How Birth Control Switches Off Hormones and Why That Matters

June 10, 2014
by Lara Briden

“Contraceptive drugs are not hormones

Real hormones are estradiol and progesterone. Contraceptive drugs are molecules like ethinylestradiol, levonorgestrel, and drospirenone.

Contraceptive drugs do not have the same molecular structure as real hormones and do not provide the same benefits. Here are a couple of examples.

• Estradiol improves insulin sensitivity. Its drug equivalent ethinylestradiol potentially causes insulin resistance. That insulin problem with ethinylestradiol makes the pill a particularly inappropriate treatment for PCOS, which can be driven by insulin resistance.

• Progesterone promotes hair growth. Its drug equivalent, levonorgestrel, causes hair loss. Levonorgestrel and other progestins can also cause depression, headaches, acne, and other side effects. “

“Of course, contraceptive drugs can have benefits. For example, they can relieve pain and heavy bleeding and improve acne. (Unfortunately, withdrawing from certain progestins can cause post-pill acne.)

Contraceptive drugs can never “regulate periods” because pill bleeds are drug-withdrawal bleeds, not real menstrual cycles.

Contraceptive drugs can also prevent pregnancy, but they’re not the only way to prevent pregnancy.”

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