“Things Teenage Girls Always Wanted to Know About Gynecology”
Episode 4: Birth Control
There are a couple kinds of young women when it comes to their relationships with birth control. One type doesn’t really seem to think about it much and whether it could be beneficial or not, since they have easy periods and refrain from sexual activity, making birth control not really necessary. However, there are others who want to go on birth control or are advised to by a doctor for reasons like painful periods, abnormal bleeding, and sexual protection. Despite the benefits of birth control, there are girls who go through painful or abnormal bleeding and are unaware that birth control could help.
This spectrum of birth control knowledge and use is wide, which makes me think that girls like my sister, who goes through abnormalities in her bleeding cycle, should be educated more about their options. Many girls go months and even years with difficulties that could easily be fixed by birth control, and I don’t think the benefits of birth control are talked about enough. I believe being prepared for what your body goes through once starting birth control is something to be educated about as a young woman. There are many ins and outs of birth control that aren’t often talked about, and knowing the benefits and side effects is extremely important.
Speaking of which, I have a friend who, growing up, had issues with acne and abnormal bleeding. When we were 16, she talked to her mother about setting up appointments with a gynecologist and dermatologist to see what was happening. Both doctors suggested birth control, so she went on it! She finally felt hope in what felt like forever and started to stop stressing about both issues, knowing there was light at the end of the tunnel. She started taking the birth control, and her acne began to clear up, bringing her so much happiness! Nothing had worked (no medications or serums), but the birth control finally did the trick, much to her relief.
However, as she took it for longer, she experienced mood swings and emotional instability that her OB-GYN had not mentioned. In short, she was an emotional wreck! It started with her family complaining about it, and it got to a point she was even noticing a difference in her own behavior. She never spoke with a doctor, though, and just took the pills and adapted to her new feelings. As I scroll through Twitter and social media every day, I read stories about girls experiencing similar, if not the exact same, symptoms as my friend, which makes me wonder why we all don’t know about these symptoms that can change how girls’ bodies look and feel. I’ve even known some friends that got off birth control because they said it made them feel depressed. I think these are some serious side effects that doctors should definitely be disclosing more clearly when discussing the benefits of birth control with patients.
I wonder why so many of us are left to wonder about these side effects. Just like some of us are blind to the benefits of birth control and stay away completely, these symptoms are also something a lot of girls are in the dark about. I believe getting more information from your gynecologist about birth control is really important as a young woman. Being educated on what you are putting into your body and what it can do to it is huge. I believe there’s more to know about birth control, and it starts with open conversations with your gynecologist.