I like to think of myself as a progressive woman. I pay my own rent, buy my own drinks at the bar, and I don’t expect my boyfriend to have to pay for me. I am a big fan of the unspoken agreement we have where I’ll pick up the tab sometimes, and he’ll get it others. So far its been working out well, and I’ve had no complaints – until now. Two words: Birth Control.

As it seems, birth control is one of those things that the girl is expected to pay for, and I am not happy about it. Last week I went to pick up a few months worth of birth control and was completely shocked to hear the nurse say to me, “That will be $97 dollars.” I stared blankly, and peered into my brown paper bag, yep, there was still only 3 months worth in there. She must be mistaken, so I asked her to make sure.

Nope, $97 bucks. Obviously I have grown too accustom to the generous helpings of birth control that were handed out at the health center in college like candy. Free candy.

I sadly handed over my visa and thought of the darling little number at Banana Republic that I would have to put on the back burner for another pay check and went home.

Upon my arrival, my gent inquired as to my appointment. I jumped at the opportunity to share my outrageous bill and almost vaguely saw a ray of hope towards getting the outfit from Banana again! This would be the time when my gent says: “Whoa! $97 bucks?? I’ll give you some money for that.” Because lets face it, it is the right thing to do and as I recall, it takes two to tango.

This sentiment in mind, you can imagine my shock to hear this: Read More »

So the other day I came across this article and as my eyes traveled down the page I could feel my blood boiling. Not only does birth control add a few extra pounds (to some of us girls) and possibly cause random health problems, now people are saying that it effects the way those of us taking it “smell” potential mates. Like, BC might actually make it harder to find the right guy.

As someone who’s been taking it for 7 years, I obviously flipped out upon reading, because what the hell I’m just trying to stop my monster cramps and not have a baby!??!!

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My love-hate relationship with the Pill is something I have come to accept.

I always feel as if I technically should be on it for the generic reasons of being a 23-year-old female. But, then, when I am on it, it makes me super-emotional (which is out of character for me), moody, bloated, and just plain not myself. Now, that could just be because I haven’t found the “right” brand of pill, as my gynecologist rudely told me. But I know I am not the only one who feels this way. I have talked to numerous friends who stopped taking it for a multitude of different reasons.

I actually have a real problem with people expecting that just because I am a young recent college graduate (or for those of you still in college– a crazy co-ed), I should, without a doubt, be on birth control. It’s my body and I can choose to do whatever I want with it.

Certain studies and hazards of the Pill make me suspicious as to what’s the truth about the side effects and what is just fodder from the pharmaceutical companies trying to make big bucks.

That being said, I have to weigh the potential benefits of taking the Pill, and the results of a recent study just may cause me to reconsider…

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Good news for all of us sexually active birth control laden ladies. Studies show that our trusty BC may now protect against cancer! Just like tofu, but not like tanning beds!

According to the recent British study, which looked at 46,000 women over a 36-year period, taking the pill cut the risk by 12%. A whopping 12%!

Of course, there are the downfalls (there are always the downfalls.) If you take the pill for less than 8 years, you are covered in that measly 12%. If you take it for more than eight years, the study showed that the likelihood of cancer was raised 22%.

While breast cancer was not included in the decreased risk category, bowel, ovarian and uterine cancer was reduced in the ladies taking the pill for less than 8 years.

Finally, just a tiny bit of good news for the large percentage of women that have HPV. If, of course, you didn’t start doing it when you were 15, because a decade of birth control use can double your chances of getting uterine cancer. Read More »

Everyone knows that sex without a condom is better than with that thin latex lining. According to guys it “feels amazing” and is “probably the best thing on earth.” But we also know that no matter how good it is (better than fat free cheese cake for sure), it isn’t good enough to risk getting pregnant and spending our days playing peek-a-boo instead of beer pong.

Enter the birth control pill.

Seems like the perfect fix. 99.9% effective (when taken correctly, ladies) and no annoying de-sensitizing barrier to get in the way of some good old fashioned sex. It is probably the best thing to be invented since the wheel (though I would argue the Oh-My-Bod is totally up there), so it always comes as a huge surprise to people when I say that I really truly hate taking the pill.

“WHAT? WHY? HOW??!” you ask. Here are my top 10 reasons: Read More »

Like most college girls, I don’t want to carry a bun in the oven for 9 months or pop out a 7 lb. person anytime soon. So I choose to be a user of the birth control pill.

Now I’d like to think that this country wants to decrease the instances of unplanned pregnancies, because that usually leads to the issue of abortion (don’t worry, I’m not going there). However, pro-choice, pro-life, whatever pro anyone may be, we’d all like to decrease the amount of abortions. Read More »