The Pill: Are You Sure It's for You?

by Jane Bennett, Alexandra Pope

While a birth control pill is taken by most women at some stage in their lives, few realize that it is not without side effects. Clear links have been made between oral contraceptives and such symptoms as depression, nausea, headaches, and a loss of libido. Other women also experience difficulties conceiving and raising fully healthy children after coming off the drug. Accessible and informed, this insightful guide examines how the pill works, its advantages and dangers, and the best ways to remain healthy during and after use. Alternative contraceptives are also examined, making this the complete guide for women looking to make the difficult choice about contraceptives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health

324 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008

About the author

Jane Bennett is Professor of Political Theory and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of The Enchantment of Modern Life: Attachments, Crossings, and Ethics and Thoreau’s Nature: Ethics, Politics, and the Wild, and an editor of The Politics of Moralizing and In the Nature of Things: Language, Politics, and the Environment.

Reviews

[Paula M. Youmell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pill is not natural and as an OB/GYN RN, Maternity Nurse, I have recommended for decades that women leave these hormones out of their bodies. They are toxic

I recommend this book to all females in every stage of their lives and menstrual flow.

Moms and Grandmoms read and recommend to your daughters so they are 100% aware of the effects of hormonal birth control. Excellent information about other options to be in control of your reproductive capacity and menstrual cycles.

Have your sons read it so they are more informed about the pills effects on the females they love. Men will learn how to be responsible with their partner around fertility awareness and reproductive responsibility without poisoning their loved ones bodies with synthetic hormones.

Dads read too so they are informed males.

I have worked in public schools for over 25 years. I am flabbergasted at the numbers of females put on the pill at very young ages to: "regulate" their cycles, diminish PMS and cramps, lighten flow, etc. Very few young girls cycles are regular until their bodies work their way into what is and will be normal for them.

The pill does not fix anything; it only creates a synthetic hormone induced cycle. Long term consequences are not anything I would want in my body or my daughters.

I have been teaching females for decades to avoid hormonal birth control. The side effects are awful and the long term consequences will come back to haunt you.

Fertility awareness and natural means of regulating your reproduction are far healthier options.

Creating a healthy menstrual cycle is easy with good nutrition, herbs to support getting one's body back into a rhythm, and making natural, whole health choices for your body.

I am glad Jane Bennett and Alexandra Pope took the time to write this book and bring to light a topic needing discussion around every dinner table.

I hope this book sells millions of copies.

[Melissa Corrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good info if you want to know what your options are especially hormone free. But telling me my period is a form of meditation is more hippy than I am and a complete load of crap.

[Julia B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it in a charity shop and see why now..

- Every chapter is very repetitive, like other reviewers pointed out
- There is no balanced view on anything, the pill is bad from all perspectives
- So many anecdotes follow the same pattern "She was put on a pill by her doctor at 13-16 years old and now she is 35-45, is infertile, lost all her health, wants to finally go off it and never felt better"
- When the time came to actually give advice on what to do instead, the author sort of shied away from it in many chapter. Until finally she said and I quote "elimination of the pill can be sped up with natural remedies to detoxify the system and stimulate the normal functioning of the endocrine glands. Naturopathy, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine and Ayuverdic medicine"
- She keeps saying to be more natural and find your own rhythm, but the truth is that the 21st century nutrition/ecology/lack of exercise/stress just trumps anything you can achieve with avoiding plastic/meditating/doing yoga. We are so screwed, and even if you don't have PCOS that messes things up even more, it would be a miracle to rely on things like body temperature and bloating to know when you are in your cycle


The only positive point she brings:
"If you are using the Pill to handle your PMS, period pain, PCOS or acne, it's important to realise that the cause of your symptoms hasn't actually gone away, it's been repressed. However, an absence of symptoms can bring you very necessary relief to give you time and space to think about other options"

[Bee La Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and Moon Time, along with a lot of other things that were going on in my life, helped me make the decision to take myself off of hormonal birth control completely. I feel much better - grounded, embodied, present, and less disjointed overall. My body just feels better without synthetic hormones. My husband has noticed a difference as well in my libido and my emotional states. We now use a diaphragm in combination with other methods, with great success. To me it is simply worth it to just have a clear relationship with my body that isn't obstructed by synthetic hormones and other pharmaceuticals. It is also frustrating how hormonal birth control is simply casually handed to women - especially adolescent women - without much education on alternatives or long-term side effects of their use. I would have never gone onto birth control in the first place if I had known the things I know now. I think informed choice - and availability of choices - is critical for women's health.

[Melissa Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about the side effects that aren't typically pointed out when deciding on a birth control. This book is limited on how much information is given but it also gives a good summery and if I wanted to I could research further by way of the resources supplied in the back. This book helped me decide sooner to get rid of the Nexplanon, I have support from my partner which helps, not everyone is at a stage in their lives where they think this is an option.

[Sue Blanch · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are taking The Pill or other hormonal methods of contraception or medication then this is an essential read. It informs you of the benefits and the risks that The Pill brings with it and explores alternatives for contraception and health. There are some brilliant chapters on the benefits of having a natural menstrual cycle that are well worth reading, even if you are not taking The Pill.

[Maria Scetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-/5 buon testo per iniziare, sicuramente non basta per esaurire l'argomento.

[Sonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heh idk

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a ton from this book. It is written in a very fair style - taking into consideration many sides of the topic of whether to use hormonal contraceptive medication. It is full of important scientific information but written in a very kind, accessible style that made me feel like I was sitting down with some wise women who truly wanted to share their wisdom for the health of all. I really enjoyed this book and am grateful to have found it. It gave me a deeper understanding and respect for a natural and life-giving process (which we are ordinarily taught to dread and hate). There has been a good shift in my feelings since reading this book. There is so much in this book that I didn't realize. It felt like it should be required reading for anyone considering "the pill" and would certainly benefit any woman in general in a quest to learn more about her body.

[Duzzlebrarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book's byline should have read THE PILL IS EVIL.
Doesn't even attempt to be evenhanded in dealing with the pros and cons of the Pill - they're all cons. The Pill will kill you, and every single woman who's ever taken it regrets it. Further, periods are wonderful and fulfilling and joy, joy, joy (that's news to me); your acne is your own fault; all the other contraception methods are equally bad; and lastly, the only contraceptive that works is natural family planning, so we should ALL be using that. I didn't get any further than that last point.
Yes, folks, it's a thinly-veiled punt for the rhythm method. Serious.

Know what you call a woman who relies on the rhythm method? Mommy.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pill is a really fascinating look at the effects of hormonal birth control which aren’t often talked about, from depression to nutritional problems. It’s excellent information for anyone trying to decide what method of birth control would be best for them. The authors are clearly in the camp of methods which allow women to experience their cycles naturally, and they are rather fervent at times, so take the book with a grain of salt. That said, reading this book might make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about the safety and efficacy of hormonal birth control, and other options may suddenly seem a lot more appealing.

[Colubrina Laticauda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante per chi non ha ancora le idee chiare su che effetti può fare la pillola anticoncezionale sul proprio corpo. Di taglio più "medico" rispetto a "Mestruazioni" della Pope, mi pare i suoi interventi si rifacciano in toto all'altro sui libro.

[Natacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned only little from this book.
I felt that it doesn't go too deep into the main questions and a few chapters I didn't even read because it was aaaaalways the same. Especially by the end: your period is great, the menstrual pain is something you should embrace, eat healthy, take a rest. Well thanks - I do that and still have menstrual pain.... it's just a bit too simple written although it talks about the "feminine magic" all the time.
I'm a bit disappointed. But I do recommend this book to women who don't know much about the pill and other contraceptions.