ladies i need your help!?

Question

i am not sexual active but my mom suggests i go on birth control. she says it will help regulate my period and help w/ cramps. is this true? and what are other benefits on taking the pill??

Answer 1

don't do it. go buy the book by Suzanne Somers: Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones. buy it at the book store, amazon or ebay. it will tell you that women should never take the pill.
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Birth Control Pills and Breast Cancer
November 22nd, 2006

As Dorian noted in NewsSquawk a few weeks back, a meta-analysis of breast cancer data recently revealed a statistically significant correlation between use of the contraceptive pill prior to full-term pregnancy and premenopausal breast cancer.

I finally got a moment to hop over to Procedings, the journal of the Mayo Clinic that reported on the study, and while the article itself is limited to subscribers, the editorial that offers analysis on the findings is open to all.

First off, I was amazed to read that the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, categorized the contraceptive pill as a carcinogen in 2005. Granted, I’ve been a bit baby absorbed for the last couple of years, but I cannot believe I never read this news anywhere. Did it get any press? If not, why not?

Now for the findings…it appears that women who have ever used birth control pills have a ”small but statistically significant increased risk of breast cancer”. Furthermore, use of the Pill before having one’s first full-term pregnancy is more strongly associated with breast cancer than being on the Pill after having delivered a baby. The association is even stronger where these pre-baby Pill users were on birth control pills for four years or more. (The editorial further notes, “A higher risk of breast cancer for OC use before first full-term pregnancy was first described more than 25 years ago by Pike et al…” - again, I’m very surprised that evidence linking the Pill and breast cancer has been uncovered for so long, with so little press.)....

Posted by MommaSteph.
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from Suzanne's book:

Those of us who were on the original birth control pills for any length of time were actually on synthetic hormones- strong synthetic hormones. Any wonder why women of our generation are under siege from an epidemic of breast and ovarian cancers? There is a link, and you'll learn more about it in this book.

Read on and see if you relate to my scenario: As I said, for twenty-two years, I was on synthetic birth control pills, the original ones that were very strong. I even manipulated my periods with them, if I didn't want to have a period on a particular weekend. I just didn't realize what was in those birth control pills, nor did I understand the dangers of messing with nature.

I did not realize that having only a two-day bleed meant that I was not ovulating fully. At the time, I thought it was great to have such a light period. I did not realize that the importance of ovulation in the human female body is to let the brain know that I was well, healthy, and reproductive. As far as my brain was concerned, I was not reproductive because I was not fully ovulating. An ovulating woman is a reproductive woman.

To believe that the body is not fully ovulating is a dangerous assumption for the brain to make. If the brain perceives us as unable to reproduce, its job, biologically speaking, is to try to eliminate us to make room for the reproductive ones. This is the nature in us. This is the template that was programmed in us from ancient times. Thus, this hormonal imbalance that I unknowingly put myself in was creating a backdrop for cancer. Why? Because we all have cancer in us, but as long as we are hormonally balanced, the brain perceives us as young, strong, and healthy. If we become imbalanced, this signals to the brain that the reproductive system is no longer in working order, and it is in this scenario that the cancer has a chance to come into being.

You see, cancer proliferates in an environment of hormonal imbalance. This is why I believe that Western medicine's standard of care, well-meaning as it is, is treating us incorrectly. Western medicine is looking at everything except the obvious. Western medicine is trying to poison the cancer out of us, further wreaking havoc with our hormonal systems.

Then, to prevent recurrence, we are given hormone ablation drugs such as tamoxifen or Femara, which interfere with the body's ability to read the hormones in some parts of the body. Plus, for many women these drugs cause horrible side effects. To me, it doesn't make sense to take any drug that prevents new hormones from being made in our bodies or to kill off any of the little bit of hormones we might have left. Why has Western medicine been trying to outthink nature? We are given fake hormones that don't replicate exactly what our bodies make naturally, and doctors are expecting them to work in the same way or better. It hasn't worked. Look around. Are the women you know doing well from midlife on? Most everyone has complaints, from mild to severe. No wonder women are in such bad shape.

Once you understand the importance of your brain perceiving the body as reproductive--our "brain template"--it will be easier for you to make decisions for yourself. We assume that the professionals who are taking care of us know what they are doing. But they can't know what they haven't been taught, and unless you find yourself a doctor such as the ones....

Answer 2

If your periods are very heavy and painful, the pill can help a lot. The patch and the ring also have the same hormones. There's also something called the Norplant which can make your periods practically go away for 5 years! There's a new pill, Seasonale, that reduces your periods down to one every 3 months! That's awesome! It's actually NOT unhealthy; on the contrary, shorter periods are:
1) healthier than longer and more periods because you lose less blood and are less likely to become anemic AND
2) better for the environment (and your wallet!) because of the billions of lbs worth of bloody pads and tampons we throw into our sewers and landfills every year!

There's also a progesterone shot that you can get every 3 months that does the same thing.
Other benefits of birth control hormones (pills, patches, and rings) include improvement in acne and a decreased risk of ovarian cancer.
There is NO evidence that the pill decreases your chances of getting pregnant later on when you go off of them. That's a MYTH! Personally, I had 2 kids and got preggo the second I stopped taking them!
I had a hysterectomy a year ago, so I no longer take the pill. Since I've been off it (and I had been on it for most of my adult life, about 18 years) I've had a lot more zits. I begged my doc to let me go back on, but he wouldn't let me!

Answer 3

Birth control pills can regulate your menstrual cycel and help tremendously with cramps. There are some forms of the pill where you can only get your period 4 times per year and others for a shorter period length such as 3 days. Many girls your age go on the pill for the problems you are describing. Often because you are younger your cycle is not yet regular and your hormones are off balance causing increased symptoms from PMS. The pill helps to rebalance these hormones to give less mood swings, cramping, and more regular cycles. It is important to note though that takikng a birth control pill is not a license to become sexually active. It is not 100% effective against pregnancy and if you miss a pill you have an increased chance of becoming pregnant. The pill does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases either such as herpes or HIV (AIDS). If you are taking it for symptom control, then I would definately say to listen to your Mom. Another possibility is to go see an OB/GYN doctor who specializes in this and ask some questions.

Answer 4

I'm in Yasmin birth control pills right now for that same reason. My periods would go away for months at a time due to stress, so I consulted my doctor and she first put me on Alesse, but switched me to Yasmin (I don't remember why). It 100% cleared up my acne. I don't have to worry anymore about missing my period. I'm not sexually active at all, but it has definately improved my life. The only downsides to the pill would be if you were a smoker it could cause blood clots or if you're over a certain age. Also, I experienced slight mood swings during the first three months but they've long gone. The worst downside for me would be having to have bloodwork done every 6 months for the first year to two years, just to make sure everything's fine. Other than that, it worked very well for me! I don't get cramps anymore, my acne is entirely gone and I feel great. I hope everything works out for you too!

Oh, and I didn't gain a single pound during the process of going on the pill. Try a milder pill like Alesse or Yasmin. But definately consult your doctor first.

Answer 5

Well the pill can also mess things up and you can pile on the pounds and honestly if you are so young I wouldn't recommend it. Everyone I know who has been on the pill for 10 or 15 years or more has had complications later...(cysts, hysterectomies, worse).

Remember the pill is a hormone and our bodies weren't really made to be toyed with like that. I only ever took the pill for 6 months and I absolutely hated it.

Unless your period is unbearable I wouldn't do it. Your mom wants peace of mind but it's your choice kiddo.

There isn't a single drug made that doesn't have some kind of side effect...messing with your hormones can cause all kinds of things down the road, clots and cancer included. You're forcing your body to do something unnatural for years on end...you don't think of these things when you're young (teens don't get AIDS or STDs or PREGNANT either right?) so why would this be any different.

Answer 6

Yes, I take birth control and it's so much better. It does help regular your period. I'm not so sure about cramps since I've never gotten them even before I started taking the pill, but I wouldn't be surprised. It also helps with acne and increases your breast size.

But when you start taking pills, you'll get very hungry in the beginning. I gained liked 20 pounds when I first started taking birth control pills. I've lost it all now, since I do track, but it's something ton consider.

There are a couple of other things I've experienced that I think are due to birth control pills, but my other friends taking birth control haven't experienced these things so I won't mention them =).

Answer 7

Yes it's true. A lot of women that are not sexually active are put on birth control pills to help regulate their periods and sometimes it's prescribed to help control really heavy periods too.

There are pros and cons to any type of birth control. With the pill, a lot of times it is trial and error in finding a pill that works for you with a minimum amount of side effects. You and your doctor can discuss this and work together to find a brand of pill that works best for you. Different women have different reactions to the pill. One brand that might work wonderfully for one women might cause severely annoying side effects in another woman.

See my source link below for more information about the pill and pros and cons of taking it.

Answer 8

Yes it's true that birth control pills will decrease cramps and regulate your period. Some types of pills will also clearn your skin (decrease pimples) which is awesome! Your doctor will be able to tell your which pill that is. The bad things about taking birth control pill are: you have to remember to take it every day otherwise it doesn't work and you'll probably retain water and feel bloated.

Answer 9

Why do you not believe your Mom? Yes, she is right...it does help with regularity....she may also (underneath)...be worried about the possibility of you getting pregnant....which she might not want to say....

However, you need to know one thing that my daughter found out kind of late...and she told me she wished she had known it sooner....that taking birth control pills for too long lessons your ability to get pregnant.....

In my daughter's case she was a little older when she got married....then took pills for quite awhile...then discovered she couldn't get pregnant....for no apparent reason, but was told that the pills can help make it harder. She said...."I wished someone had told me that sooner....

so be aware....you will want to use pills probably when you really need them....so taking them when you are younger, unless you absolutely have to, may not be the best idea...and your Mom may not know they can add problems as well as solve them....

Also...be up front and ask your Mom if she is worried you might get pregnant...is a good discussion for you both to have so she will stop worrying...if that is what is happening.

Answer 10

I don't know how old you are and I don't know how sever you get cramps but yes it will regulate your periods. One thing I want you to know is that if you smoke and take birth control you run a higher risk of developing blood clots. This can also be fatal. I think you and your mom should make an appointment with a GYN or OB/GYN Dr. and ask questions together.

Answer 11

I'm guessing that you are still in your teens, I know that when I was a teen I had a hard time remebering to take my pill at the same time every day another option is the patch. I took pills for years. they did help regulate my period but they can make you a little more moody than normal. Once I switched to the patch it was great!