Lara Briden - The Period Revolutionary
Leading the change to better periods and hormones
A survey of the benefits and side effects of hormonal birth control including natural alternatives for contraception and the treatment of period problems.
If you suffer hair loss, facial hair (hirsutism), or acne, then you know all about androgen excess or high male hormones.
You may have been given the diagnosis of PCOS, but there are actually several different reasons for androgen excess in women, including androgen hypersensitivity, adrenal androgen excess, high prolactin, menopause, and hormonal birth control with a high androgen index.
A menstrual cycle is, by definition, an ovulatory cycle in which ovulation is the main event and progesterone is made.
Any other kind of bleed is either an anovulatory bleed or a pill-bleed — neither of which are real menstrual cycles. Ovulatory cycles are the only way to make progesterone which is important for general health, not just for making a baby.
The progestins of contraceptive injections and implants can cause depression, weight gain, and irregular menstrual bleeding.
Side effects occur because 1) progestins are not progesterone, and 2) progestins at that dose can suppress ovulation and cause anovulatory bleeding. Keep reading to learn the difference between a real period, an anovulatory bleed, and a pill bleed.
Natural or non-hormonal contraceptive methods include fertility awareness-based methods, the diaphragm, condoms, and the copper IUD or Paragard.