Intense bouts of depression and anxiety. Destroyed libido. Weight gain and hair loss.
These are all side effects from the birth control pill that has come to be regarded as normal or expected, at least in my high school friend circle. The pill controls more than people’s fertility; it also affects their mental health, feelings, and appearance.
Natural Family Planning is a means of contraception that tracks a woman’s menstrual cycle, body temperature, and cervical mucus over a series of months. It can be up to 99% effective if used correctly, but the process is more complicated than taking a pill. With the negative effects of birth control and the necessity of understanding your anatomy for true bodily autonomy, Natural Family Planning deserves advocacy and more conversation, especially in female circles.
Brown University’s Health Promotions website lists nausea, headaches, spotting or breakthrough bleeding, missed periods or amenorrhea, weight gain, and decreased sex drive as side effects of birth control. There is nothing pro-women about encouraging women to take in synthetic hormones that disrupt and counterattack their natural hormones and rhythms. There is nothing pro-women about enduring side effects that could be avoided with the careful and intentional observation of their bodies.
In terms of target audience, most women at this college will start thinking about birth control leading up to a wedding, a season already prone to stress and split focus. Tracking your cycle in college could be incredibly helpful in allotting the amount of time Natural Family Planning deserves. Not to mention, tracking one’s cycle is good for creating awareness of your health, wellness, patterns, and mood changes throughout the month. Because Natural Family Planning requires such dedication, the effectiveness drops when it is done inconsistently. Yet, according to the Natural Cycles app founder, Dr. Elina Berglund Scherwitzl, when done correctly, Natural Family Planning rivals the effectiveness of birth control pill.
There is value in allowing your body to complete its natural functions, rather than relying on another substance to do the work for you. Enslaving oneself to big pharma is not empowering, especially when there is a better, safer option for everyone. No woman should have to fight against her own body. Working with it brings a level of autonomy, health, and safety that is hugely beneficial before thinking about bringing additional tiny humans into the world.
In addition to being lawyers, teachers, nurses, writers, and politicians, a lot of Hillsdale women are excited about becoming wives and mothers one day. The educational foundation at Hillsdale will be hugely beneficial in that endeavor. The class on women’s health taught by women’s tennis coach and physical education instructor Nikki Walbright is a step in the right direction. Regularly-scheduled Natural Family Planning seminars, talks, and events would add an additional level of preparedness for life after college. Natural Family Planning was not on my radar until I met the Catholic women at this school. Protestants should know about this too.
All women should be exposed to natural family planning as an option. It shouldn’t seem like a far-off, future worry, but a helpful regimen you should start thinking about now.
