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It’s estimated that every four out of five sexually experienced women have used the pill at some point, and the pill continues to be widely used by women of all ages. There are a number of reasons why women opt to go for the pill: regular periods, controlling acne, reducing severe cramping, and of course, preventing pregnancy are some of the most common reasons.
I’ve been on the pill since I was 14, meaning I’ve been taking hormonal birth control for well over a decade at this point. When I was first prescribed birth control, I was more than happy to say yes to regular periods, less cramping, less acne, and less moodiness. However, little did I know that by starting this long-term relationship with the pill, I was also entering into a new kind of battle with my body, and one that could potentially threaten my health.
When I first started the pill, my main aim was to finally have the clear skin I so desperately wanted. Acne (often in the form of cysts) has been an almost life-long battle for me, and I was promised by numerous doctors that the pill would finally bring this battle to an end. Unfortunately though, the pill never delivered on this promise, and while regular periods were something I was definitely thankful for, my acne actually worsened over the years while I used the pill.
That being said, I know my story differs widely from others. Several of my family members and friends report nothing but great side effects while on the pill, and clear skin can be one of the best outcomes of taking it. However, for me, the negatives far outweighed the positives of staying on the pill, and consequently I made the decision to finally stop taking the pill altogether this last year.
If you’re like me and have reached a crossroads with your birth control pills, read on to learn why stopping the pill was one of the best and healthiest decisions I made for my mental and physical health.
Why I Stopped Taking the Pill (And Why I’ll Never Take It Again)
1. It didn’t help my acne (at all). When I originally started popping the pill at age 14, it was primarily to help get my acne under control. My onslaught of acne began just after starting high school, and I was more than mortified by my seemingly uncontrollable, acne-ridden face. Desperate to help me find a solution fast, my mom took me to my family practice doctor, where I was almost immediately prescribed the pill. Very little was discussed at this first appointment, and the risks of taking the pill were barely highlighted in the same breath (e.g., risk of breast cancer, blood clots, etc.). I was given a very optimistic prognosis, a prescription, and sent on my way. The pill helped my acne to a limited extent, but I would still spend the next 13 years trying to manage my acne. I gave up my dream of having perfect, acne-free skin by the beginning of college, and figured that it would be a life-long battle for me that I would just have to learn to live with. My acne turned into full-blown cysts that riddled my entire face by my sophomore year of college, and I struggled with self-esteem and confidence for years. Every time I went to the doctor, going off the pill was never an option. I was always told that attaining perfect, acne-free skin was a matter of finding the “right” birth control for me. And so I went through my teenage and young adult years sampling at least a dozen different types of birth control pills, all with the promise that better skin would magically happen when I found the perfect pill. There would be some months where my acne would definitely improve without rhyme or reason, but the acne would inevitably return in full-force no matter what brand or dose of pill I was taking.
2. Breast cancer runs on both sides of my family. This is the most important reason as to why I finally decided to stop taking the pill. Both of my grandmothers had breast cancer at least once in their lifetimes, and while the disease was never fatal for them, it was severe enough to merit breast removal via mastectomy. Additionally, there have been other women in my family that have suffered through breast cancer as well, making the pill high risk for me. Studies have shown there is a definite link between oral contraceptive use and the risk of developing breast cancer, and although I brought this up with every doctor I saw, not one of them advised me to stop taking the pill. In fact, the solution was to simply opt for a pill that offered a lower dose of estrogen.
3. I started seeing fibrocystic breast changes. About three years ago I began to develop lumps in my breast tissue. What I thought was a routine breast exam at my yearly check-up quickly turned into a series of follow-up appointments and sonograms to see if the lumps I had developed were benign. Though I was consistently assured that many women develop benign lumps without ever facing the risk of breast cancer, I was still anxious and fearful, especially since breast cancer already runs in my family. Thankfully, all the lumps were benign, and were likely a result of popping the pill long-term (fibrocystic breast changes are often a result of hormone therapy like the pill). Did my doctor decide to take me off birth control then? Nope! Instead, I was prescribed a low-dose combination pill of birth control, and was also advised to drink less caffeine. Drinking less caffeine didn’t really help, but switching to a lower dose estrogen pill did reduce the size of the lumps. Since stopping birth control, those lumps have completely gone away.
4. I felt disconnected from my emotions. Popping the pill every day certainly has its advantages. Periods that come like clockwork, less cramping, less moodiness, and far more predictability overall are definite perks that I quickly grew accustomed to. However, there were times throughout the month (every month) that I felt entirely disconnected from who I was. I felt as if I was a shell of a person, and even zombie-like on certain days of the month. Feelings of listlessness and emptiness were not uncommon for me, and I could never explain the exact cause of this. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who has experienced symptoms like these. Mounting evidence suggests there is a correlation between hormonal birth control and depression. This was another pivotal factor in my decision to stop taking the pill, and since stopping, I am happy to report that I actually feel more in touch and in charge of my mood and emotions.
5. I wanted my body to do what it was naturally capable of doing. After 14 years of popping the pill on the daily, I just didn’t want to rely on medication anymore to take care of something my body could naturally do on its own. I was tired of feeling dependent on something that could actually be harming my body and putting me at risk for developing breast cancer. Plus, I wanted to give my body the chance to reset itself after being on the pill for so long. However, my aspirations of going off the pill did not go without criticisms from my doctors. I was warned on numerous occasions that my acne would most certainly return to its pre-pill stage, and that irregular periods would become my new normal. However, I was bound and determined to get off the pill, and started making a plan to do just that, while also developing a strategy to minimize any acne outbreaks along the way.
6. I want to have a family one day. While my husband and I aren’t quite ready to start a family, we know that in a couple years time we will be. I wanted my body to be as ready as possible for when that time came, and remaining on birth control up until that point just wasn’t an option for me.
While staying on the pill has many advantages for women, for me, it made more sense for my health to be off the pill. Every woman differs in regards to what their needs are, and for many, the pill suits those needs. But as for me, I’m a much happier, healthier person being pill-free.
