I literally jumped out of bed to write this post today! If you know me, you know that I don’t ever jump out of bed to write. But today was different because as I lay in bed scrolling through the Huffington Post (I know, I know I shouldn’t wake up and look at my phone…sigh, no one is perfect) I came across an article entitled:
“Lena Dunham Asks Why People Use Birth Control, World Learns Critical Lesson.”
Naturally I clicked on it to have a read. It turns out that Lena Dunham has endometriosis, and in response to the government’s continued assault on a woman’s access to birth control (I’ll get to that in a minute), she tweeted this message:
“I need birth control because I have endometriosis and it helps manage pain. Why do you?”
Within a short time there were nearly 1000 responses ranging from not wanting more kids to having PMS, PCOS, endometriosis and more. While I admire Lena’s advocacy for women’s healthcare rights, I strongly disagree with this message.
Women! We are not inherently broken and we do not need a birth control pill to fix us. What we need is a more comprehensive understanding of how our bodies actually work so we don’t live in constant fear of them. Do you know that 58% of American women who take the birth control pill also use it for reasons other than getting pregnant?? (1)
Let me translate this:
More than half of the women in this country have symptoms so bad every month that they need a powerful hormonal cocktail to make them feel better physically and emotionally. This implies that women’s bodies don’t work – that without a great deal of medical intervention we simply can’t be healthy.
And this pisses me off so fucking much!
Don’t get me wrong, the recent Hobby Lobby decision by the Supreme Court really pisses me off too. And the fact that the government continues to cater to these organizations is beyond my comprehension.
Women’s health in America today is truly under attack and I cannot fathom how the men making these decisions can’t see in the faces of their mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, the faces of every woman negatively impacted by their horrible abuse of power. I could go on and on about the lack of safe abortion clinics, the new rules on contraception, the chronic undermining of Roe vs Wade by state governments and myriad other issues.
But I won’t. No instead, I will just say this…
We don’t need to fear our bodies, we just need to understand them. The current women’s health care crisis is a perfect example of our lack of understanding, not only from these idiotic men who keep proposing and enacting these ridiculous laws but for every woman who is terrified of what her body will do every month because she has never been taught the basics.
We need a paradigm shift here ladies (and gentlemen – especially you!). Women today need to know that the pill or any method of hormonal contraception DOES NOT fix endometriosis, fibroids, painful and heavy periods, PMS, PMDD, depression, or any other condition related to our monthly menstrual cycle. All it does is mask an underlying hormonal imbalance that if not treated can and likely will cause a whole host of problems down the line.
I have been doing this work for four years and the stories I get from women every single day are completely gut-wrenching. We place our trust in our doctors and the medical system because we have collectively moved so far away from understanding the true nature of how our beautiful female bodies actually function. Essentially, we take our bodies to the doctor in the same manner we might take our cars to the mechanic – we have no idea what the hell is wrong and we pray that the doctor/mechanic will fix it because we have to get back to living life!
Unlike cars though, our bodies have cycles and systems that ebb and flow. When we slather ourselves in hormones to spot-treat individual issues, all we are doing is further hindering our ability to actually figure out what is going on!
Imagine how empowering it would be to know exactly when you were ovulating each month, the days you could have unprotected sex to either get pregnant or prevent pregnancy, knowing when your period will arrive, not living in fear of PMS or tons of physical pain, and finally, having an appreciation for all the hard work your body does every month for you.
This is possible for every woman. I know because I have helped thousands of women move from fear of their bodies to feeling at home in their bodies. The only way to stop this insane cycle of assault on women’s health is for women to START trusting their bodies and STOP giving their power away to doctors who don’t have the slightest clue about treating the root cause of anything.
Continually relying on a prescribed pill which by the way, has been classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization, is completely disempowering for all women. Instead I show women how to be far less dependent on doctors for fundamental answers that should be a part of their own knowledge and understanding.(2)
If you want to learn more about how the pill and other hormonal birth control methods damage your amazing body, read this post and then this post.
If you’re really motivated to lose your hormonal birth control, you can check out my Birth Control Protocol: The Ultimate Solution to Ditching Your Hormonal Contraceptives.
I also recommend my signature program, Fix Your Period in which I teach you exactly how to get to the root of your hormonal imbalance, treat it holistically using a combination of food, supplements and easy stress management practices and finally be free from hormonal birth control.
I believe these fundamentals should be seen as part of every woman’s basic education. Period. By the way, Lena I think you’re beyond awesome and totally love you to pieces!!
Sources:
1. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/Beyond-Birth-Control.pdf
2. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/generalinformationaboutcarcinogens/known-and-probable-human-carcinogens
Scroll down to estrogen to take a look.
43 thoughts on “Why Lena Dunham is wrong about birth control”
I am sorry but it is very DIS-empowering to be so adamantly against the pill as well as placing it on this opposing spectrum of ‘the pill and doctors VS women’s bodies and natural health’– They are NOT on opposing sides of a spectrum and we don’t need to ‘take a side’ and be done with it. I am a long time holistic wellness practitioner specialising in women’s wellness, reclaiming our cycles, menstrual wisdom, etc. and have endometriosis and adenomyosis. I spent 7 years doing all the all natural route- vegan low glycemic diet, yoga, meditation, shamanic healing, Mayan abdominal massage, Reiki, herbs, homeopathy, psychotherapy, etc etc. Name it, I spent a good chunk of time doing it. I felt better emotionally and mentally, but guess what? The Endo only got worse. ALOT worse. Got to Stage 4 in a short time. Thanks to the self-righteousness and dogma and mis-information that many holistic pracititoners have about the disease, I lost 7 years of my life and nearly lost the whole thing altogether. It was only thanks to my skilled SURGEON, DOCTOR, PELVIC PHYSIO, and, finally and foremost THE PILL that has given me my life back so I can be a good mother to my daughter and be present on this planet to achieve my dreams. I still employ natural methods to keep a life balance but without the pill, I wouldn’t be here. Please stop pill shaming and painting a picture of the pill as somehow ‘anti-woman’–or ‘unnatural’–Because guess what? My uterus is flawed, nature is flawed, and that’s ok! Doesn’t mean we need to shame it nor shame people who seek to correct those flaws so they can live their daily lives without pain..
Serena, there is zero shaming happening in this post. This post was mean’t to show women that they don’t need to be at the mercy of pharmaceuticals, and that there are other options out there. This post isn’t for someone like you who tried all the natural solutions and didn’t get relief. I think it’s great that you found what works for you, and I always encourage women to do just that. I am a big fan of finding excellent doctors and excision surgery. Where in the post did you read otherwise??? If you read more of my posts you’d see that I talk about these things.
There is nothing dis-empowering about being adamantly against the pill for women who would otherwise have the opportunity to explore alternative solutions to their health concerns, but are instead given a pill prescription and nothing else. Dis-empowering for who? I am clearly stating that I don’t personally buy into the belief that our bodies are inherently broken and need fixing. Luckily I get to share MY opinion about the pill on MY blog. If you don’t like it, that’s totally fine.
While I hate the pill it has literally saved my work life. I have been on the pill for a year and for the first time in my life since i got my period I have been able to plan things with friends in advance, not miss work or school or any other important event and while i dont love how the pill makes me feel, and some of its lesser known effects I am at the beginning of my work life. I cannot affort to miss work on a monthly basis at a new job amd hope to get a good reference. I have lost jobs because of my inability to stand up without vomiting. Now that I am on the pill I can do those thinngs without worry. And while I would love to go off of the pill I am terrrified of the pain that will follow and the lack of opportunities that could lead to me not becoming financially independent.
Hi Abina, I COMPLETELY understand where you are coming from, and urge all women to do what feels best for their own health. I so appreciate you commenting and sharing your perspective. I also encourage you to look at little deeper under the surface to figure out what could be causing your extreme period pain. I don’t believe women’s bodies are to be medicated, so I always ask women who come to me to look more closely at dietary and lifestyle factors that could be causing their symptoms. The pain is just a symptom of an underlying imbalance – whether its your hormones, your gut health or your liver function. It all pretty much comes back to one of those things. You might want to consider my Fix Your Blood Sugar Protocol, because that is the FIRST place I have women start when attempting to get painful periods under control. Check it out here: https://nicolejardim.com/signature-products/
Big hug!
I may have endo.. going in for a lap surgey. i do not want to take BC or any hormones… Can you please tell me who i can contact (any medical prof) to help me in the future if I do have endo.. also do you have any suggestions and tips. I am vegan and that has helped so much with a lot of my symptoms. I can now walk and work on my periods which i used to could not. No more migraines! They are still heavy but every other month seem to be real bad in pain. I bled the whole month of May and it was really light. When I do get pain though it hurt. I’d appreciate your help. Also a question about tranexamic acid… your thoughts on should one take that or no?
Please only ppl with associated with this website replay..
I also have spondylolisthesis which I thought was causing my pain ( and still may i haven’t had the lap surgery yet it is in 2 wks) but not only did it hurt in my L4/L5 & S1 but also my pelvic and groin and hip area.. my spine Dr said to check with OBGYN b/c I am too young to have hip problems. I am done with my physical therapy which was great until my period hits and then I had to take pain pills. But also when I do work out it takes a lot out of me and I get fatigued, especially on my own. I can only do about 15 mins… maybe 30. Not much cardio. 5 mins in a stationary bike I miss riding my bike. I used to ride for miles. I’d give anything to just ride a measly 5 miles! We not anything.. no birth control and no hormones!
I feel its important to state that Endometriosis is NOT a lifestyle condition.
I was diagnosed at 15 and am nearly 35 now. I have had 6 Laparoscopies total, 8 years of birth control, 3 cycles of Zoladex. I tried the all natural and no surgery route for 9 years… until my pain was so bad. I went to an Endo specialist after much deliberation and guilt… turns out it was very necessary – despite all the lifestyle changes for soooo many years Endo was causing havoc inside me….
Sometimes you have to combine treatments whether you like it or not. But yes YOU and ONLY you can decide what is best for YOU. After much research and trial and error many women find what will work for them.
Hello. I have read your comments on endo…. and as an endo sufferer I feel compelled to write this: I have been dealing with this nasty disease for 17 years and have taken the natural approach the last 14 yrs after getting sick of birth control and other pills….I just wanted to detox and be pure, no more pills. So I started working out like crazy and eating all organic non -gmo food and doing everything right. Periodic detoxes, always learning and trying new alternative approaches. For a good six years I did not get a period(maybe two that did not feel ‘real’ after stopping the pill. It messed me up big time! I felt so bloated and had to work out hard and eat perfect just to not feel awful. But then I started getting it about 8 years ago every 28-30 days and the pain is unbearable and it ruins my life most of the month. Moods are horrific. I would give anything to go back to not getting my period. My sex drive was way better not getting it! Also, it was better on the pill. I still eat all organic and clean, workout a ton, meditate, yoga and everything else healthy and no relief as of yet. Tried acupuncture and chinese herbs. A ton of western herbs and every supplement you can imagine. I think maybe you can manage your endo pain free now is because of having those surgeries. They must have eventually removed all the endo and then with your healthy lifestyle it kept it from coming back. I considered the surgery but something in me just cannot go through with it yet. My gyno wants to put me on the mirena IUD to shrink all the stuff in there. It doesn’t stop the normal cycle or ovulation and is a tiny amount of progesterone only. I am so confused. I just wish that the natural route really worked but I can tell you that after 8 years of doing it, it is just not enough:( I have been trying progesterone(usp bioidentical) for the last 8 months with some relief but still not enough. Also DIM helps. There needs to be more research and treatment options for endometriosis, fibroids, cysts and adenomyosis!!!
Jillian
I know this reply comes late, but… Excision surgery is the only thing that can cure endometriosis. 57% of the patients who have it get cured with just one well-performed surgery (90% when it comes to intestinal endometriosis). About adenomyosis: menopause can cure some women, but the only thing that can cure it in 100% of the patients is hysterectomy, unfortunately. That being said, I personally would much rather get a hormonal IUD (Kyleena) than have a hysterectomy! I’m trying the symptothermal method because I don’t want anymore hormones in my body, but if someday I have to choose (I have endometriosis and adenomyosis) I certainly won’t hesitate. I’ll do anything I can to keep my uterus.
Hi Nicole – I do apologize for appearing rude. In my first comment, I intended to add some information concerning how the Pill can, in fact, inhibit the regrowth of endometrial tissue, although it’s definitely not a cure, nor is it free from side effects. However, my second post was in reaction to a post made by a commenter, not by you. Since you’ve worked with women for 15 years, you can imagine how inflammatory it is to suggest that they cause their own endometriosis, especially if this claim is not backed by supporting clinical studies. I’m agree women can help treat endo through lifestyle changes, but I don’t believe it’s accurate – or kind – to tell an endo sufferer that it is, essentially, her own fault that she has the condition at all. Hopefully this comment is a little more clear and sounds a little less hostile.
I love this post! It is so frustrating that women are told the that birth control pill is the only option to manage endometriosis! Thank goodness you exist to share this message! After finding out I had endo I did a LOT of research and initially made a number of diet and lifestyle changes. I noticed an improvement the next month as my symptoms did not get worse – for over a year my symptoms had been increasingly worse each month however after these initial changes (mainly diet) my pain levels began to decrease month by month (to be very honest – sometimes only a very minimal decrease and sometimes it was worse again the next month before improving the month after). Through time I implemented more changes including lifestyle changes and awareness of environmental factors. I also used Chinese medicine and supplements to address my underlying hormonal issues and recently, after 18 months on this journey I enjoyed my most pain free period ever. For me, addressing the underlying causes and managing my endo has been a long process however it is soo worth being in control of my body and I continue to implement everything I have learnt everyday. I now nurture my body and assist it to heal rather than taking drugs that simply mask the underlying issues. I’m so thankful that there are people out there like you sharing the message and hope that women continue to stumble across this information and get informed of alternate options. You’re amazing Nicole!
Awww, thanks Sarah!
Awesome post Nicole!! I couldn’t agree with you more! Thank you for continuing to educate women about their bodies and teaching them how much control they actually have in their hands once they understand how to naturally balance out our food and lifestyle choices. I understand that everyone has to start somewhere, but once you realize that synthetic hormones aren’t really “curing” anything and instead, serving as one big giant band-aide, you are that much more empowered as a female to make responsible, educated choices. Keep teaching and educating and slowly but surely those who are open to making real, long lasting change will do so. 🙂 Love ya! xo
Great article Nicole! When I was in my teens and twenties the birth control pill was the only “solution” given to me by doctors. Granted, doctors get so little nutritional education, but I wish they would have referred me to someone like you. The pill messed up my gut and made me an emotional mess (both of which required yet other medications). Thankfully, I decided to go down the path of learning about how my body works and how to interpret it’s messages, what diet works best for me, and how to live more in sync with natures cycles. 🙂 Now I look forward to my periods. Thank you for all that you do!
I was on the pill for 9years for my Stage 4 Endometriosis and it acted like a reasonable band-aid for that time. I still experienced pain with it and of course lots of side-effects but for me, I believed that it was the only thing that would work. I was scared the endo would spread without it.
Now, after travelling that road, along with 7 operations, I worked out that I can live completely pain free and symptom free by changing my diet, detoxing, exercising etc. I learnt the hard way, that the pill was contributing to the toxic load on my liver, which directly relates to Endometriosis. We do all have to travel our own journey and sometimes it just takes a shift in believing we can, to see a different perspective. It took me 15years. My mission is to encourage women to make that shift sooner with Endometriosis.
Speaking from my own experience with Endometriosis and having been on the pill for over 9years, I can share a broad perspective on the pill. I won’t lie to you, for me, it was a savour for my Endometriosis because at the time, I had no understanding of my body or how I could use food as medicine or how to truly nourish, cleanse or treat my body. I wanted a quick fix and the pill offered me that. I also didn’t really care about anything else, other than relieving the pain.
It did bring with it a whole range of side-effects and some of those things I am still dealing with today. It did help to some degree – though I still experienced pain and spotting and put on a heap of weight!
Side-note: The pill has been shown to directly contribute to Candida which ironically can be a contributor to Endometriosis.
The pill actually robs the body of many vital minerals and nutrients and what’s more it actually adds to the toxic load on the liver. One of those is Vitamin B, which the liver needs to process it’s functions.
After years of research on Endometriosis and understanding the condition both from a personal and professional perspective, I know that the liver is the key organ that we need to rebalance and heal to effectively deal with Endometriosis.
When something adds to the toxic load of the liver, it is taking us further away from feeling better with Endometriosis.
Some women might just be at the beginning stages of their journey with the condition and the idea of getting rid of it, just feels like a massive impossibility. With repeated messages of “there is no cure” and “there is nothing else you can do” by doctors and Gyni’s, it is easy to understand why this would be true.
The first step to change is believing we can and I know it took me over 15years to do that.
I now live with Endometriosis, without pain, without the pill and was originally diagnosed with Stage 4 Endometriosis.
Perhaps my journey could have been a shorter one if I had opted for the natural path all those years ago but mentally I just didn’t believe it was possible.
You know I love your work Nicole but also know that women with Endometriosis have been told so many things for so many years, that they simply don’t believe that healing with Endometriosis is possible. They, like I did, believe that the pill will stop the Endometriosis from spreading and that it will save from them frequent operations. I believed this story too and it is hard to not fear Endometriosis when you get told you have it. It is not visible and it can have nasty consequences.
There is simply a lack of understanding around the condition and many with Endometriosis are still coming from a place of fear, rather than possibility.
My mission is to change that and make their lives about getting Empowered about Endometriosis.
Hi, Melissa! Fellow endo sufferer here. Like I mentioned in another comment, excision surgery is the only thing that can cure endometriosis. 57% of the patients who have it get cured with just one well-performed surgery (90% when it comes to intestinal endometriosis). I’m sure you know that. Besides endometriosis, I also have adenomyosis, which menopause can cure in some women, but the only thing that can cure it in 100% of the patients is hysterectomy, unfortunately. That being said, I personally would much rather get a hormonal IUD (Kyleena) than have a hysterectomy! I’m trying the symptothermal method because I don’t want anymore hormones in my body, but if someday I have to choose, I certainly won’t hesitate. I’ll do anything I can to keep my uterus. Don’t you agree that in cases like this, along with the 43% of the women who don’t get cured by excision surgery (which you’re a part of) women should get one if they’re in excruciating pain? Because the way I see it, sometimes the hormonal IUD is a necessary evil. I’d like to hear your thoughts on this.
Thank you for being brave and sharing this! I feel so sad for women who are constantly being told they “just are” a certain way, their bodies are “just broken.” While this may be the sad truth for some, I don’t believe these issues are nearly as unexplainable and prevalent as media makes them out to be. How empowering to hear your reinforcement of the fact that we actually have control over our bodies! No more masking the symptoms! Let’s actually look at the root cause and fix it! 🙂
Jen, who are you and what are your credentials???
Between Nat and I we’ve got 15 years of training with renowned women in the field of women’s hormonal health and we have effectively helped thousands of women all over this planet with conditions caused by hormonal imbalances, including endometriosis.
You can continue on doing whatever it is you’re doing and we’ll happily continue helping women overcome their hormonal imbalances and the conditions caused by them.
Now please stop with your bashing on my site or I’ll remove your comments.
There is no medical evidence to support that endometriosis is a “lifestyle condition.” That statement indicates that women have given themselves the issue due to poor health choices, which is egregious, irresponsible, and not fact-based. While there are certainly efforts to find out what behaviors can ameliorate symptoms, such as low-inflammation diets, there is no significant clinical evidence to support what you’re saying. Why act like endometriosis is cut-and-dry defined in these ways? How does this help women?
Nicole you beautiful human – hi five sista, couldn’t have said it better myself.
We can’t rely on the pill as a treatment, it was never designed to be one after all. Even if after a laparoscopy if we don’t change our diet and lifestyle and most of all attitude (thoughts, feelings, beliefs etc) we give ourselves every chance for it’s return because the underlying issue hasn’t been addressed. We can’t simply remove the evidence of an issue and expect it to stay away if we don’t change the fuelling source. Only when we make the necessary adjustments to diet and lifestyle can we get a full grasp of the condition and propel our bodies to wellness. After all, Endometriosis IS a lifestyle condition. No question.
Wether the readers here are ready to hear it or not Nicole, that’s not your issue. You know the saying – don’t shoot the messenger! Keep being a shining light, helping women to be the greatest version of themselves. THAT comes with HUGE reward. And of course, many happy clients who have indeed been able to overcome endometriosis!! Proof is in the pudding really. Big love to you and all that you are and ALL that you are doing to help women be well.
Perhaps I’m misunderstanding your phrasing or intent, but when you say that endometriosis is a lifestyle condition I find it both incorrect and insensitive. Peer reviewed science now upholds the theory that endo is laid down in fetal development- clearly not a result of poor lifestyle choices. To say nothing of the many women who suffer debilitating symptoms from the age of their first menses, some as young as nine or ten years old, having never touched a tobacco or alcohol product. Endometriosis is an estrogen dominant disease and I fully believe that avoiding phyto-estrogens and incorporating natural progesterone can certainly help with symptoms. However the longest lasting results with the lowest rate of recurrence is excision via laparoscopy. You are certainly entitled to your opinion but I urge you to do more research before making statements like this as though they are absolute fact.
You are incorrect about the use of hormones in treating endometriosis. No, nothing can “fix” this condition – it is incurable. However, hormonal treatment prevents regrowth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. Oftentimes, an endo patient needs to undergo a laparoscopy to have scar tissue removed from organs ranging from her ovaries to her liver or even lungs. Without hormonal treatment afterwards, these growths will return, sometimes even within months. Endometriosis can cause debilitating pain when not controlled, but the hormones found in birth control pills, like pregnancy hormones, can, indeed, fix the pain and prevent the regrowth. You clearly have enthusiasm, but not all the information. If you have a passion for women’s health issues, I’d advise a similar dedication to fact checking and sensitivity towards issues outside of your own personal experience.
Has it ever crossed your mind that hormonal birth control doesn’t suppress endometriosis growths at all? I think those studies are bullshit and I’ll tell you why: I was on the pill for 7 years and I still got endometriosis. Besides, endometriosis was a rare disease before the existence of hormonal birth control. And now? Billions of women are on hormonal birth control and billions of women have endometriosis. Funny, right?
That being said, I do agree that sometimes the hormonal IUD is a necessary evil, as I’ve said in other comments, but that’s because it doesn’t work the same way as other hormonal birth control methods. And I only agree with its use when excision surgery hasn’t cured you and your pain is excruciating, or if you have adenomyosis and you get to a point where you have to choose between a hormonal IUD and a hysterectomy.
Lisa, thank you for your comment. I appreciate hearing all sides. As I said in my comment to Katie, this article is clearly based on my opinion about the use of birth control pills for anything other than birth control. I am am not insinuating that I know any woman’s body better than she does, in fact my point is that NO ONE knows about a woman’s body better than she does.
If you’ve read anything else I’ve written about on my site or talked about on various summits and guest articles you’d know that I am a huge advocate for women doing what feels intuitively right for them.
Take good care! 🙂
Katie, you are right, I know nothing about Lena Dunham and her health. Her tweet sparked a lot of debate and I decided to share MY OPINION because I work with women every day who are dealing with endo. I happen to know a great deal about endo and in fact every client I’ve worked with has put a lot of effort into creating a plan that works specifically for her. That’s the point of my work – I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach and instead believe in customized treatment plans which happen to work very well.
I had horrendous menstrual problems for years and was too poor to treat them naturally. So I really get it. Luckily there is so much free information on the internet today that women can easily begin making more informed decisions about their health.
I’m on your side Katie but I’m also allowed to express my opinion too 🙂
Take care of yourself.
I was diagnosed with stage 4 endo in 2011. I am incredibly informed about the disease, the possible treatments (there is no cure) and in tune with my body. Without continuous BC, I would be bed-ridden. While I would love to be able to afford alternative treatments or excision surgery, it isn’t possible right now. You don’t know ANYTHING about Lena Dunham or her health. She was speaking about her reasons for using BC, not anyone else’s. If you knew anything about endo, you’d know that every one has to work for years to find treatments that work for them specifically. So why criticize her as if you know best?
There are a lot of incredible questions on here, but it’s so much easier to get clear answers in our Know Your Flow Facebook group. Click here to Join:http://tinyurl.com/pkflo6r
There are tons of women in there who’ve had similar experiences and it’s much more private. I also have a free Period Survival Guide for you here: http://tinyurl.com/nh7y55g
Hi Nicole! I’ve just stumbled across your blog and I wanted to tell you that I really love the content you have on here. Keep it up! xx
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Nicole! As a fellow women’s health practitioner, I also agree that women deserve a more empowered approach to their health. Just because our system is broken doesn’t mean its OK and we shouldn’t be talking about this. I’d like to see actual approaches that work be covered by insurance for all women with severe symptoms, like acupuncture, herbs, and diet counseling along side the pill when needed. When we conflate the pill and feminism it causes problems.
While I admire what you’re trying to do with this post (encourage women to seek natural methods and not rely on the pill), I think it’s dangerous to imply that you know how to better manage someone’s pain than she does. Endometriosis can be incredibly debilitating. While it would be wonderful if every women could afford to seek out natural, alternative treatments (like acupuncture, massage therapy, nutrition counseling, herbs, etc.), it’s simply out of the financial reach for many women. Many insurance companies won’t pay for the diagnosis or treatment of endometriosis because it can be considered fertility or infertility-related. Many insurance companies won’t pay for things like acupuncture or nutrition counseling either. So what are women supposed to do? Continue suffering pain because they can’t afford natural treatment? I think that endometriosis-sufferers would be really offended that you’re suggesting that they just need to understand their bodies and cycles better. I’m heavily involved in the infertility community online, and the women suffering from endo are some of the most highly-educated women I know. They know their cycles inside and out. They understand what’s happening. And they also understand that sometimes the pill is the only thing that provides relief. Just some food for thought…
This article definitely raises valid points– women need to figure out what’s wrong before treating themselves with birth control as a ‘fix all’ solution. But I have PCOS- and I’ve tried everything. I have cut carbohydrates, tried natural remedies, I keep in shape, but without the strength of birth control my hair starts to fall out, hair starts growing in other places, and my period becomes non-existent. is it possible for some women birth control may be the only solution that really works ?
Thank you! I have stage 4 endo and I’m convinced it was made worse/ even started by being on the pill for over 16 years. I try and tell people about not using the pill as much as possible as I really believe that synthetic hormones and messing up all women not just endo girls. I’m so sick of being told go on th spill or have a hysterectomy to fix everything – er…no thanks!
Same! I was diagnosed with endometriosis and adenomyosis after 7 on the pill. I don’t think it caused those conditions, because my periods were always long, heavy and painful before I was on it, but I definitely think it made everything worse!
Nicole this is a great retort to an article which is enough to drive any woman to tears, women on a body respecting, hormone understanding mission … I Love it 🙂
Thank you all SOOO much for sharing your views and showing your support. I had no intention of writing this before 7am today and I’m really glad I went for it!
It’s my mission in life to empower women’s by giving them access to the right information. Empowered women on a mission! Can’t think of anything better than that.
<3
Thank you so much for writing this. Maybe you can send it so it’s published in HuffPo too. It’s such a shame that this information isn’t getting out there. And, you explain it so well
Awesome, keep the ball rolling Nicole
‘there is no life without soil
there is no life without body
and there is no life without the female’
men do not and can not really know this
(as much as I cherish their existence…)
it is on us women to take back this power
of knowledge, appreciation and care
– much else will fall into its natural place.
and Thank You, Nicole, for blazing the trail!
Brilliant post, Nicole!!!! You are so right — why are we taking pills to mask symptoms when our bodies are capable of functioning normally? Thank you for writing this.
I love love love this post!!! Couldn’t agree with you more Nicole. Thank you for being brave and smart to write this. Love!!!
Was thinking much of the same this morning, thanks for putting in writing. My mother was shamed in the early 70’s for using temping and FAM/TCOYF for family planning instead of the pill (so tricky since it’s so tied to feminism’s history) and because she was, she never told me about the method.
But, as i’m on CD73 with no period in site (PCOS) I’m investigating natural progesterone creams before my doc puts me on provera in 2 weeks and potentially fills me back up with synthetic hormone that I’ve been trying to filter out for 8 months after 10 years of being on the pill. argh!
This post is amazing! I cannot even get over that there are still so many women who believe that the pill is helping (rather than hindering) our bodies!!!! PISH POSH (yeah, I said it.) I mean this is INSANE girl. Women need to know this message!! Women need to know that they absolutely CAN heal their bodies AND prevent pregnancy. TOTALLY NATURALLY.Ugh. So sick of old men trying to tell us what to do with our bodies. (Sheesh, you totally opened up my anger too with this one!!)