What is birth control?
Birth control is a medication/medical device containing man-made versions of estrogen (sex hormone responsible for AFABS1 sexual development) and/or progesterone (sex hormone responsible for menstruation and pregnancy), both of which occur in the body naturally.
A little bit of history
The concept of birth control has existed since the middle ages (condoms), but it wasn’t until the 1920s that researchers confirmed the role of ovarian hormones in reproduction, leading to what we now know as birth control.
“The pill” was invented in the 1950s, FDA approved in the early 1960s, and became publicly available to married couples in 1965. It wasn’t until 1972 that birth control became available to single women, and in 1977 it was ruled a constitutional right for women and minors to obtain birth control. During this time we saw further advancements, including the IUD and the Depo shot.
The Many Uses
Birth control was originally FDA approved as a management for mensuration, but as the medication became more widely available and used, it was discovered that it can assist in so many other things: pregnancy prevention, mensural management (heavy periods, irregularity, severe cramps), treatment for hormonal acne, migraines, PMS, PMDD, endometriosis, PCOS, depression, anxiety, mood issues, and prevention for cancer related to AFAB sexual organs.
The Different Forms of Birth Control
Currently the forms of non-permanent hormonal birth control available to AFABs include the pill, depo provera (shot), intrauterine device (IUD), Nexplanon (implant), vaginal rings, and patches. These medications/devices require a doctors approval, well, up until mid 2023. ‘Opill’, a progesterone only birth control pill, is the first form of preventative contraceptive (outside of condoms) to be sold over the counter. Prices may vary from $20 for a one month’s supply, to $90 for a 6 months supply.2
Possible side effects
Of course, like every medication, birth control runs the risk of mild-severe side effects. The possibility of these side effects are mostly not high, but it is important to be informed, no matter how small the risk. It is also important to note that these side effects vary depending on the form of birth control: Nausea, headaches, breast tenderness, irregular periods, weight gain, depression, mood issues, lower sex drive, ovarian cysts, and so on.3
Advancements
Currently there are medical trials being performed on possible forms of non-permanent, non-surgical hormonal birth control forms for AMABs such as the pill or a topical gel.
TLDR
Birth control is a medication/medical device that contains man-made versions of hormones naturally present in AFABs bodies, estrogen and progesterone. This can be in the form of the pill, shot, implant, and/or vaginal ring. Birth control is not only used to prevent pregnancy, but is an extremely important resource for menstrual management, PMS/PMDD, PCOS, endometriosis, mood issues, acne, migraines, prevention of AFAB sexual organ cancer, and so on.