I was educated by the nurses as thoroughly as my anxious 17-year-old-brain could comprehend. I learned about the risks, (blood clots, smoking) versus the benefits (regular periods, protection from unwanted pregnancy) of the combination pill. I learned that the pill was "triphasic" and that it introduced three different variances of either progesterone or estrogen-based hormones into my body on a monthly basis.
I learned that the pill was going to be my best friend from here on out because it was going to fool my body into thinking that it was the one thing that I didn't want to be at that point in my life: pregnant.
I didn't care, quite honestly, what was IN the pill. I just needed it to do its' job.
Fast-forward about 12 years to a time in my life when the balance shifted and my one-and-only goal of not wanting to be pregnant quickly reversed itself. The one thing I wanted more than anything was to get pregnant. (More on that chapter in our lives here.)
In the beginning, as many of you know, we kept our fertility issues a secret and struggled silently. Why? Because it was embarrassing. Because it was acutely disappointing. Because we didn't want to hear the opinions of others unless those all-knowing others could explain to me why my body wasn't working. (And, it was my body that wasn't working. Not C's.)
In the midst of that not-so-great, deeply upsetting, ridiculously tumultuous time, I recall having a conversation with my sister who happens to be ten years older than I. She, along with most of her friends and acquaintances, had absolutely no problems with fertility. None. She only knew of me and someone else who had problems Both of us had been trying for a baby for a long time. Both of us had been on the pill, continuously without breaks, for a significant period of time.
She mentioned to me that when she was introduced to the pill back when she was 15-years-old (for medical reasons), the doctor underscored that she MUST only be on the pill for approximately 1 year at a time. Then, she must take time -- at least SIX months off -- to give her body a break. This was common knowledge among her peer group.
Hmmm? What?
The reasoning? Her body needed to "remember" how to function as a normal body. It need not be fooled into being pregnant day in and day out.
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Hold the phone.
Back up the trolley, Holly.
Your doctor recommended that you stop taking the pill for periods of time? Your doctor recommended that a prescription be taken in moderation? This has never even been suggested to me by ANY of my gynecologists or nurse practitioners.
I was aghast. [In all seriousness.]
And I was staunchly opposed to the idea that the reason I wasn't getting pregnant was because I had indeed been on the pill for a dozen years with no breaks. Surely, I did it the RIGHT way... (if sneaking to Planned Parenthood was the "right" way.) I mean, I went on the pill on my own accord so that I could finish my education sans babies. So that I could grow up, get married and then have a baby.
My sister, however, believed that my use of the pill might have had something to do with infertility.
"Um, NO," I proclaimed. "My doctor said it was perfectly safe for me to be on the pill and that it wouldn't have any lasting effects on my fertility." So there. End of discussion.
She said nothing.
I locked that thought into the very far reaches of my brain bringing it out to my various doctors who all assured me that my pill-taking had absolutely nothing to do with my infertility.
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Fast forward to the present time. The conversation between the two of us came up again recently. (And I'm certain we'd both thought about it since my infertility days...)
My staunch opinion against the plausibility of birth control affecting our generation's fertility has weakened a bit...
Friends, is there a correlation between duration of time on birth control pills and infertility? Now, I don't wonder that with an intention to alarm. Hear me: my intention is not to incite fear or anger. In fact, I understand and appreciate the many purposes of the pill. I'm a believer. In fact, they did their job quite perfectly for me for years. But... I'm compelled to wonder if by doing their job so well they might have affected me in other ways...
I'm 31. (What? Wasn't I just 23?) And this infertility thing, it's affecting SO many of us. Yep, us. WE are the first generation of women who have been on birth control, regularly, for years. My sister generation wasn't. Our mothers certainly weren't.
It's silly not to wonder.
Of course our physicians wouldn't dare lead us to believe that taking birth control would potentially affect our future fertility. The drug manufacturers and our health care providers say they don't. End of story.
Check this out on the Ortho-tri-cylcen-lo website. I love how they make it all, light, airy and pink:
Is it really ok to be on any **OPTIONAL** prescription medication 24/7? (Note: I said, "optional" medication. I understand that chronic illnesses require regular medications.)
Hmmm...
I'm no conspiracy theorist, but I also adamantly question the medical world on a semi-regular basis. Why? Because I know better? Absolutely not. But because it is VITAL that I have as comprehensive as possible understanding of all things that have to do with my health and that of my family.
My poor doctors... I second-guess everything they say, bring them alternate studies and reports and together we decide the proper course of action. It's our job to be active, and open-minded, with our health. (I credit having a Dad who passed away from melanoma and a mom who has struggled with chronic illness(es) for as long as I can remember for this side of my personality. Doctors are NOT end-all authorities, they're fallible. And questioning them is a-ok. It's easy to be passive and to just do as the doctor -- or an auto mechanic -- says. But it's so very important to always probe just a little bit deeper... It's empowering.)
Everywhere I looked, nearly everything I've read says that it's a myth that the pill could adversely affect fertility. On the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website, they go so far as to say this:
(Click to make larger.)
"The pill is a good choice for women who may want to get pregnant later. It is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy. It is easy to use, convenient, and reversible. The pill may protect against some cancers. Some benefits of pill use last months or years after you stop taking it. For almost all women, the benefits of pill use outweigh the risks.
Ok, I get it. I hear their position and I understand... but I'm curious. Why are so many of us experiencing infertility? I'm sure it's related to the hormones in our milk and meat and the propensity Americans have toward trans-fats. But our Moms and our Grandmas? Did they have such problems? I'm not so sure...
I could talk about this forever. I could read about this forever. I just wonder... It's so incredibly vital that we question the status quo.
I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences. How long have you been on the pill? How long have you been trying to conceive? Remember, you can always comment anonymously.
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