The pill is an oral contraceptive that uses synthetic hormones to shut down your hormone production. By taking the pill, you are effectively suppressing your body’s natural hormones. Therefore, you do not ovulate, nor do you menstruate.
The bleeds that occur while taking the pill are called breakthrough bleeds. They were actually introduced as a way to make the pill feel more natural to women back in the 1950s when it was first put to market. Indeed, these bleeds were included as a marketing tool. The manufacturers thought that a birth control pill that completely removed monthly bleeding would sound too unnatural.
Many doctors continue to prescribe the birth control pill as a way to ‘normalize periods’ or ‘regulate hormones.’ However, the reality is that the pill has no such effect on the body. These hormones are not even real hormones. All they do is suppress your body’s natural functions. This may appear to fix the problem, but unfortunately, they just suppress it.
When women come off of the pill, they are often faced with these same pre-pill problems. These problems re-emerge, and often, these problems have worsened. It’s important to realize that the pill does not get to the root cause of any hormonal reproductive health issues. Therefore, it should not be taken as a means to heal the body in that way.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of some period myths. With this new understanding, you can gain a more intuitive approach to your menstrual cycles and hormonal health.
