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

[PinkFluffyJumper]

I've just been wondering about this recently as I'm planning on giving up on hormonal contraception following some awful, awful mood swings and depression.

I've read about women whose experiences of this (as a result of hormonal contraceptives) have been disregarded by some HCP.

Given that this seems to be quite common/widespread, why aren't the effects of these drugs on mental health more widely spoken about?

'Risk of stroke' was the very side effect that stopped me taking the pill - and I am not in a high risk group. It just seemed mad to me to increase my risk of stroke when I didn't need to and could choose a barrier method instead.

I was able to reach this conclusion and act on it in my early 20s with no medical training. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I must be a different species to other women when I read these threads.... I am sure most women are more capable than you give them credit for - or I am a freak of nature.

I can totally understand choosing not to take something for fear of the risks.

But what you said upthread is not quite the same.

What you actually said was if you experience side effect, then you might make a decision. Obviously, this isn't easy if you're dead, stroked out, or busy sinking into depression.

It may be that you are very bright and aware - which is lovely, of course. You may very well be almost a different species from other women because of your abilities and your good fortune in finding GPs who were happy to accept your feelings.

But since other women are not entirely like you, perhaps it is worth taking our experiences into consideration too?

Just to add another anecdote of personal experience. I had the implant a few years ago (heavily pushed by my GP) I didn't like it because of constant low level bleeding plus total loss of libido. When I told my (female) GP about the libido thing she totally dismissed it, "Well you're a Mother with 2 children, what do you expect?" It took me ages to get the implant taken out because I couldn't get an appointment long enough with the only GP in the practice qualified to take them out.

In the end dh had the snip and I came off hormone contraception altogether, the difference is miraculous and has made a huge improvement to our relationship.

Loss of libido is seen as such a minor thing for a woman, specifically a Mother, but it's such a big factor in quality of life and relationships.

Agree, think there is a certain disregard, yes. Old fashioned notions of hysteria dominated early views on MH in women and don't believe they've entirely been eradicated.

Fact that medication is rarely tested on women of childbearing age, for understandable reasons, doesn't help overall.

That's crap, prof.

It reminds me of trying to explain to a GP (not my current one!) that the pill he'd put me on took away my sex drive. His response: 'but is your husband interested?'

LRD, I didn't need a GP to 'accept my feelings' - honestly, women can come of the pill without anyone's permission - barrier contraception is available from any supermarket, chemist and pub vending machine.

Obviously other women are not like me if they cannot act on their own agency & just come off the pill themselves. However, I am still firmly of the belief that there are many capable women out there, I cannot be alone.

Look at the trouble people have trying to get their Mirenas removed. You can't just yank it out yourself

Yes, women can come off the pill.

But in order to get a prescription for medicine, you need to convince a GP. Barrier contraception is not suitable or affordable for all women.

I didn't realize you were simply talking about coming off the pill. Of course, it's true that anyone can choose to do that. But it rather fudges the issue, because for most women, some form of proper, affordable contraception is still needed, isn't it?

No-one has suggested you are alone in being an intelligent, capable young woman, with as wide an experience of contraception as you have.

But it is fair enough to be concerned about the needs of women who perhaps aren't as well educated as you, a confident as you, as financially ok as you, who perhaps actually need some form of contraception when they come off the pill, other than condoms? Who perhaps do suffer the side effects you were fortunate enough not to suffer, and who could do with being told that these are not something they should simply suffer in silence?

I have no idea what a mirena is, as I haven't used hormonal contraception for over 20 years, but surely if you ask for it to be removed, it will be removed? Or do they make you keep it in against your will? How did it get there in the first place? It all sounds like an experience to be avoided.

Oh, I see, you are remarkably educated.

Condoms can be got free from most clinics - but they are pretty cheap from supermarkets and I am not sure why you would need another form of contraception? They are reliable & safe with no side effects. I suppose you could go for a cap - again, these are not hard to access, I got one at 17 but didn't like it. You don't need to be any more intelligent and capable than the average human being to get your hands on safe contraception. Why women don't is a mystery.

Condoms are not suitable for everyone, and have some side effects, although these are rare.

'Pretty cheap' is unfortunately not quite the same as free.

I understand that if you are well off, these are small considerations.

I don't really see why it is ok to write off people who're less intelligent or capable than 'the average human being'? You realize 50% of people are less intelligent or capable than 'average', right?

It's no mystery why women don't get decent contraception, though. It's also not really to do with being super-brilliant. It's to do with the fact that, as people have explained, it is often not the top priority of medicine to provide this to women.

Probably just a bit thick. Or maybe there is more to it? I vote the latter

ProfYaffle I had almost identical experience with implant. GP basically said that as a mother of 2 children it wasn't a surprise that I had no libido, and suggested it could be undiagnosed PND (youngest was 2.5yrs at the time.

Very interesting - at the end of school beginning of uni I knew so many pple affected badly by the pill - I decided never ti use it - I've always used condoms and it has been fine.

I'd also consider using the morning after pill if there was anything wrong with a condom.

Why don't more couples use condoms?

'Pretty cheap' is not the same as free, but you can get condoms free. I don't think condoms are any harder to access than the pill (or mirena or whatever), so you can't suggest that you need to be well off to get safe contraception because you don't.

Why don't more couples use condoms?

I have no idea - we've use them for years and reading this thread makes me very glad I have avoided all the hormone horror stories. It is a real mystery to me why women take potentially dangerous hormones they don't need.

Many people don't like the feel of condoms.

there's also something rather teenagerish about them, I think?
I mentioned above that giving up the condoms and switching to the pill is a bit of a rite of passage to show your relationship is getting serious. I see that quite a bit.

Of course women can take themselves off the pill. I did. That's not the point.

The point is I came off the pill for the final time because I linked it with a severe depression. I shared this with my Various GPs and the link was dismissed.

Yet clearly I'm not alone in making that connection so there isn't enough research being done and warnings about mental health risks.

I know you can get condoms free, ithaka, but you were suggesting before that this was about coming off the pill and onto something else, which - as I said - requires convincing your GP.

Of course, you may be able to drive around scouting out well-woman clinics for free condoms, but probably, if you are a normal person, what happens is that you're prescribed the bog-standard pill. And then you feel shit. And if you are lucky, you are able to realize there may be an issue here, and you go to the GP. Who may tell you it is simply to be expected. You may, if you're lucky and persuasive, get put on alternative contraception. Which may once again be shit.

You are assuming everyone is both fortunate, and almost psychically well informed about how the risks will play out in their own life.

That is the issue here.

You need to take into account the normal circumstances of peoples' lives, not the tiny percetage who are very lucky.

It is funny the teenagerish thing though - I don't really tell people we still use condoms.

Mind you as I'm bfing I don't really feel like sex

Oddly enough, I used condoms as a teenager because my mum refused to take me to the GP for a pill prescription, which in my social circle was the teenage rite of passage.

I was certainly made to feel, thereafter, that I'd been deeply irresponsible to use condoms.

I don't think that helps either.

As a previous poster has said, I tried Cerazette and it made me feel psychotic within 10 days of taking it. It was given to me to try to cure my post natal depression. Went from very down to violent. Doctor totally disbelieved me a s told me to persevere. So I stopped taking the pull, stopped talking to GP and luckily managed to slowly dig myself out of my hormonal hell.

I honestly don't think you have to be 'very lucky' to get hold of condoms - they are flinging them about free at my local college at the moment.

But why deeply irresponsible for using condoms.

What about stds - why not just telling kids to use condoms.

I really don't get it nor the rite of passage stuff....