I'm about to go off lmao

Hormonal birth control suppresses ovulation. Which means the bleed that you experience when you take the placebo pills every month is not a true period. You don't need to have that bleed every month, and yes, it's bullshit they don't tell you that.

BUT https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz/status/1253172009359544320

What's really, REALLY bullshit is: they're also not telling you so, so much more.

To say it's healthier to not have a period (a true period, that's the result of ovulation) is absolutely false. Unequivocally.

I am not saying this bc women are baby making machines and it's not what some higher power intended (women aren't the only people who get periods anyway). I'm not saying this bc I think menstrators should suffer (the idea that periods are inherently unpleasant is a lie too)

I'm saying this because it's factually incorrect. Forget the societal bullshit around it. It's wrong.

These charts show estrogen and progesterone levels throughout the menstrual cycle. Notice how the levels are increased and dynamic in a normal cycle, vs decreased and static in the birth control cycle.

We may call these sex hormones, but they have effects throughout the body. When a menstrator is not ovulating, they do not make sufficient levels of estrogen or progesterone.

Also, these 2 hormones are always working in balance with each other. Notice how when one goes up, the other goes down. They create a push and pull dynamic on systems throughout the body, but when ovulation is suppressed, they stop working together

What does all that mean? Well:

Estrogen and progesterone have direct effects on bone health. Estrogen decreases old bone being reabsorbed by the body, and progesterone results in increased bone formation. Without ovulation more bone mineral density is lost every year, resulting in osteoporosis in later years.

Ovulatory hormones protect heart health. Healthy ovulation and hormone levels throughout life is documented to reduce heart attacks. Progesterone is a vasodilator - it reduces blood pressure, improves circulation. Both estrogen and progesterone decrease heart disease risk factors

Female animals recover faster from brain injuries because estrogen and progesterone have protective effects on brain tissue. Progesterone in particular has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on the brain and central nervous system.

In adults, estrogen increases breast cell growth while progesterone works counter estrogen to decrease excessive growth. Without ovulation (or with low progesterone levels) the risk of breast cancer is significantly increased. Progesterone also decreases breast soreness

Ovulatory hormones contribute positively to skin elasticity and strength, and progesterone protects from the hair thinning effects of other hormones.

These hormones also have direct effects on mood by way of influencing serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin production and the sensitivity of their receptors in the brain. Progesterone has anti-anxiety, calming effects.

Ovaries also produce small amounts of testosterone, peaking around ovulation, which can have effects on libido.

Yes, taking hormonal birth control reduces the (already low) risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers. It also increases the risk of breast cancer, cervical cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

And if menstrators are to be believed (they are), there's also an alarmingly high incidence of negative effects on libido, mood, mental health, and mental clarity at stake.

Sometimes people turn to hormonal birth control to alleviate other health concerns, and sometimes it's effective in reducing their symptoms. But don't mistake the practice of prescribing hormonal birth control as a cure for all cycle related dysfuction as adequate (or even moral)

The slash and burn tactic of suppressing the entire process of ovulation to make symptoms go away means the cause of the dysfunction is never investigated, much less treated.

Why do you have pain? Why do you have acne? Why are you depressed?

If the cure is to make ovulation go away, a doctor may as well be saying the reason you are suffering is because you have a uterus and ovaries.

The dysfunction lies in the simple fact that you are a menstrator. You and your kind are simply defective.

They may as well be talking about hysteria.

Of course I lay absolutely no blame, shame, or judgement on anyone who takes hormonal birth control. I'm not even saying you shouldn't. All medical intervention implies risk, from a slight bruise to death and a million shades of grey inbetween.

If the risk is acceptable for the benefit it confers, go for it. But to make that choice we need to be truly educated in the risk. What I AM saying is that it is unacceptable that we (and often even our doctors) are not.

Cycle dysfunction is not inherent to having a cycle. Hormonal birth control is not the only way to avoid pregnancy (don't get me started on my love, fertility awareness method). We have to start demanding so much more. I'm tired of this shit

(Most of the science here I am taking directly from @CapobiaNB podcast Someone, Somewhere- specifically episode 25: Why Ovulation Matters. Definitely check it out for a more in depth discussion )