Menstrual cycle

• Some women are reportedly even stopping their birth control as a result of misleading posts they’ve seen on TikTok and Instagram.
• These three common misconceptions about birth control are cropping up online and need to be put in context:

1. Contraception causes depression

• Countless videos on social media discuss the effect hormonal contraceptives have on mental health – with some creators claiming birth control causes mood changes and even depression.
• Although there’s some correlation between mental health and some forms of contraception, there are many factors at play.

• The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.
• The evidence suggests depression is more common in adolescent girls – and diminishes after the first two years of taking these forms of birth control.
• At present, there’s little conclusive evidence that contraception (both hormonal and non-hormonal types) cause mental health problems.

2. Contraception causes weight gain

• Another common social media claim is that birth control causes weight gain.
• There is one form of contraception that is linked to weight gain.
• The Depo-Provera injection, which is administered every 12 weeks, has been proved to cause weight gain.

This weight gain may be due to the progesterone in the shot, which can cause people to feel hungrier – potentially leading to overeating and weight gain. If you’re concerned about potential weight gain, the injection is not the only form of contraception available. Other forms of hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptives have not been shown to affect your weight.

3. Birth control lowers your fertility

• Another common claim on social media is that birth control causes fertility issues.
• Research shows hormonal contraceptives have no affect on fertility.
• Again, evidence shows that IUDs pose no risk to fertility.
• A systematic review reports no specific differences in fertility between hormonal and non-hormonal IUDs.

Christopher O'Sullivan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• When I ask my menstrual health workshop participants – including clinicians – there’s usually a lot of shrugging and shaking of heads.
• If given multiple choice options, most think that periods either “clean the womb” or somehow “help prepare for pregnancy”.
• Yes, the blood part can stain clothing, but there is nothing pathological, contaminating, or dangerous about periods.

So, why do we have periods?

• Periods likely evolved as a kind of preemptive abortion, to protect women from unviable or dangerous pregnancies.
• As a result, we have low rates of conception, high rates of miscarriage, and extremely high rates of maternal mortality in comparison to other mammals.
• The menstrual cycle is critical for facilitation of the initial steps of this raison d’être of the female reproductive system.
• The menstrual cycle is critical for facilitation of the initial steps of this raison d’être of the female reproductive system.

What else don’t we know?

• Perhaps with the fact that the second phase of the cycle from ovulation to menstruation is a series of highly inflammatory processes.
• This was only very briefly mentioned in three out of 16 textbooks.
• We really ought to be taught from puberty how to reduce period pain and blood loss – this is not difficult science.

Why aren’t we taught this stuff?

• My research shows that the exclusive focus on the female sex hormones in menstrual education is informed by societal influences, such as the myth of the hysterical or hormonal female.
• This gender myth is still alive and well, although now we tend to blame the (female sex) hormones.

• Again, there was no scientific reason for this change in focus, although it reflected existing societal beliefs about the inherently irrational behaviour of women.
• Unfortunately, menstrual health literacy has not yet recovered from this shift in physiological models.

So what?

• It also becomes much easier to differentiate premenstrual changes from underlying health conditions, since the latter will not be substantially alleviated by anti-inflammatory interventions alone.
• Teaching the reductive hormonal model of the menstrual cycle unintentionally provides pseudo-scientific evidence for the damaging hormonal or hysterical female gender myth.

Sally King is the founder of Menstrual Matters- the world's first evidence-based info hub on menstrual health and rights www.menstrual-matters.com. Her doctoral research and current research fellowship were funded by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council).

• With this initiative, Mira seeks to educate people about their sex hormones so that they can make informed decisions about their health.
• This annual initiative is set to raise public awareness and bridge the gap about female hormonal health.
• In light of Sex Hormones Awareness Week, the company released a study on how sex hormones affect mood and well-being .
• For more information about Sex Hormones Awareness Week, visit the link https://www.miracare.com/awareness-week/ .

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