There is a surprising new trend among the female millennial population.
Contrary to the steadfast beliefs of their mothers and grandmothers, many millennial women are saying, “Enough is enough!”
Depending upon whom you ask, millennials are identified as those born between 1981 and 1996. Good or bad (again depending upon whom you ask) millennials are leaving their mark on America. As with any issue, we cannot make sweeping statements about an entire segment of society.
The same is true here.
However, a growing number of young women are rejecting hormonal contraception. The reasons why have been addressed in publications from Vogue magazine to the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Previous generations of women hailed the development of the Pill as central to womanhood and their liberation from the “slavery” of large families and their trappings. The Pill became the holy grail of feminism and has been celebrated around the world.
Millennial women deserve credit for breaking through the glass ceiling of political correctness and demanding better. Both science and medicine back them up.
Unlike the generations before them, a growing number of young women resent having to bear all the responsibility for contraception. But for most, rejection of hormonal contraception is due to the physical side-effects that come with them. Many report that the drugs cause mood swings, bloating and weight gain, feelings of anxiousness, a diminished sex drive and an increased concern of blood clots.
These young women have also become savvy regarding the medical research behind the risks associate with hormonal contraception. Last month the New York Times reported on a medical study which according to them shows a “significant increase” (20-38%) in breast cancer for those who use the Pill and hormone-enhanced IUDs. The study also revealed an increased risk with other forms of hormonal contraception. The lead author, Dr. Lina S. Mørch, said the results were “a very clear picture for us, very convincing.”
A study published in the November 2016 Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry reveals that women who use hormonal contraception experience an increased likelihood of being treated for depression. If they took a combined-hormone form of the pill, the increase was 23%, and rose to 34% if it was a progestogen-only pill. The research further shows that users of the patch and vaginal ring increase their risk of depression even more (two-times and 60%, respectively).
What’s most alarming is that adolescents (age 13-19) increase their risk of depression by 80% with the combined pill and over 50% with the progestin-only pill. Yet they are routinely dispensed without parental involvement.
As you may suspect, the use of hormonal contraception is also associated with suicide attempts and/or death by suicide. A study published in the November 2017 American Journal of Psychiatry revealed users were nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide and more than three-times as likely to die by suicide.
Pharmaceutical companies have worked to develop pills with bio-identical hormones to more closely match a woman’s biochemistry; however, this process is much more expensive than producing synthetic hormones.
To respond to a growing number of women demanding a more natural form of family planning, mobile apps are in development that would assist women monitoring their fertility.
The demand for natural forms of family planning is growing by those on both sides of the abortion controversy. Laura Wershler, a former Planned Parenthood employee and volunteer, is adamantly pro-abortion but passionately feels women’s needs aren’t being met when it comes to naturally avoiding pregnancy. These same sentiments were expressed by pro-abortion Amy Sedgwick, a woman’s health advocate and a past guest on our television program The Dangers of Hormonal Contraception.
In the face of all these developments it’s curious why Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, recently called natural family planning “completely insane.” Richards’ mantra is “We won’t go back!” No danger of that. Planned Parenthood is holding women back. Their adherence to flat-earth science is detrimental to women’s health and mental wellbeing.
This appears to be an area where both those who advocate for and against abortion (Planned Parenthood aside) can come together for the health and well-being of all concerned. Evidence shows the demand is increasing.
Bradley Mattes
President, Life Issues Institute
Life Issues Institute is dedicated to changing hearts and minds of millions of people through education. For 25 years, organizations and individuals around the world have depended upon Life Issues Institute to provide the latest information and effective tools to protect innocent human life from womb to tomb.
http://www.lifeissues.org/2018/01/millennial-women-say-enough-enough/
