LIFE: Acknowledging Birth Control: The ABC’s of the Little Blue Pill

Kelsey Kietzman

The 1920’s began a whirlwind controversy as women chose to redefine their roles and slowly take more control over their actions, appearance, and more importantly – health. With the FDA approval of the birth control pill in the 1960’s, female attendance in colleges and the career forces increased drastically. Women gained freedom to regulate pregnancies in order to complete a degree or devote more time in the work force. The birth control pill, however, and the newfound freedom it came with, brought consequences and controversy.
“Because the Pill was so effective, and soon so widespread, it also heightened the debate about the moral and health consequences of pre-marital sex and promiscuity,” said a 1967 New York Times article.

Even in Christian circles, use of “the Pill” is sometimes misunderstood or controversial. Some Christians believe birth control is unethical because it is stopping the potential production of life. Other Christians believe that birth control is acceptable because planning a family is not a sin and other uses for the pill are beneficial. It is used to clear acne, but also to regulate other serious medical conditions such as endometriosis (which results in intense menstrual cramps), or regulating patients with extremely low body fat.
“I think the biggest problem for girls in the Christian community is that they feel like they will be judged if they talk about it,” junior Jamie Hartson, Laguna Hall RA, said.
Junior Emily Fawell, Laguna Hall RA agreed.
“I had to explain that I take birth control for my acne. If you are taking it for the right reasons and your heart is in the right place, its OK,” Fawell said. “It worked for me.”
Although the pill is known to lessen acne and regulate menstrual cycles in addition to its contraceptive use, there are other risks and benefits from taking the pill. The pill is speculated as causing breast cancer and persistent migraines. But studies also show that the use of oral contraceptives for a period of five years or more can decrease the risk of ovarian cancer by 50 percent. Avoiding one risk causes another—something that should carefully be considered.
The Pill, in combination with the hormones already present in the body, has been linked to lowering brain serotonin levels. This lack of serotonin can cause serious depression.
“People should know [about rare side effects] because you could be that rare occasion,” sophomore pre-med major, Jillian Deas, said.
In other uncommon cases, the pill can also cause blood clots in the legs, lungs, heart, and brain, and can cause liver tumors.
Because the pill stops ovulation, there is a decrease in the necessary lining of the uterus, and an increase in cervical mucous. In the rare case of a pregnancy while taking the pill, the embryo has nowhere to implant on the thin uterus lining, which some Christians believe is an “ambortifacient” – an early abortion.
“Nobody wants to put a number [percentage] on this statistic because we honestly don’t know,” biochemistry professor, Dr. Sirvent said. “If the drug companies know, they wouldn’t tell us. This case is rare.”
What most birth control pill ads do not say is that statistics about success are only conditional under perfect use. They do not account for missed days or taking the pill at wrong times.
Birth control should be taken with knowledge of both the risks and benefits. It is not a tool to push the ethical and moral envelope, but instead can be used by Christian women as a way to regulate their health.