My father took me to our primary care physician and told them he wanted me to get on birth control. My doctor had no issue writing a prescription for the Pill and sending us on our way. The Pill, as it is commonly called, contains three weeks of hormone pills designed to stop a woman's ability to get pregnant. In each month's prescription, there is one week of placebo pills containing no hormones, which often results in menstruation.

At such a young age, I had no idea the effects birth control would have on my body or hormones, and I did not know birth control could be used for anything other than pregnancy prevention.

There are many misconceptions surrounding birth control, the greatest being it must mean the user is sexually active. In many cases, birth control has nothing to do with preventing pregnancy. Learning why someone may choose to take birth control is essential in changing how society views women’s health and their right to reproductive care. Many women feel embarrassed when talking about birth control, and many teens are scared to talk about it with their parents, even if its primary use is not to prevent pregnancy. Changing the way we talk about birth control to focus more on symptom management allows women to feel more comfortable seeking treatment while reducing unnecessary emphasis on their sexual activity.

61 percent of women in the US use oral contraception at some point in their lives. However, many women are fearful of birth control because of stories they've heard about others’ bad experiences. While having open conversations about birth control is important, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing menstrual symptoms. Hormonal and non-hormonal are two of the most popular types of birth control options, both preventing pregnancy in different ways.

Women who experience pain during menstruation may benefit more from the estrogen and progestin found in hormonal birth control than other non-hormonal options. While menstrual symptoms are never pleasant, women should not be expected to power through extreme pain once a month. While over-the-counter medications are commonly used for symptom management, regularly taking 800 mg doses of ibuprofen should not be considered normal.  45 percent of women report their menstrual symptoms have resulted in missing work.

Many people think birth control is only used to prevent pregnancy, but 58 percent of women report using oral contraceptives for reasons other than just pregnancy prevention. Birth control is extremely effective in helping to regulate menstrual cycles, reduce menstrual pain, control acne, prevent certain types of cancer and aid in other symptoms. Many teens want to begin using birth control for these reasons, as 82 percent of teens taking oral contraceptives do so for reasons other than pregnancy prevention. Often teens are scared to begin the conversation with their parents due to the stigma of birth control being strictly for those who are sexually active.

When I first began taking the pill, the most commonly prescribed method in the US, it was due to extreme menstrual pain. However, I could not shake the feeling that my dad decided to take me to the doctor because of my new relationship.

I mean it is called birth control for a reason, right?

By using labels focusing solely on the contraceptive aspects of its benefits, birth control fails to be a tool intended to help women. Instead, it becomes a defining characteristic of their sexual activity. Not only does this cause embarrassment for those seeking birth control, but it also creates a narrative that contraception and family planning are solely the woman's responsibility within a relationship. The idea of contraception being only the women's responsibility is misleading and damaging to the non-contraceptive benefits of birth control.

Changing the term birth control to something more neutral like hormone therapy or non-hormonal therapy redirects people’s understanding of its use to a more neutral medical decision. Reducing the focus on one's sexual activity when addressing birth control creates a new narrative allowing for more open communication and education to take place for women of all ages. I would encourage you all to have open conversations with others about birth control and its uses, as it is the best way to reduce the misleading stigma surrounding a life-changing medicine. Additionally, it is vital to spend time reviewing birth control options and possible side effects with your doctor before deciding which is the best option for you. Voting for politicians committed to supporting the Right to Contraception Act, such as North Carolina Congresswoman Kathy Manning, is another great option to help protect the rights of women who choose to utilize contraception.

Link to information about different birth control methods

Link to birth control educational resources

Cominion is a psychology major and sociology minor at Western Carolina University.