The invention of birth control has been a game changer for women’s ability to achieve personal goals and plan for the future. However, there is still a lot to learn about what the pill does to the body and brain. On this episode of The Woman’s Vibrancy Code, Maraya is joined by Dr Sarah E Hill who is a renowned women’s health researcher and author of This is Your Brain on Birth Control. Maraya and Dr. Hill discuss the science behind birth control, how it impacts young girls’ brain development, adult women’s hormones, mood and its effects on the adrenal system and stress response. Don’t miss this important conversation!
IN THIS EPISODE:
- [02:09] How does the birth control pill work and what are the positive and negative consequences of birth control
- [08:48] What is happening in the brain while using synthetic hormonal birth control
- [14:12] Are hormonal changes permanent after you stop using birth control and what are the impacts on young women who use birth control before their brain is fully developed
- [24:10] Impacts on the adrenal system, stress responses, and thyroid function
- [31:17] Various side effects that women experience while on the synthetic hormones and what to expect post-birth control
- [45:16] Next Steps: How to be more educated or find alternatives to hormonal birth control
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Hormonal birth control suppresses regular hormonal function which can lead to a decrease in sexual desire, mood regulation and stress response. This hormone induced inability to regulate stress can lead to adrenal fatigue and other mental health issues.
- There is little research to show what the long term effects are for birth control usage among women ages of 13-19, whose brains are still developing. Since birth control temporarily alters brain chemistry and hormonal production, we should be cautious of how it could impact brain function and mental health.
- It is important for women, whether using hormonal birth control or not, to understand themselves and listen to their body. Don’t hesitate to communicate side effects to your health provider, educate yourself and remember you matter! How you feel and what you’re going through matters.
RESOURCE LINKS
Vibrant Life Workshop – To get your streamlined roadmap, register for the next free Vibrant Life Workshop. Enjoy a personalized and live deep dive with Maraya Brown to address your foundational energy, hormones and libido (without the first step being the next medication) so you can uplevel how you pour into all the people and ways you serve in the world.
BIO:
Dr. Sarah E. Hill earned her PhD from the University of Texas and she is currently a researcher and professor at TCU. Her research on women, health, and sexual psychology has garnered more than half a million dollars in grant funding and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, The Economist, and many others. Most recently, Sarah has authored This is your brain on birth control: the surprising science of women, hormones, and the law of unintended consequences, which has been published in several languages around the world and featured on TV shows like Today and Great Britain’s This Morning.”
Maraya Brown is a Yale and Functional Medicine Trained CNM, MSN with her undergraduate degree in marketing. Her work online brings her 21 years of experience supporting women together in one place to co-create deep transformation, energy and passion. Maraya is the founder of this Podcast and does a great deal of work with women to expand their libido.
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