Birth Control is Not Evil- Its Needed
- zoeziegler32
- Jun 9
- 10 min read
Written by Zoe Ziegler
Sources linked at bottom of page
last updated: 6/9/26
Why Birth Control is So Important for Women to Utilize
Birth control is a tool. Especially for underdeserved communities and has historically been a game changer for equity for jobs. (By women choosing the amount of children they have.) Throughout centuries it has given women autonomy and financial freedom. Organizations like Herscreen provides education through share of research to provide awareness to women from any walk of life. So she can better understand her health and reproductive choices. Access to information is important because many people still face barriers to healthcare, contraception, and accurate sex education. Without affordable birth control options, the likelihood of teen pregnancy in poorer communities would increase as well as deepening these people into poverty/debt. Not because they are poor and that they are having more sex than the wealthier people. Instead, just because the family living paycheck to paycheck isn't around as much because they are working multiple jobs and cant watch their kid as closely compared to the rich stay at home moms. There is no fundemental difference between rich and poor people, "irresponsible," and "fast" often label these financial indifferences incorrectly. We know unwanted pregnancies keep people poorer and so does our government. This is why access to contraception, not closing Planned Parenthood clinics, and having affordable reproductive healthcare is essential.
A Multitude of Reasons Why People Use Birth Control
Birth control is ground breaking not only because of its contraceptive use. Instead for a plethora of other reasons that we will dive into. A study done by Rachel K shown that about 14% of pill users specifically- (1.5 million women) rely on it for noncontraceptive purposes. And more than half use it for multipurpose reasons including contraception.
Women often utilize birth control for things like PMS and even PMDD, increasing overall happiness by affecting and stabilizing their mood over the month. Over the month your levels of estrogen and progesterone change inducing migranes. Even during menopause birth control can help alleviate many symptoms like the hot flashes, night sweats and irregular bleeding. Birth control can help with that as well as painful periods, and irregular and extremely heavy cycles. Some people have fibroids or hormonal imbalances whom take birth control and drastically see improvements in their quality of life. Even acne can possibly be treated with usage, including PCOS.
Endometriosis is affected by the birth control pill, affecting the tissue on the outside of the uterus and inside- limiting cell build up, increasing comfort for women who suffer with this. Other disorders like PMOS, the hormonal disorder that overproduces extra amounts of testosterone in the ovaries- with unwanted side affects is often mitigated with a hormonal birth control. Letting all kinds of women gain confidence in themselves and have advocacy and a choice over their body.
As well as a decreased chance to get anemia and low levels of red blood cells because of the minimal bleeding, birth control usage has a link to lower rates of ovarian and uterine cancers.
“Studies have shown that women who use birth control pills are less likely to develop ovarian cysts than those who do not use them.” By preventing ovarian cysts and reducing the risk of functional cysts by suppressing ovulation, birth control helps women get through their daily life without having to worry about predisposed issues they have in their reproductive health. Giving the power to her.
As the writer behind Herscreen, in a unbiased way I myself have used birth control to help mitigate the unbearable pain of ovarian cysts which is hereditary, and without this tool, my life would be very limited in what I can do daily comfortably.
A Quote from Michelle G., Hartford CT
“Ovarian cysts are painful and impair fertility. Without regular access to birth control (which I get thanks to Planned Parenthood), I would continue to have these cysts. There are a variety of medical reasons that people choose a hormonal contraceptive. Regardless, every woman should be able to choose for herself.” (Planned Parenthood)
Physical What-Ifs
While scrolling on social media, especially as a teenager you will see a lot of false information about birth control. I've seen before and after slideshows on Tiktok where they essentially show a weight gain or some negative affect, telling girls in the comments to not take it. This is a very dangerous way to be speaking to young girls- especially since birth control is so important and imperative to some peoples lives.
Unfortunately, it's legality is being threatened by some of our government, and resources that provide Birth Control like Planned Parenthoods are closing rapidly- which is why it is so important for young women to know how much power and liberation controlling your reproductive health truly is. Telling young girls it will cause weight gain/loss or make you lose your hair is not correct- if you speak with your doctor/obgyn about your concerns they will listen to you and find the correct pill/method for your needs and your body.
Weight Gain/Loss
The hormonal birth control itself does not cause weight gain, some fluid retention, increased muscle mass or an increased appetite might explain this weight changing feeling. Though studies say that specifically the pill, ring, patch, and IUD do not make you gain or lose weight. Though, in other studies the birth control shot and implant have some users reporting that it does increase weight. If this is a true concern, you can just stop taking your method of birth control, have your body go back to normal, and try other options with your doctor because it's there to help you. Just a note, the depo shot specifically has notoriously been said to cause weight gain because of a risk of altering your metabolism/
The Breast Change
Most people say that Birth control will either shrink or make your breasts larger. Some people who take hormonal birth control do notice a change in breast size. Scientifically this is because your hormone levels in estrogen and progestin are level before taking birth control. Though, after you begin taking birth control your levels in these two hormones increase and can make TEMPORARY changes in your body like a increase in breast size or weight gain. Due to fluid retention most likely, which subside within 2-3 months. Even if your breasts do get larger, it is almost always a very slight and temporary change.
Are Hormones Bad For You?
You will see wellness influencers talk a lot about being against hormones entirely. They will say that hormonal contraceptive use leads to infertility, mental health challenges, and other health concerns. Through social media platforms like Tiktok, Youtube, Instagram, or X. If you are seeing content saying that a hormonal birth control is bad because it contains hormones itself- the person saying this is often referencing a broader trend against synthetic hormones.
All birth control pills are FDA approved, heavily standardized and do not use any unregulated hormones like bioidentical hormones. Over decades, hormone doses in synthetic pills have been reduced greatly and leads to fewer side affects. So, these serious side effects you see people debating over were only so common when birth control pills were less safe, containing very high doses of synthetic hormones. The fact pills are synthetic with hormones is not automatically a negative trait; it is what allows for the standardized, reliable, and highly effective contraception that millions rely on today.
Mental What-Ifs
Change in "Attraction"
You might have heard that if you take the pill, your mind will be attracted to men lacking in testosterone- and if you were not to take it you would date a "hotter" or more "masculine man" and this is supposed to be subconciously happening. Below, board-certified ob-gyn Karen Tang, MD, founder of Thrive Gynecology in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and author of It’s Not Hysteria, unpacks the birth-control-attraction myth and why its prevalence on social media isn’t just unhelpful to women but actively harmful. The study most of these influencers reference in their tidbits online is not a medical study at all, but actually done by a group of phycologists exploring these measures of how women reacted to different photos of men with more feminine, and more masculine faces. Dr. Tang says. In fact, larger studies have found zero evidence that hormonal contraceptives dampen women’s interest in masculine men, and no proof that women’s preferences for masculinity even shift with their cycles.
A woman named Dr. Jolene Brighten, certified Naturopathic Endocrinologist is online telling people that evidence points to a change in a womans attraction due to the suppression of ovulation on birth control. A Naturopathic Endocrinologist is someone who is certified in holistic treatment of the hormone system, like diets, natural supplements, etc. Not a doctor. Please speak with your doctor about your health and see the certifications of those you seek information from to ensure its veracity.
Will Birth Control Make Me Depressed?
Birth control can help improve things like PMS and PMDD, stabilizing moods. Though a study looking at women aged 15 to 34 between 2000 and 2013, found that all contraceptive uses were associated with a increased risk of developing depression, but notably higher risks with progesterone only pills, including IUD. Out of all forms the IUD was most markedly linked to depression.
"Approximately 2.2 out of 100 women who used hormonal birth control developed depression, compared to 1.7 out of 100 who did not."
It is a small risk, but a manageable one that is customizable through talking to your doctor. Birth control will not inherently make you depressed.
The Media's Portrayal, A Deep Dive
Gullible minds scroll on their phones, consuming media for multiple hours a day. If you were to search up Birth Control on Tiktok right now, you would see podcast bros debating about it and a bunch of other filler media (mostly false information) in between. Brian Atlas, a podcaster who berates only fans models on his show, mentioned how birth control should be illegal because it is essentially an abortion (ie. other similar statements people similar to him say). Including "wellness" influencers who are against hormones. This ignorance, lack of effort to do research and the audacity to still post this harmful content to naive, young viewers highlights the macho element in society taking over social media. Trying to convince these women that they do not have respect for that they should not have a choice, demonizing birth control by even calling it "chemical birth control." The question is why are we painting a hormonal tool for women as unnatural and negative. False statements about changes in physical attraction or infertilliy. These videos have real effects as well.
Research from organizations like the KFF shows that nearly 40% of reproductive-age women encounter this content. While we do not know if out of fear they will avoid taking control of their reproductive health, the risk of it impacting young minds is very real. And very negative.
Planned Parenthoods Closing
One in five (20%) young women say they would not know where to get emergency contraception, this will only increase as more Planned Parenthoods close.
HIV/AIDS Crisis
Birth control used to be taboo, especially in the 1980's in some conservative communities with the fear of the emerging HIV/AIDS crisis. Even said to be promoting premarital sex, again with the tabooness of a woman's anatomy. Before the AIDS campaigns in 1984, a study was done on teenagers and found that about 37% of females and 42% of males used condoms at first sexual intercourse. After several years of AIDS awareness campaigns (1989), same age group reported that condom use rose to about 65% of females and 62% of males. Historically this suggests that media and public health messaging can influence how teenagers use and see contraceptives. During the 1980's AIDS Crisis, awareness campaigns through their media increased condom use in teenagers. Linking that to today, modern social media platforms like Tiktok can potentially have the same effect by exposing young people to information and opinions about hormonal birth control. These harsh claims about weight gain, change in attraction, "losing" or "gaining" breasts, and other claims can have the ability to influence contraceptive choices again like they once did in the past. These messages have the ability to shape how teenagers view and interact with birth control today. One in seven women ages 18 to 25 (14%) say they made a change or thought about making a change to their birth control method because of something they saw on social media.
In the Media, we see legislature being passed allowing the ban of reproductive healthcare like abortions, and the closing of Planned Parenthoods offering resources to young people like birth control. If social platforms and influencers demonize the idea of a woman controlling her own reproductive health to their naive audiences, and the organizations built to support (usually) poorer communities with resources they couldn't get else where end up closing. Then where does that leave us as a generation?
Sources:
“Birth Control Stories.” Planned Parenthood Action Fund, www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/birth-control/birth-control-stories. Accessed 9 June 2026.
“Beyond Birth Control: The Overlooked Benefits of Oral Contraceptive Pills.” National Library of Medicine, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed 9 June 2026.
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