Since the early 1900s, proponents of chemical birth control have promised to liberate women by granting them greater bodily autonomy and control over their own fertility. However, these freedoms may come at a huge cost to women’s health. Generations of women have been used as guinea pigs for this mass fertility experiment and the well-documented harms of birth control are still largely suppressed. With more women using birth control than ever before, it’s vitally important to expose these risks.

Hormonal contraceptives, like the pill or IUDs, are a form of steroidal endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC). Yes, like bodybuilder steroids. They prevent pregnancy by overriding a woman’s natural hormone production cycle (which is usually controlled by her endocrine system) and tricking her body into believing that she is constantly pregnant.

Doctors often forcefully and unnecessarily proscribe birth control to women (particularly young women) under false pretenses. These endocrine-disrupting steroids are offered to pubescent girls around the world as soon as their periods begin, which is generally around 12-years-old but can be as early as 8-years-old. They are told that these drugs will “help minimize blood flow, prevent painful period cramps, and reduce acne,” which is simply not true, in many cases.

What these girls are not being told is :

  1. That they are being advised to take steroids for their entire lives
  2. That these drugs work by completely shutting down their normal hormone production
  3. That these drugs have a huge range of risks and negative side effects, impacting both physical and mental health

Medical professionals are lying to women and girls all around the world: Organizations like Planned Parenthood claim that birth control pills are safe to take over a long period of time; clinics tell young girls that, as long as they are healthy, they can take birth controls until they reach menopause; even government agencies advertise birth control as harmless and liberating.

These drugs are not safe. They can cause extremely long-lasting harm to women’s physical and mental health, which may be permanent in some cases. Below is a simple, to-the-point list detailing as many dangers of birth control as possible, with peer-reviewed citations to support each claim.

Cancer risks

Increases risk of cervical cancer

– Five year usage doubles chances of cervical cancer
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2468-2667(17)30222-0
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(07)61684-5/fulltext

– Per capita cervical cancer rate has doubled in 15 years
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2468-2667(17)30222-0
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(17)30222-0/fulltext

Increases risk of breast cancer

– Five year usage doubles chance of breast cancer
https://oatext.com/pdf/CSRR-1-112.pdf
https://breastcancer.org/research-news/study-questions-birth-control-and-risk

– All modes of hormonal birth control display similar cancer risks
https://archive.vn/KVhbp#selection-1111.0-1111.193

– Five year usage causes persistent increase in risk even after usage ceases
https://sciencealert.com/large-study-hormonal-contraception-increase-breast-cancer-risk

– Women who use birth control have lifelong increased cancer risk even after they cease usage
https://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/11/11/1375.long

– Lower hormone dose =/= lower cancer risk
https://archive.vn/KVhbp#selection-1123.36-1123.160

– Delaying pregnancy increases breast cancer in general
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2681548ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2681548

May increase risk of liver cancer

– Causes benign liver lumps, which turn into cancer
https://archive.vn/o/oqqqZ/cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/oral-contraceptives-fact-sheet%23q2

Compromises insulin, increases inflammation

– inflammation increases cancer risk itself
https://archive.vn/o/oqqqZ/https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=22811306

Reproduction risks

Destroys pair-bonding

– Flatlines production of oxytocin, vital for maintaining loving relationships. Released during physical contact with sexual partners, this “love hormone” reduces jealousy and increases partner attractiveness.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3412860/How-Pill-puts-lover-Contraceptive-shuts-besotted-response-love-hormone-oxytocin.html

Lowers fertility

– Causes drop in fertility after usage, prevents 50% of women from conceiving from 1 to 6 years (over 30), most under 3 years (under 30 only)
https://archive.vn/Ydpl1

– Can cause hereditary infertility issues (passed onto children)
https://www.verywellfamily.com/can-birth-control-harm-fertility-or-cause-infertility-1959939

Shrinks ovaries

– Size reduction between 29-52%, largest reduction in young women aged 19 to 30
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26311148

Increases risk of birth defects in children

https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2605820/

Can cause chronic nutrient deficiency (which can lead to infertility)

– Magnesium, vitamins C, E, B1, B2, B6, folic acid, magnesium and zinc (are most important for fertility)
https://express.co.uk/life-style/health/612526/Does-the-pill-affect-fertility-contraceptive-oral
https://archive.vn/o/oqqqZ/https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7400487

Birth control changes who women find attractive

– Birth control disrupts natural mate-finding abilities in women, making them choose mates with whom they are GENETICALLY INCOMPATIBLE, decreasing sexual satisfaction and increasing risk of cheating and divorce
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/birth-control-pills-affect-womens-taste/

– Women on birth control are attracted to more feminine men
https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/sex-and-love/does-birth-control-affect-who-were-attracted

Mental health risks

Increases risk of depression

– Adolescent girls using combined oral contraceptives had an 80% increased risk of antidepressant use and those using progesterone-only pills had a 120% higher risk of being in antidepressants https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2016-09-30-women-taking-the-contraceptive-pill-more-likely-to-be-depressed
https://www.healthline.com/health/birth-control/birth-control-and-depression
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/05/health/birth-control-depression-risk/index.html

Increases risk of anxiety

– Shrinks orbitofrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex, causing anxiety increase 
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25832993

Can cause sexual dysfunction

– Decreases libido/sex drive with lingering effects
https://webmd.com/sex/birth-control/news/20050519/halting-oral-contraceptives-effects-linger%231
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16409223

Hormonal health risks

Negatively impacts all hormonal health

– Causes sexual, metabolic, and mental health consequences in women https://medicalnewstoday.com/releases/35663.php
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3845679/

– Decreases testosterone by as much as 60%
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3845679
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16409223

– Symptoms persist even after stopping birth control
https://sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060104232338.htm

– Lowers thyroid hormones (this causese weight gain)
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4442279

Causes accelerated breast development in girls

– Girls as young as seven are developing breasts; described as “clearly abnormal”
http://archive.vn/bPxre

General health risks

Can cause “liver overload”

https://hormonesbalance.com/articles/pill-can-seriously-affect-womans-health/

Causes weight gain

– 50% weight gain.
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4044294/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19254592

Lowers muscle gain through exercise

– Due to drop in testosterone
https://fasebj.org/content/23/1_Supplement/955.25

Increases risk of yeast infections

– Estrogen fertilizes yeast
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC97188/
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360257

Can cause Crohn’s disease

– Triples risk
https://gut.bmj.com/content/early/2012/05/22/gutjnl-2012-302362

Increases risk of stroke

– Almost double risk of stroke
https://https://sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152820.htm

Increases risk of heart disease

– Increases arterial plaque by up to 30%, which can cause ruptures, heart attacks etc.
https://circ.ahajournals.org/content/116/Suppl_16/II_820.1.short

Increases blood clots

– Increased risk of thrombosis
https://bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2135

Decreases bone density

– Results not visible until 2 years usage
https://press.endocrine.org/doi/10.1210/jc.2010-3027

Increases risk of autoimmune deficiencies

– Such as Hashimoto’s & Graves’ disease in some women
https://archive.vn/TkVBb#selection-1267.0-1267.25

Can cause seizures

– Ethinyl estradiol can trigger fits or even trigger epilepsy in susceptible women
https://archive.vn/o/TkVBb/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26874323

Can cause gum disease

– Birth control mimics pregnant state, which can cause oral inflammation, which can also cause circulatory inflammation
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886879/

Environmental harm

There is a wide range of studies available on the impact of hormonal birth control upon the environment. The small selection below highlights common problems.

Mutates testes, ovaries, uterus, brain, thyroid, and adrenal glands of sheep fetuses

– Other EDCs (vehicle emissions, paints, plastics, adhesives etc.) can be filtered out, but birth control-originated EDCs cannot be filtered out.
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/4474/ (https://archive.vn/IFPuH)

Mutates the DNA and behavior of fish

– “Technical solutions are not enough to purify our water”
https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/article/oestrogen-in-birth-control-pills-has-a-negative-impact-on-fish (http://archive.vn/Kn9mS)

Mutates reproductive systems of fish

– Causes intersexuality; sterile male fish that produce eggs in testes
– Birth control pollution is extremely potent even at very low levels
– Extremely difficult and costly to remove birth control pollution from wastewater
– Wastewater pours into natural waterways and ecosystems
http://www.livescience.com/20532-birth-control-water-pollution.html (http://archive.vn/Zi2Ri)

– Causes delayed reproduction in female fish
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/pill-popping-society-fouling-our-water-official-says-1.612803

– Treated domestic sewage discharge is a major cause of estrogenic effects on fish in the UK and US fresh water environments
– 100% of fish downstream from sewage treatment plants displayed intersexuality (ovotestis)
http://archive.vn/UDQqv

– The effects of this pollution are causing extinction of species
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080216095726.htm