Birth control and the Pressure on Women

I have decided to look at something that everyone sees as “normal” in today’s society.

Before you immediately jump to conclusions about this article, please note that I am not advocating premarital sex, taking the pill, or anything of the like.  I am merely saying that if it is out there, it needs to have adequate research.  I also hope that those of you who are against the whole idea remember that some women are forced to take the pill for reasons unrelated to sexual activity, out of medical necessity.  Some women have irregular periods and experience hormone fluctuations which affect their body in negative ways and are thus prescribed the pill.  If it is being given out for medical reasons as well, that is even more reason to provide adequate research on its effects and risks.  Finally, I just want us to examine what we all consider "normal"; we are in a society where it is "okay" for women to take more responsibility, risk, and even sometimes, stigma, to avoid getting pregnant.  We are responsible as if a man has no role in pregnancy at all, and he does not have to face any additional health risks or trouble.



Ladies, if you do not want to get pregnant then you have to take birth control.  Just go to your doctor, tell them you are sexually active, and they will do a few tests and give you the pills.  You take one every day around the same time, and there you are.  In fact it even regulates your period!

Sounds great right?

Wrong. 

Health risks

There are other countless health risks such as high blood pressure, hypertension, changes in vision, increased risk of heart attack, blood clots (sometimes fatal), gallbladder disease, gallstones, resistance to insulin, immune system suppression, strokes, tumors, ectopic pregnancies, cervical cancer and even jaundice.

Then there are the “regular” side affects such as changes in mood, including depression.  Obviously it’s perfectly fine for a female to experience things on a daily basis since we are “more emotional” already anyway right?  It’s fine, we deal with it all the time.  There’s also the unpleasant 1-2 weeks of vomiting at least one of your meals out while your body adjusts to birth control.  Very nice.

Lack of Research

There is not nearly enough research on the effects of birth control or even what interferes with its effectiveness and what does not.  For instance, did you know several supplements, even natural ones, can make birth control less effective?  One such example is St. John’s Wort.  No doctor ever told me this, and it is not even widely-known in research.  This was through my own research that I later found this out.  I had to go out of my way to check; nobody told me when I was buying it, there was no warning on any labels, and nothing to even make me suspicious.  These kinds of things should not be hidden and hard to find; they should be out in the open for all of us to know.  There also needs to be more research as to the effects of smoking either nicotine or even marijuana and how that might interfere with birth control.

Still, we need more definitive answers.  Telling me what “may” or “may not” happen does not really help me.  Tell me why something might happen, what is more likely to happen, what is less likely to happen, and for what reasons.  The fact that these really serious issues are brushed over like they are nothing means that people are not taking the risks seriously in accordance with their own bodies.  When you hear “may happen” you think “probably won’t happen” and never think about it again, until you’re in the hospital and you lose your life and the whole thing comes as a shock to everyone around you.

Sexism

The main issue that lies behind this lack of research is the fact that this is a female-related issue.  This makes it both i) taboo as women should just be quiet and deal with whatever is thrown their way quietly, and ii) sexism in the sense that female medical issues are never taken as seriously or as widely-researched as male medical issues; just look up the differences between heart attack symptoms for males and females; I bet you didn’t know that the symptoms will be different; oh wait, that’s because nobody educates us on this).

Additionally I’ve noticed that it is women that have to worry about taking the pill on time, women that have to worry about missing one or two, women that have to go to the trouble of making sure to go to the doctor regularly, women that have to deal with all of the symptoms that they hardly even know about.

What I would like to know is why there has never been a “pill” for men.  Something to control the flow of sperm perhaps; something to prevent it from impregnating a woman.  But no.  Instead, a woman is faced with the burden alone.  Doctors don’t even think that such a thing should be developed because women got it covered.  Why should men worry?  It’s the woman that gets pregnant.  Not like it takes two people to make a baby or anything like that. 

All men have to worry about is slapping on a piece of latex and then taking it off, and sometimes if they are aware a female is on the pill, not even that much. 

-Nancy L.

Toddlers and Tiaras.

There is a show on TLC called “Toddlers and Tiaras”. It has been running for 4 seasons, and it premiered in 2009. There is so much I have to say about this show I do not even know where to start. The show exposes the world of child beauty pageants in the USA.

First of all to me, all children are beautiful. Ok, some are cuter that others I am not going to lie. However from birth to about seven years old, all kids to me are beautiful. It is unlikely for them to be again as beautiful and perfect as they are at that age. They have no pimples or cellulite, but most importantly they possess the most beautiful thing in the world: innocence. Now tell me how anybody (especially parents) dares to challenge that?

We are always complaining about eating disorders, suicide attempts, bullying in kids and teens. So do these parents see anything wrong with this picture? To allow their kids to be judged by their looks at such an early age, and compete is horrible to me. Every little girl should be the most beautiful girl in the entire world in her eyes, and every little boy should be the most handsome in the world. Why are these parents playing with their children self-esteem, especially at such a vulnerable age? These little girls are likely to become depressed or have an eating disorder as they grow older because they have only been taught that their worth is in their looks.

Not only are the kids judged on their looks, but they are made up into these ridiculous drag queen miniatures. It is absolutely absurd, little kids have perfect skin and face and hair. However they are turned into these horrendous little adult-looking kids. They don’t look cute, it is actually disturbing. The girls wear big fake hair, more make-up than most adult ladies I know and inappropriate clothing. They are continuously told they need to tan. What message does it send? “Your skin in not beautiful enough, you need to change it”. They need to wear fake eye lashes, and fake hair, because their own does not make the cut in these competitions.

On top of being clowned up they have to learn how to do tricks. Some do routines, dancing as if they were 20 year old women and not little girls. They are trained to laugh, smile and flirt with the judges. There is no component at all that asks for any type of educational skill, like a spelling bee or something of the sort. Putting all the weight on the ability to act like little brainless, fake women, sending the message again, that their value is only measured in what they look like.

The little girls that win get huge crowns and bags of make-up. Do the parents not feel bad when their children are sad that they did not win and they don’t get a crown and prizes?

Most kids I have seen on that show hate participating in pageants. Once I saw a lady who begged her daughter to let her dye her eye lashes because hers were “too blond”. That same lady would bleach both her son’s and daughter’s teeth (both participated in the pageants), and put immense amount of pressure on them winning. It seems to me that all these parents have issues and dead dreams that they are trying to fulfill with their children, which is simply not fair. Oh, and of course there are money prizes which I am sure go to the children’s college fund huh?

In my opinion I do not think tanning and make-up is appropriate for kids. Neither is this notion that their worth is measured by their looks. Do these parents not realize that their life will be hard enough already as adults? Why put this burden on them?

However what alarms me the most, secondary to the self-esteem issues imposed on the kids, is that pedophiles must have a field day when it comes to these pageants. Little girls dressed in little clothing meant for adult women? Flirting around with their practised walks? It is ridiculous that parents do not think about this when parading their children at these events.

Children should be allowed to be children. Their skin should not be tanned because it is perfect, they should not wear make-up, their face is perfect, and so is their hair, smile and personality. No more and no less. If these parents want to enrich their children’s lives they should take them to piano lessons, ballet, swimming, or soccer lessons. Enrich their lives with real skills that will follow them through their lives and make them more secure within themselves and their abilities. Instead of parading them around for a whole bunch of people to pass judgement on them, tell them that they are the best in the world, because in your eyes the always should be.

- Kevin Alcott