6 Reasons to Take Hormone-Free Birth Control
The pill, hormonal IUD, vaginal ring, arm insert, injections, and the patch are all hormonal birth control options that will stunt your natural hormone production in the body to prevent pregnancy. Many complications can occur while taking these hormonal methods, so instead many women opt to take hormone-free birth control. These include the copper IUD, sponge, condoms, diaphragm, and the fertility awareness method. All of these methods use a more physical approach to prevent pregnancy rather than a hormonal approach. Here we will discuss the benefits of hormone-free birth control.
Here are 6 reasons to take hormone-free birth control:
1. NOT MARRIED TO THE METHOD
Unlike hormonal birth control, when using hormone-free birth control methods, it is easier to stop using them and have no adverse effects. Hormone-free birth controls utilize a physical barrier approach to prevent pregnancy. There is no chemical or hormone released into the body. These methods simply block the interaction between the sperm and the egg. Because hormone-free birth control methods do not impact our chemical or hormonal processes in the body, you can stop using them without any harmful effects. Options like the sponge, diaphragm, and condoms can be inserted or removed at any point, and many of these methods need to be disposed of after intercourse. Having the flexibility to stop the use of these methods is beneficial, especially when trying to get pregnant. In contrast, hormonal birth control methods are not as easy to stop because your body has to readapt to producing its own hormones, resulting in a period of infertility.
2. Ovulation still occurs
One of the reasons to take hormone-free birth control is because ovulation still occurs. Ovulation is one of the most essential signals that your hormones are balanced and produced at the right amounts and time. As the ovary releases an egg into the fallopian tube, this is ovulation. If the egg gets fertilized by sperm during ovulation, you become pregnant; if it does not get fertilized, it will follow the path down the uterus and will be excreted as a period. For ovulation to properly occur each month, your body needs to produce enough progesterone and estrogen to mature the follicle in the ovary to release the egg. Stress and testosterone levels need to be maintained at lower levels as well. On hormonal birth control, your body receives artificial hormones that will turn off ovulation and natural hormone production to inhibit pregnancy. Inhibiting ovulation over long periods can elicit some adverse side effects mentioned next. Nonhormonal birth control methods restore ovulation and allow the body to continue its natural production of hormones.
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3. AVOID HORMONE RELATED SIDE EFFECTS
As mentioned, hormone-free birth control methods maintain ovulation and natural hormone production. As a result, the body won’t have any hormone-related side effects like unwanted weight gain, nausea, depression, high blood pressure, blood clots, among many others. These side effects are very common when using hormonal birth control methods. This is because your body may not adapt to the artificial hormone dose from hormonal methods like the oral pill and thus can impact our physiological processes in a negative way. Our hormones control so much more in our body than just our menstrual cycle. The body’s stress and energy levels, satiety, hunger, emotions, and even our digestive system are all dependent on hormone balance. By using hormone-free birth control, you can maintain all these functions while also preventing pregnancy.
FREE HAPPY HORMONE MEAL PLAN:
4. Most are over the counter
Another reason to take hormone-free birth control is that you do not need a doctor to prescribe most of the methods. This is because hormone-free birth control methods do not alter the physiological state of the body. Diaphragms and copper IUDs still require a visit with the gynecologist but condoms, sponges, and fertility awareness do not. This makes it really convenient to prevent birth control without worrying about a doctor’s visit or if your insurance will cover it.
5. BACK-UP PROTECTION
Hormone-free birth control methods are a backup method for hormonal birth control. You can combine them simultaneously, or you can use them in place of your hormonal option. For example, if you miss a day or two of the pill, and that method becomes less effective, you can use hormone-free birth control on those days.
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6. STD PROTECTION
Lastly, hormone-free birth control methods are the only form of sexually transmitted disease (STD) protection. Specifically, condoms are the main method for protecting against STDs currently. This is because condoms do not allow for sperm to come in contact with the vaginal region. You can use condoms in combination with a hormonal birth control method to protect against STDs because there is no hormonal option to prevent the transmission.
Source: NIH
