There are some pretty good reasons to consider taking a birth control pill, besides just to prevent pregnancy...
1. Treat acne
There ain't nothing like the birth control pill for the skin.
All women have some testosterone, and the pill helps by binding up that testosterone which helps clear the skin.
2. Regulate periods
When taken correctly, the pill makes periods very predictable.
A lot of women have irregular cycles naturally, which isn't fun when your period is always a surprise.
3. Make periods lighter and less painful
Periods should be much lighter, shorter and less painful on the pill.
Women are prone to anemia because we can lose so much blood with our periods, and the pill will definitely help prevent that.
(Anemia is when you have less blood available in your body - it makes you feel very weak and tired and can be bad for your heart over time as well too.)
4. Skip periods when needed
You do not need to have a period every month when you take the pill. (Seriously, it's really not necessary, and perfectly safe.)
Going on vacation? Your wedding coming up? Just want to save money and not buy tampons? It's easy to skip your period when taking a birth control pill.
5. Prevents ovarian cysts
Some women are prone to ovarian cysts, so taking the birth control pill can prevent these from recurring.
(The pill won't make a cyst that's already there go away though.)
6. Prevent hormonal mood swings (PMS)
The pill actually balances your hormones and keeps your estrogen and progesterone levels the same day-to-day.
This decreases PMS symptoms. You can skip PMS altogether if you take the pill continuously to skip periods as well.
This applies to menstrual migraines as well. The pill can help prevent menstrual migraines triggered by a drop in hormone levels that occur with periods.
Now if you're bad about actually taking the pill everyday, and you miss a pill here and there, then your hormones will fluctuate, and then you will feel moody on the pill. So be really good about taking your pill on time everyday.
7. Protects your bones.
Estrogen is great for your bones, and the pill helps protect your bones from getting brittle, especially in women who are too thin.
8. Decrease risk of uterine and ovarian cancers
Yep it's true. The pill significantly reduces your risk of both uterine and ovarian cancers.
Did you know chickens have a high rate of ovarian cancer because they ovulate so frequently? Decreasing the amount of times you ovulate, decreases your risk of ovarian cancer. So, being on the pill, being pregnant, breastfeeding.. all decrease this risk because it gives your body a break from ovulating.
We usually recommend women with a family history of ovarian cancer or known BRCA gene to take the birth control pill to decrease their risk of ovarian cancer.
For some women who may be at risk for blood clots, or women with certain types of migraines, the risk of taking the birth control pill may be too high. As always, talk with your OBGYN or women's healthcare provider to make sure it's safe for you to take the birth control pill.
