Is Birth Control Safe?

   One medication that is not talked much about is birth control. I guess it is kind of a taboo thing to talk about. Maybe it implies something, or has social or moral implications. But if you aren’t doing anything wrong why are you worried . Just Kidding. But in all reality it is something that needs to be talked about. Long term birth control use can drastically affect your health. People are often surprised when I tell them this, I’m not sure why, think about it. You are putting synthetic hormones in to your body and eliminating or alternating a process that your body was designed to go through monthly.
   Birth control use can lead to serious health problems like increasing your risk of cervical and breast cancers, heart disease, blood clots, an increased risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia, increased blood pressure, long term sexual dysfunction, and infertility to name a few. More “minor” side effects include migraines, nausea, weight gain, mood changes, irregular bleeding or spotting, breast tenderness, and yeast overgrowth and infection. But those are just “minor” (sarcasm).  
   If you're on one of the hormonal birth control methods, whether it's the pill, patch, ring, or implant, it is important to understand that you are taking synthetic hormones (progesterone and estrogen). These contraceptives contain the same synthetic hormones as those used in hormone replacement therapy, which has well-documented risks. Studies have shown that hormone replacement therapy increases post-menopausal women's risk of breast cancer by at least one percent per year, and hormone replacement therapy with progestin increases your risk by eight percent per year, potentially high as 30 percent after just four years of use! In 2002, one of the largest and best-designed federal studies of hormone replacement therapy was halted because women taking these synthetic hormones had a greater risk of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke and blood clots. So what are the risks for girls who start taking synthetic hormones at an early age and stays on them for up a majority of their life?
   No wonder we are seeing a rise in women’s cancers. Also,  many patients that I see with fertility issues have been on birth control for years. A woman's natural cycle is composed of rising and falling levels of estrogen and progesterone. Birth control pills work by keeping estrogen at a sufficiently high level that they fool the body into thinking it is pregnant, therefore another pregnancy cannot occur. In simple terms, what's wrong with the pill is it promotes continuous high levels of estrogen in a woman's body. Science tells us this is dangerous.
   There is one other aspect about birth control I want to talk about. I usually try to stay away from social issues or politics when blogging and strictly stick to health. But I feel this is necessary to mention this because very few people know that it is a possibility. And no matter what your views are on the topic of abortion I think it benefits everyone to know that this could be a possibility. There is some evidence that oral contraceptives could be causing chemical abortions. Early chemical abortions can be caused by obstructing the implantation of the newly formed human embryo in his or her mother's womb. Many people argue what the actually definition of human life is. I will let you determine that yourself. Most birth control is taken daily, with a portion of the pills being placebo or sugar pills, some researchers claim a woman can get pregnant during the month and the oral contraceptives can result in a chemical abortion. Like I said, I will let you come to your own conclusions but I just thought you should know that this research I out there. 


Birth Control Health Risks
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/29/using-birth-control-pills-alters-womens-mate-preferences.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/20/the-deadly-side-effects-of-the-birth-control-pill.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/10/27/birth-control-part-two.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/21/breast-cancer-young-women.aspx


http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/21/is-menstruation-necessary.aspx


Chemical Abortions
http://www.pregnantpause.org/abort/untold.htm

http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/17/short-condensation-does-birth-control-pill-cause-a/