We get to experience the joys of menstruation which, of course, is the gateway to the miracle we call childbirth, which obviously is code for being miraculously large and uncomfortable.
Oh, and don’t forget miraculously hormonal.
Luckily for us, there are alternatives if we choose to give the above scenario a miss – the contraceptive pill being the most popular choice.
Of the 62% of reproductive-aged women using contraception, most choose the pill.
The problem is that this may no longer be an option.
Last week, a Danish study found that women taking birth control pills are more likely to be diagnosed with depression.
The study concluded that women taking the combined pill, which contains artificial versions of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, were 23% more likely to be prescribed antidepressants as those not on hormonal contraceptives.
This figure increased to 34% for women taking the progesterone-only pill and shot up to over 80% for girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years.
The health records of more than 1 million women aged 15 to 34 were studied by researchers from the University of Copenhagen, earning it the status as the largest study of its kind.
Although these are extremely scary findings, affecting a large section of the population and which should not be taken lightly, everyone needs to remember that there are many variables at play here.
We’ve all known for years that the contraceptive pill messes with hormones which may cause moods to swing from cute Hello Kitty to raging Suicide Squad chick in a matter of minutes.
The leaflet in the package has warned us about this for decades.
And just as with any other type of medication, side effects should be expected.
The key here is to determine how it affects you personally by taking your life circumstances into consideration and by doing a little individually tailor-made equation to see what the cause of your despondency might be.
Is your husband cheating on you?
Do your children dislike you?
Have you recently lost your job?
If you have answered yes to one or any of these questions, it is safe to say that your life may just plain be depressing and that contraceptives have nothing to do with your dwindling mood.
On top of that we all have different levels of tolerance to substances.
The point here is that we are all unique and that nobody knows your body better than you do, so before you abruptly stop taking the pill take a moment to run through all the variables in your life.
Always remember that help is freely available and that there is nothing wrong with seeking it when needed.
And, of course, always remember to consult a medical professional before starting or changing medication.
