Birth Control N' The Effects On Your Mental Hygiene

image Credit: @underthehood_podcast

by Natalie Escobedo.

As driven women with passions and careers to pursue, we often consider using birth control to keep our goals and intentions aligned with the future we have envisioned for ourselves.

Before college started, I decided to go on birth control and almost immediately, I noticed a change in my emotional and mental hygiene. For one, I became emotionally attached to my boyfriend and often doubted my self-worth. And ever since, I’ve been questioning how birth control could have affected my lifestyle.

Hormonal birth control can be administered on many different forms- the pill, the patch, the ring, the implant,  an IUD (intrauterine devices), and even injections. These types of birth control use a combination of hormones that the body perceives as estrogen and progesterone, which both work to thicken the cervical lining to prevent sperm from getting through the cervix to meet the egg. Estrogen and progesterone are also responsible for controlling serotonin levels. Once our bodies’ get accustomed to the hormones, we may experience symptoms that can affect us in many different ways.

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Most research lacks clinical evidence supporting a causal relationship between depression and birth control use. There have been some studies, however, that suggest that oral contraceptives can cause a decrease in sense of well-being in women. Another highly regarded study, conducted on over a million Danish women over age 14, found a positive correlation between women using hormonal contraceptives and development of depression. Contraceptives, especially those with progesterone only, were associated with depression diagnoses and antidepressant use. Some say this is because external progestins, more than natural progesterone, cause an increase in an enzyme called monoamine oxidase, which degrades serotonin concentration, and could lead to irritability and depression.

A commentary on contraception and mental health suggests that there are several predispositions for those with mental health illnesses to perceive adverse effects of birth control on their body. Whether the unwanted side effects of birth control is causing a decrease in our mental health or our own mental illness is causing some distress with birth control, it is important to try counteracting those effects. Spending time exercising has tremendous effects on our mental health. For example, getting some cardio in for at least 20 minutes can immediately lift mood by reducing the levels of stress hormones.  You can also try obtaining those hormones that birth control tends to decrease through foods. Mexican wild yam contains a substance that converts to natural progesterone once metabolized. Phytoestrogens, which affect the body similarly to estrogen, can be found in soy products, such as tofu and edamame. These natural products can help balance moods to counteract the negative effects birth control may bring.