg and thickened lining which causes bleeding/ menstruation. We all know what this is, and so the cycle continues with at least one period per month, sometimes more for women who are not on a schedule.
Now, if you are taking a traditional, monthly birth control pill. The regular birth control has been around for decades and has been accepted by society. What many people, especially those that seem to be arguing in this debate, is that when you are taking tradition/regular birth control pills, you are NOT ovulating. The hormones that are present in these birth control pills send messages throughout your body which prevent your ovaries from releasing an egg and prevent your uterine lining from thickening very much. So, why then do women still get their periods while taking this pill? It's simple, when women switch and take the placenta pills (the inactive pills), their body is no longer receiving the hormones that it has been receiving for the previous 21 days. The lack of hormones causes bleeding which seems like a regular period, although it is not. On the pill, your period is a withdrawal of hormones rather than a release of lining and unfertilized egg.
And finally, with the extended birth control pill. The extended birth control pill is extremely similar to the regular birth control pill. Your body does not ovulate and you do not have a menstrual period (you have a "lack of hormone" period). The difference however is you do not get a monthly "lack of hormone" period, but rather a seasonal period. The extended birth control pill is a daily birth control pill, works the same as the tradition birth control pill and is just as effective (with the same amount of hormones).
Many people like myself enjoy the benefits of birth control pills far beyond the prevention of pregnancy. Birth control pills help to prevent and reduce the risk of cancers in the ovaries, and uterus. They also cause ovarian cysts to occur less frequently as well as other lumps and cysts that are not cancerous.
The number one thing that people continue arguing in response to extended birth control pills is that it will lead to fertility problems. This is absolutely, 100% false! Just like the traditional birth control pill, the extended pill is a reversible form of birth control. This means that once you stop taking the pill, you will start ovulating. There can be a slight delay, but this is true of any birth control pill (especially if your menstruation was irregular prior to taking the birth control pill). Extended birth control pills (and regular birth control pills) DO NOT affect your ability to become pregnant when you stop taking the pill.
Lastly, the "new contraceptive pill" is not new. This pill is not several years old, has been tested and has not been shown unhealthy toward women. The concept is not new either. Doctors used to advice women to skip the inactive pills long before this new pill was invented in order to prevent the frequency of such things as ovarian cysts. Either way, as I explained above, the extended birth control pill is healthy for women, does not affect fertility and has benefits for health and enjoyment of life that out-way (for many) the frustration and health problems that can be associated with menstruating monthly.
Learn more about this author, Kaye Boss.
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