Is there a disregard for the effects of contraception on women's mental health?

mad, I think that is so true. ANd so important.

coch - me too with sex drive. Annoying. On cerazette I had absolutely no libido, not at all.

How do we support the OP if she does do a MN campaign (if that's even how it works)? I would really like to. It sounds very important.

I think a Mumsnet Campaign on this would be a great idea. Much needed.

Like many on here, I first went on the pill at Uni, aged 18 - Ovranette - and suddenly became an emotional, blubbery, not quite complete wreck, but certainly seemed to have lost my fearless love for life. I went to the doc and she suggested I try a 'Tri-phasic' pill instead, which has now in fact been discontinued. I stayed on that one for a few years with no real problems, I seemed to have hit on a secret wonder pill, as I never met anyone else who was also on a tri-phasic, that varies the level of oestrogen you get thru the month to follow your own natural cycle.

i have wondered why weren't / aren't more people put on tri-phasic? It could be that there are other, awful side effects associated with it, or simply that it was untrendy.

I am utterly convinced that the pill is responsible for massively reducing my sex drive - it has never ever gone back to what it was before I started taking the pill. For this i would happily contribute to any articles on this topic!

I think this is a huge adverse effect on many women's lives that frankly the pharmaceutical industry / government have so far got away with.

I have now been completely clear of hormonal contraception for about 10 years, and I never intend to use any form of it again. When after the birth of DS the doc asked me the obligatory contraception question - me and DH just laughed!

Am appalled to read the stories of women having hormonal contraceptions all but forced on them.

We use condoms when we're not trying to conceive.

Further to NiceTabard's point, I remember reading the side effects list for Microgynon most attentively when I started taking it. It seemed to me to be like every other side effects list I'd ever read (including those for common painkillers), running the gamut from "Tired" to "Stroke/Death". I have an idea leaflets now rank side effects by likelihood, but I'm not sure they did then. The only one that really sticks in my mind was that my breasts might become tender and "might ooze a little milk" which to a 19yo student was just horrific

Anyway, I kept an eye out for the various symptoms. I wasn't aware of any particular changes (apart from weight gain, I think), but part of the nature of mental health problems is that they don't present like a broken leg. It may not be obvious until you look back on, say, several years of some periodically very odd moods, that you realize something may have been up.

And even so, I can't be sure. We can't run the counterfactual scenario in which I never go on the pill. It's only the coinciding of an improvement in my health with coming off the pill that made me think of it at all.

Great posts NiceTabard.

I had no idea the pill had these side effects! I have never taken any hormonal contraception, only ever used condoms as the idea of playing with my hormones, cycle etc feels wrong (this is absolutely NOT a judgement on anyone else BTW, purely a manifestation of my huge anxiety issues which often focus on health)

I experimented with a variety of rubbish contraception in my 20s and early 30s, then decided the only thing for me was celibacy. It's the least hassle and most effective of all. Obviously it's not for women that really love sex or need to hang onto their man, but is is an option for some. I don't miss sex at all. As a single mum the worst thing I could possibly do (in the eyes of many) is get pregnant again. Sex would never be worth the risks for me.

Yeah, that's absolutely true.

I think there's the perception that we're terribly lucky to have contraception at all and should really feel grateful. And I do. But I don't usually have to spend 10 minutes in awed gratitude every time I pop a paracetamol for a headache, and I'd be expected to make a fuss if it didn't do the job for me, if only so that eventually the complaints would get back to the pharma companies who develop these things.

And there is nothing wrong with trusting your doctor, and not researching everything to the nth degree. That is actually normal behaviour.

The problem comes when the medical profession let people down as seems to be happening with this hormonal contraception issue.

No I knew what you were saying.

Plenty of people are illiterate.
Plenty of people will accept a prescription from the GP and take the tablets and not read the insert, they will believe that the doc is acting in their best interests and trust them to tell them if there are any likely risks.
Plenty of people will have a look but not get far along with the tiny writing and the medical lingo. "Contra-indications" being a good example.

Good posts LRD & NiceTabard.

I think there's been some deliberate misunderstandings / gaslighting going on

I rang my doctor today to make an appointment to have a copper coil fitted. "No problem," the doctor said, "but why don't you want the mirena?" This is bothering me, and I'm having trouble articulating precisely why. I was very clear and specific: "I'd like to make an appointment to have a copper coil fitted." If she'd questioned why the copper coil in particular, I'd have happily explained: microgynon's having a detrimental effect on my mental health; cerazette made me bleed for the entire nine months I was on it, and I was told this was something I simply had to persevere through; depo-provera was the same; my vagina is under the impression that thrush is the appropriate response to condoms. I'm just left with this vague idea that the mirena is the contraceptive I ought to be taking, and I'm deviating from the norm by wanting something non-hormonal.

Yes, exactly.

I don't know I put it very well, but I certainly wasn't trying to argue that women are thick. I'm saying I don't think anyone should expect women will read and understand that info the way a medic will. I'm not even sure some GPs read it the way a person who specializes in depression might, because GPs are trained in a system that also tends to minimize the importance of women getting 'side effects' of contraception.

There is a thing here which is making me feel uncomfortable.

How many people read and digest the side-effects and warnings on things like aspirin, paracetamol, lemsip, ibuprofen. And read "risk of fits / seizures / death" or something else dire and think "oh well that sounds awful I won't be taking that ever".

Answer is of course very very few people, and the ones who do are arguably a bit neurotic. The contraceptive pill is in the same bracket as these - everyday drugs that are used in a very widespread way by huge amounts of people. And so no of course women don't read "risk of depression" and think Oh shit I won't take that in the same way they don't read "risk of death" on a packet of paracetamol and decide to do without.

Add to that the position in society - which has for decades been that the pill is THE easy, safe, effective way of preventing unwanted pregnancy.

AND that the doc dishes it out without a by your leave even when contra-indicated if this thread is anything to go by.

AND that many start taking the pill very young - 14 onwards - I started at 16 as did most girls I know - not a time of life when you have much awareness of your own mortality as you are still very young and positive.

AND the fact that many boys/men subtly or not so subtly pressure their partners into taking the pill.

And what have you got? You've got everyone on the pill and NOT because women are stupid and reckless and cavalier with their own health or whatever the accusation was.

This thread is about how medical professionals often dismiss women and girls who complain about side effects from the hormonal contraception they are on. About how they are not listened to and the drive towards more and more hormonal contraception seems to be going ahead without any real consideration or studies into all of these experiences that women are having. That is the conversation here, not whether women are thick.

I am with LRD here, ithaca. I've found your posts dismissive, insulting and blaming of women. The medical profession don't treat the symptoms seriously. How on earth are untrained women expected to assess the risks for themselves?

And when certain types of contraceptive are pushed and the considerable benefits (in the medical professionals eyes) explained to women, the choices they have are immediately loaded. The information out there isn't unbiased.

I was just reading an article, maybe via mn ?, on how development of a male contraception was/would be rejected for this very reason.

It bothers me that woman are expected to carry the burden for 2 long. After 2 DC and wanting no more I asked my then P to consider a vasectomy. He was very upset. Bastard

as an absolute catastrophe, that should read...

I suffered horrible mood swings after going on the mini pill (some 25 years ago now) and it wasn't mentioned to me as a side effect. In fact (and I remember discussing this with some friends who were also discovering sex/contraception as we'd all been given the same message and we were all a bit puzzled by it) the Dr told me that 'the risks of NOT taking the pill are far more serious'. We came to the conclusion that they thought of getting pregnant is an absolute catastrophe (and to be fair at the time it wouldn't have been ideal) and no other kind of contraception could be as effective as the pill. I felt sooo much better when I came off it in TTC and have never gone back.

One thing re. the hideous grim clinics - in the late 80's many of my drama group friends were gay and I was rather jealous of the fact that in every bar in Old Compton Street there would be a huge basket of condoms on the bar, free for all, and people would come around promoting safe sex and handing them out to everyone. It seemed slightly unfair that heterosexuals had to go to the grim clinics/pay at the chemists...

bubble - my mate has been training as a doctor (qualified a year ago), and it has been fascinating seeing what he is and isn't taught! He was really shocked at how brief some of their training was, when in other areas it was extremely detailed.

So yes, I can believe some doctors don't really have the side effects at the top of their mind when they prescribe.

That is gracious of you, and I'm grateful to you for recognizing you were being inappropriate too.

Your posts were most certainly belittling women, IMO. I and other actually had to point out to you the implications of your claims that 'everyone' could read a packet.

These things matter really quite a lot.

If you re-read the thread, you will see many suggestions other than unpleasant clinics have been made, so obviously they are not the only reason.

I'm not sure some Doctors even know the pill has side effects. My GP for example, when I had a very scary experience whilst on the pill where one side of my face went numb and I couldn't speak, never suggested it might be the pill. Even though she prescribed it for me. Even though circulation problems are an acknowledged side effect. It's like the pill is seen as just normal - not even like a drug. It's just what you take, it can't be the problem. I wonder if you had side effects on any other drug would they listen too or just dismiss? The cavalier attitude to hormonal contraception is very scary.

I haven't touched hormones since that episode and thankfully haven't had another event. After I had DD I went to family planning, told nurse about numb face experience. She nodded, wrote it down and suggested .... the pill!. They don't seem to know the contraindications themselves.

I can quite imagine, chaos. The sexual health clinic I visited (in an attempt to get a diaphragm, which they then lost before I could pick it up) seemed designed both aesthetically and organisationally to make us clients feel consumed with shame and regret at our wanton sex lives.

Generally I think that any argument condemning large sections of society for being stupid is misconceived. As a modern society we should be able to set up systems that work for people of all levels of intelligence and education.

LRD, I accept your apology for being combative - it is not appropriate when someone has opened up about their contraceptive choices, but I can forgive and move on.

I have never belittled women I didn't deem to be as intelligent as me - my very point was I did not understand why women, who I tend to assume are intelligent, make contraceptive choices that could damage their health.

Unpleasant clinics have now been suggested as a possible reason. Is that the only reason?

They smelt gross and DP loathes banana anyway, so the whole thing was pointless!

I must have been about 17 or 18 at the time and felt that I couldn't leave, even after being kept waiting so long because A, there was nowhere else that I knew of that provided the same service in my town and B, as you say, I felt that that would have been irresponsible.

So the whole contraception business is a pretty difficult thing for teenagers to negotiate, even if you do decide to go down the non-hormonal route.

Not sure I fancy banana condoms!

But good point - I know loads of teenagers who would simply end up leaving in that situation. Of course we could berate them, imply they're a bit stupid and irresponsible - but what would that solve?