The Pill, IUDs, patches, implants…the list of hormonal birth control methods goes on and on. With this list of methods comes a long list of myths we are constantly hearing about birth control. We're going to bust the most common birth control myths we hear and give you the truth about hormonal birth control methods.
Hormonal Birth Control Causes Infertility
Contrary to what many believe, this is false! There is no scientific research proving that birth control can cause infertility. Of course, the second you stop your birth control method you might need some time for your natural ovulatory cycle to get back to normal. If you have been using birth control for a long time, it may last in your system for a few months. However, there is no scientific evidence showing that going on birth control causes infertility in the future.
It is thought that some people associate the hormonal birth control with infertility when there may be other things causing their infertility. One of the most common is age. Women often don't realize that at the age of about 34, fertility drops dramatically.
I Still Ovulate While On The Pill
This is also not true. To understand why you don't ovulate on the pill, let's first understand why you do if you aren't using birth control. Throughout your menstrual cycle, your hormone levels fluctuate. During the beginning of your cycle, which is when you have your period, estrogen levels are pretty low. During this time you uterine lining thickens. Overtime, estrogen levels begin to rise and you're ovaries get ready to release a mature egg. When the fertile egg is released, usually around day-14 of the 28-day cycle, your estrogen levels are at their peak and you are ovulating.
The pill, and other hormonal birth control methods work to release hormones and keep them steady throughout your cycle. Therefore, without fluctuating estrogen levels throughout your cycle, your ovaries won't release a mature egg and you won't ovulate.
Some of you might be asking, why do I still get my period while on birth control? The first thing you need to know is that it's not your period. It's called withdrawal bleeding. The week that you take sugar pills, you are taking pills with no hormones. You're body is therefore going through withdraw from the hormones and you shed some of the uterine lining.
Nope! With hormonal birth control, there is no one size fits all. Every body is different and birth control choices will vary. When consulting with your doctor about what method to choose, you will discover that there are many factors that go into finding the right choice. Here's a list of some things that go into consideration:
- Your medical history
- Your family medical history
- Medications you are currently taking
- Past birth control methods
- Do you get periods?
- Do you want to get periods while on birth control?
- What specific symptoms come with your period and menstrual cycle?
- What kind of lifestyle do you live?
As you can see, there is a lot that goes into picking the right method.
When I Come Off the Pill I Will Suffer From Hormone Imbalances
Again, this common myth is so wrong. When you go off any type of birth control, your hormones will take some time to stabilize. This amount of time is going to vary from woman to woman, but eventually, everyone's hormones will be in balance. Birth control will not effect your hormones for your entire life.
So, what can you do to help the hormone stabilization process? While it won't happen over night, Here are a few tips to balancing your hormones over time!
- Eat a well-rounded diet
- Get your 8 hours of sleep
- Moderately exercise
- Try to reduce your stress levels
- And of course, use BINTO! Our vitamins and supplements work to help balance your hormones!