As a twenty-two-year-old female, it is expected by most that I am on one of the many forms of birth control offered as a contraceptive or for the use of various other reasons. Whether that use is to prevent pregnancy, control menstrual cycles, or even help to diminish acne, birth control may not always be the answer.

While birth control is a beneficial way of preventing pregnancy (the most common use), the health implications can be life altering and in some cases, fatal. Before starting birth control, or any medication for that matter, it is always a good idea to do your research, talk to your doctor and find out if it is a right fit for you.

While many girls decide that the upsides to being on birth control outweigh the downsides, I am one of the few that firmly believe that it’s just not worth it and I am here to tell you why. One day a few months back, I got an upsetting text message from a good friend filling me in on her extremely frightening health scare she was currently and presently dealing with to this day. She was an active soccer player, healthy as an ox with no pressing health issues…until birth control took a toll on her body.

One day after coming home from her recreational soccer game, she noticed that she was a lot more tired than usual. Her chest felt tight and sore, but she didn’t think twice. Instead, she took a shower, took some Tums thinking it may have been heartburn and went to bed. The following morning she woke up to an unordinary sore left leg. She got out of bed and noticed an immense amount of swelling that was not present the night before. Thinking she pulled a muscle during her game, she iced it and went on with her day. As the day progressed and the swelling and pain increased she decided it was a good idea to go to Patient First to make sure there was no permanent damage if the muscle was torn. Much to her surprise, she was told it was crucial for her to leave right away and get to the ER as soon as possible that there was no tear, but multiple blood clots in her leg and lungs which was shockingly the cause of her pain, swelling and drowsiness. Come to find out, her birth control had caused this horrifying reality that unfortunately, most doctors don’t warn their patients about.

Artificial hormones are in most forms of birth controls (pills, the patch, etc.) in response to estrogen and progestin; two types of hormones the female body naturally produces on its own. By preventing the female body from naturally doing what it should and placing false hormones into the bloodstream, complications can easily occur just as it did with my friend. As her doctor expressed, birth control can negatively affect the body’s natural reproductive process and he went on to explain that while birth control seems to be a normal, everyday use, it has not been around long enough to fully know the long term affects it can have on our bodies. Every month, the female body sheds the lining of the uterus in order to flush out what should no longer be in the body. Many times, birth control prevents the body from having a normal menstrual cycle and sometimes completely stops it altogether, so where exactly is all of this un-needed blood going? Infertility is another prominent issue. The CDC estimates that 1.5 million females struggle from infertility issues and that six percent of those causes are due to the body adjusting and altering how it works due to long term exposure of birth control, especially the pill.

Think about it. You’re putting a substance into your body that prevents it from doing what it naturally should and totally alters the way it works. Furthermore, it increases your risk of multiple types of cancer, the risk of heart attack and stroke increase by a land slide and in many instances, blood clots form. It also can cause anxiety, depression and disorders such as ADD and ADHD. Over the years, heart disease has become the leading reason of death among females. Also over the years, birth control has become more predominant. Coincidence? That is up for interpretation.

While the short term effects of birth control may deem worthy of starting, the long term affects may not be worth it. If possible, it is a wise decision to check out other options that are just as readily available as birth control. Condoms are a way of preventing pregnancy that is 99% effective. If the pill, the patch or any other form of birth control that is somehow absorbed into your body are not 100% necessary, it is wiser to choose a healthier route such as condoms. Many females choose to take birth control in order to slow down their menstrual cycles. Ginseng, an herbal spice used in many teas, can be used to slow down periods. Many teas such as Lavender tea are also beneficial in slowing down the amount of blood lost during periods. While these options also slow down the body’s natural process, you are ingesting natural ingredients which are not harmful to the body. Tea as opposed to pills full of ingredients that alter how the body works are a better, more ideal way to slow down menstrual bleeding. Lastly, in order to help prevent acne from continuing or getting worse, there are many acne treatments that can be bought at your local drugstore. Eating healthier, using Aloe Vera, sea salt, and even maintaining a clean, makeup-free face all are much more effective, healthier options to prevent acne.

While birth control has quickly become the norm, it is wise to not jump on the bandwagon. Do your research, find the right choice for yourself and if possible, find forms of contraception, ways to maintain lighter menstrual cycles and acne prevention that don’t include taking a pill that has the potential to negatively harm the body. What happened to my friend and hearing that her own doctor admitted that birth control did indeed cause her blood clots and that down the road it can cause more harmful effects opened my eyes to the harsh reality of what birth control is capable of. I am by no means a doctor and cannot sit here and tell you birth control should be banned. All I hope to do with this is provide light to those who may not know the negative impacts birth control can have.