I watched an episode of George Lopez, and Carmen, the soon-to-be-16-year-old-daughter was asking for birth control pills.
Some plus-sides to the pill are:
- clears up your skin
- is good for your heart
- regulates your period cycle
- and helps prevent pregnancy
Looking at these facts, birth control doesn't sound too bad after all, does it? Except for, the name. I wouldn't mind taking the pill, I mean, who wouldn't want clear skin, a healthy heart, regulating menstrual cycle, and less chances of getting pregnant all in one pill every day?
My friend actually had to take birth control because her period cramps got so bad. As proven here, the pill is not just used to prevent pregnancy.
I'm not a parent, but would you let your teenager take birth control? Would you believe them if they said they wanted it for all the reasons, and not just one? If you've taken birth control, what was it like? Why do so many people automatically assume what the pill is for when somebody uses it?
Comments (480)
I went on the Pill for acne (at eighteen years old). My mom warned me that her body had never tolerated the Pill very well, and that ended up happening with me as well. My period was far less regular, and I was feeling weak and tired all the time -- not to mention my skin not clearing up. But I've heard about it causing miracles with many friends in terms of acne and period regulation.
I would advise mothers to let their teenagers take birth control. Even if she wants to take the Pill for birth control, not being allowed to take it probably won't keep her from having sex.
I would rather be safe than sorry... I was on the pill as a teenager... for more reasons having to do with regulating periods and so fourth than sexual... But I was a teenager once...
Yes.. I'd put my teenager on the pill.. if theres a male birth control pill ill put (If I have any) my boys on that too... loll
Yes... but what they don't tell you is how bad the hormones can mess you up. Yes good things CAN happen...but so can bad. I have an ovarian cyst and some dumb doctor put me on birth control without doing any tests or anything. I got way worse. I went to another doctor who tested me and said that I was high in estrogen so the bc made it worse. My sister gained a whole ton of weight. My cousin was always throwing up. And a friend of mine was one bc for a year and now can't have kids at all because it messed her up so bad. There are many other reasons why I don't like bc at all...but the health problems it causes is enough for me.
I think I would. I believe I would know if my daughter needed the pill for an actual medical reason. And she's being raised in a household that teaches Abstinence until marriage, so hopefully we won't need to worry about her using "the pill" for birth control! I would be hesistant though because I didn't like the pill. I was on it for 2 years and when I got off of it, my periods were very irregular. It took over a year for me to get pregnant.
Oh, and I've never heard of it being good for your heart before! Actually, I think I remember there being increased risks of heart attack and TIA's (mini strokes) when you're on the pill.
I was on the pill when I was 16. It was because I was having sex. I talked to my mom before I ever had sex and told her I was thinking about it. She wasn't happy, but she took me to the doctor for my first pap and we got me set up on birth control. She told me that she did that because she would rather have a sexually active teen that was informed and being safe than one that was going behind her back and not knowing how anything worked and learning for myself. I think it was a pretty good tactic, and I plan to do the same thing. Though, it was pretty awkward when she gave me the whole condom speech as well. It was great I was like "Mom, please stop lecturing. Neither condoms or birth control are 100% but when put together, they're pretty effective, plus the pill doesn't protect from STDs.. blah blah blah." I wouldn't have known that stuff if she hadn't been open with me and talked to me. Just saying "no you're too young" would have been a horrible idea in my opinion.
Plus, they can go get it for free from the health department without parental consent. I'd rather my daughter come talk to me about it, so I at least know what's going on.
I dont like to take birth control myself. I just dont like taking medicine that affects your body out of its unnatural state. (Im not AGAINST it by any means, Ive had to do it with anxiety medicine before, i just dont like to for myself) There are negative side effects that are more than common with birth control as well. But if my daughter said she was going to be sexually active, I would want her to be as protected as possible. Luckily, there are alternative methods now and who knows what will be around by the time my daughter gets around the age of needing protection. I can just say with 100% certainty that I would not refuse my daughter protection, ever. I also know several people who take the pill for reasons other than to prevent pregnancy, but I would hope that my daughter and I would remain close enough to where if she were needing birth control for anything at all, I would never have to question her and we could discuss it openly.
All you have to do is TALK to your teenager (sounds complicated, doesn't it?) and say that you're putting them on it JUST IN CASE....but NOT to give them the green light to have sex. There are worse things out there that can happen by having sex than a baby and the pill doesn't prevent against THOSE.
Sure, some of them are going to go out and do it anyways (mind you, they'll do it without birth control too and are you willing to take that risk?) but there really are some who do have it for the just in case. You never know when you're going to be sexually assaulted or whatever...or if things get to hot in the moment...or you think you're doing something safe like mutual masterbation...it protects you, and I don't see how that's a BAD thing...
I hate that they never tell you all the CRAPPY side effects birth control can have. (Obviously the author of this blog has no idea.) Come on, people, it's messing with the way your body naturally operates...of course it's not harmless!! Not to mention all the hormones it's releasing into our water and causing gender-neutral fish...where are all the environmentalists when you need them??
My kids are young now, but if my teenage daughter chooses to have sex outside of marriage (which hopefully she WON'T) I'll teach her to go buy condoms and make sure her boyfriend uses them. Definitely NOT putting her on birth control pills.
i was not sexually active as a teenager (still not, actually), but i was put on the pill by my doctor to regulate my periods - there was NO pattern, at all. haha. it cleared up my acne, regulated my cycle, made my periods shorter and lighter, and alleviated a lot of my pms symptoms, but i did gain weight, which was pretty lame! i've been off of it for almost two years now and i'm kind of back where i started: no pattern to my cycle, breakouts galore. i'm going to go back on asap.
I was on the Pill for 8 months when I was 18. This was not for pregnancy prevention, since I was unmarried/abstinent, but it was supposed to straighten out my very irregular (more like missing!) menstrual cycle. I had horrible side effects from it- I gained 12 pounds, was depressed, moody, irritable, bloated...it felt like I had PMS 24/7. When I went off the pill, I struggled to lose the weight, battled an eating disorder, AND my cycle was not fixed. My period later got back on track on its own without me trying anything, when I was 21.
I would never go back on the pill. Maybe not everyone has the side effects I did, but I hated it. There are other ways to prevent pregnancy that don't make me want to dig a hole, sit in it, and DIE! :)
I would not because of the health risks. I also have friends who started in their teens and now can't get pregnant. I don't think it's a good idea to mess with the natural system.
Although I wasn't sexually active, I was on the pill as a teen because my periods came twice a month. The pill helped to regulate that. Funny thing is, when I stopped taking the pill is when I did start having sex, and I got pregnant at 17- doh!
As an adult I've tried the pill again and my body must have changed over the years cause now it gives me killer headaches, weight gain, NO sex drive at all, and makes me kinda bitchy... so the pill is not some miracle cure all. A lot of people have bad reactions to it. I'm going to try the copper IUD since most hormone stuff just isn't working for me.
I wouldn't have a problem with my teen being on the pill BUT if she is sexually active- I'd rather her on something more reliable, something where she can't forget to take a pill. Maybe the Mirena IUC or something. And of course a handful of condoms! I'd hate my child to think since she's on birth control she doesn't need to use a condom!
If you're having a lot of mood swings/etc on the pill, ask the doctor for another pill, one with lower hormones, and see what happens.
Also, you also have to warn your teenagers about the risks of smoking and the pill possibly leading to blood clots. If your family also has high blood pressure risk, you have to seriously monitor their blood pressure to make sure the pill is not artificially elevating it. But these are known risks and you need to talk to your doctor to see if the pill is right for you.
Also, you still need to remember to educate your children about STD's - the pill does not prevent that! Just because they're not getting pregnant doesn't mean they can't catch anything else.
All of you are talking about "messing with the natural system". Well, what about when that system is broken? Sorry but my periods were *horrible* when I was a teenager. I would miss school because I hurt so badly. I was also nauseous and had diarrhea for about 48 hours as well. My daughter is tending the same way and I've already talked to my doctor about the possibility of putting her on a low dose birth control. It's not an option I'm excited about but neither is her missing 2-3 days of school a month because she's took sick to go.
One other side effect no one mentioned yet is what it does to the tone of your skin when in the sun. I got terrible blotchy brown spots as soon as I went in the sun. They faded once I stopped the pill, but my skin was never the same. And of course there was the weight gain already mentioned. I never liked it, was only on them for a year. Never again.
I started taking pills when I was 16, it was because I was having sex (with my boyfriend, who I'm still with and I'm 18 now). Our condom broke once time and it really scared me, so I went to get the morning pill the same day that this happened and everything was ok, but still there's always a chance that condom will broke, with pills, you can be definitely sure (sure about pregnancy, but still not sure about STD). So I talked with my mother and she was really cool with it (well i knew she wasn't happy about that, which parent would be if her 16 years old daughter was having sex). She fixed me an appointment with doctor and all. I'm happy that I have such an understanding mother.
i was 21, got it on my own, and told my mother it was for the health reasons. [HALF the truth ... ] me and my mom dont have good communications. i think if my daughter asked, i'd want to have a serious discussion about the whole thing, not just call her a slut and tell her no or something. like my mom would likely have done if i told her the WHOLE truth.
@averyswife@xanga - That is the first time out of a classroom I've heard the gender neutral fish thing!! Thank you! I learned about that in a biology class about how more and more crocodiles in FL were having a hard time mating because they no longer had the proper 'equipment' due to all the hormones being released into the water.
As for what bc did to my body--it really messed with my body and emotions. My husband told me that the 3 months I was off of it was the happiest he had ever seen me. That comment made me never want to be on them again!
Prescription drugs scare the $%*& out of me. However, IF I didn't know what I know about natural healing. I would remember how awful my cycle was from the begining. Regular like clock work, heavier (neverless) understress, and I've always physically and hormonally felt every step of my cycle, being too regualr has been my curse. Everything always worked great and worked HARD. IF all I knew was that my teen was struggling the way I did, I would definately allow her the only relief most folks know about.
@f14tomcat44@xanga - i had a bad experience on the pill too. i literally felt like i was possesed for a month. havent messed w/ my hormones since.
@kpsmom3@xanga - MACA
http://www.menstruation.com.au/menstrualproducts/femalemaca.html
This product regulated all you are refering to in me.
The link is the first one I found that seemed to provide some level of info. You should research it out for yourself.
It depends. 15+, I probably wouldn't mind too much, especially if it was to regulate period-related issues primarily. As long as it was taken properly as per the directions, it would also give me some piece-of-mind that if our daughter did decide to have sex, that she would at least be protected against unwanted pregnancies.
On the other hand, I know that there are some studies that suggest being on the birth control pill long-term (multiple years +) can contribute towards problems conceiving later on.
Ultimately, I'd hope that we'd be able to come to a decision jointly - myself, my wife and our daughter - and move on from there. All options would be on the table, and I'd hope that we'd be able to discuss them open and frankly so that there would be no need to try and hide anything from anyone.
In my mind, education is key, and that's where I would start from.
@Nicole_Eleni@xanga - Could it be that your blood loss meant that you were low in iron? I've heard that women who have an iron deficiency can exacerbate their condition when they have their period due to the inevitable blood loss.
Feeling tired and week can be symptoms of that, and one of my friends actually needs to take iron supplements to ensure that she has enough iron in her system...
Just a thought.
I wouldn't mind any of my future kids being responsible. lol. And that's what I view birth control as; being responsible.
I wish I could take birth control. The last time I tried it it ended up messing up my cycle and I had a period for a full MONTH instead! (Also after that episode of constant bleeding I ended up anemic. Is it just a coincidence? I don't know.)
However the birth control I was given was very generic. So as soon as I have enough money to afford it I plan on going to my doctor and see if he could prescribe one especially for me. lol
Wow, from these comments.. I'm a little scared to try the pill. hahaha....;;