Birth control. The name can be tricky because it can do more than prevent birth–it can save a woman’s life. There are numerous reasons why women take birth control, and about 14% of them take it for another purpose other than as a form of contraception. 

One of the many purposes of birth control can be to decrease a woman’s chance of having anemia. Anemia is a blood condition where red blood cells do not carry oxygen for the body to function properly. For women, heavy bleeding during their menstrual cycle increases their chance of having anemia; therefore, birth control helps decrease the likelihood of anemia by limiting the number of periods occurring in a year and by reducing heavy bleeding.

On the same topic as menstrual cycles, some women experience extremely painful side effects during their periods. There are women who experience migraines and cramps that are unbearable, such as the condition endometriosis and ovarian cysts.  Birth control stops ovulation from occurring, which is when an egg is released into the ovary and if unfertilized, dissolves.  No ovulation means no cramps. 

Another issue birth control can help manage is irregular menstrual periods. A Middle College High School student herself has been prescribed birth control for this issue. 

“I have been taking birth control for about six years now. A bit after I began my menstrual cycle, instead of my period lasting a week it began to be two weeks, and then three weeks, and two days before the next month arrived, it stopped. But, once the next month started, it was the same situation all over again,” she said.

For women who have irregular menstrual cycles, birth control helps their periods occur at a certain time and for a maximum amount of days due to it containing the hormones estrogen and progestin. These two hormones are stated to be the same hormones women’s ovaries create. 

Women also take birth control in order to control and improve their acne as birth control can help balance a woman’s hormones. 

Lastly, birth control can help women prevent certain cancers from developing in the future. It is stated that women who take, or have taken, birth control are 50% less at risk from developing uterine, ovarian, or endometrial cancer. 

There are many reasons why women take birth control, but we aren’t aware of them. Another Middle College High School student believes that society has labeled discussions upon the topic of birth control as unacceptable and unpleasant; this is the reason why we lack knowledge about the broader uses of birth control. 

“I think people just view birth control to be used for safe sex, when it is also used to help women with other issues such as irregular menstrual periods. Therefore, it is often not discussed about because it’s not socially acceptable to talk about ‘sensitive’ topics. It makes people uncomfortable,” she said.

The previously mentioned student states that society’s main view on birth control impacted her life greatly.

“To get birth control I had to go to the gynecologist and every time I go, I feel uncomfortable being the only teenager in the waiting room surrounded by pregnant women. It’s uncomfortable for me because I believe that these adults are judging me, thinking I am here because I’m sexually active. It’s also difficult telling others that I take birth control because of fear that they will not believe that I need birth control for my health,” she said. 

Birth control is more than contraception.