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Some women have a severe adverse reaction to "hormonal" birth control. These products actually use hormone analogues that disrupt the steroid pathways. This di

Some women have a severe adverse reaction to "hormonal" birth control. These products actually use hormone analogues that disrupt the steroid pathways. This diagram shows how cholesterol is turned into the steroids: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroid#/media/File:Steroidogenesis.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steroid#/media/File:Steroidoge... As best I can figure, my friend had her first psychotic break after 9 months of chemical castration with time released medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo Provera). This drug is a very good mimic of Progesterone USP (what the body makes for itself), but the body cannot transform it into the steroids downstream from Progesterone USP. Most of the other endocrine disruptors used as birth control aren't nearly as bad as Provera, but all have potential for adverse reactions. edit: wording

masonic 9y ago
chemical castration Equating temporary and removable birth control with "castration" is ludicrous.
- tcj_phx 9y ago
  > Equating temporary and removable birth control with "castration" is ludicrous. The 'chemical castration' comment was about Depo Provera specifically. The injection is NOT removable: you're basically stuck with the effects for 3+ months, unless you know to use the antidote (which is not covered in doctors' curriculum for using this class of drugs on their patients). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration#United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration#United_Sta...
Veratyr 9y ago
The article mentions that they're using Nexplanon, which, though it's a hormonal method as you say, is absolutely not comparable to chemical castration. It's recommended for use by Planned Parenthood among other organisations, as it's convenient and has a low failure rate. All the "chemical castration" and "severe adverse reaction" seems to do here is introduce unwarranted FUD. As far as I'm able to find, the number of complications due to the implant are insignificant. It's like those disclaimers in drugs commercials where they mention a headache relief medicine might give you a heart attack. Sure it's possible, no it's not something many people need to worry about.
- tcj_phx 9y ago
  Some people defend the current contraceptive status-quo by reasoning "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." > is absolutely not comparable to chemical castration. Yes, the article is about Nexplanon, and DMPA (Depo Medroxyprogesterone Acetate) is what's used to chemically castrate men, and to render women temporarily infertile. But nexplanon's active ingredient suppresses the HPG axis [1] too. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothalamic%E2%80%93pituitary%E2%80%93gonadal_axis#Suppression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothalamic%E2%80%93pituitary... My friend is that one-in-10000 who was especially vulnerable to pseudo-hormones. Her doctor didn't appreciate the significance of the main negative symptom she complained about (bleeding continuously for months), and injected her twice more anyways. She would be an inmate at the state's psychiatric hospital, or dead, if I hadn't taken an interest in her struggles. > As far as I'm able to find, the number of complications due to the implant are insignificant. Except to the people who have them. Here's a report from a random redditor: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/4mofxf/the_birth_control_nexplanon_almost_ruined_me/ https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/4mofxf/the...
  - Veratyr 9y ago
    I understand and sympathise with your friend's experience but: > Some people defend the current contraceptive status-quo by reasoning "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." Yes. This is how modern medicine works. Nearly every medication will cause an adverse reaction to a small number of people and there's really not much we can do about it. They produce a net good though so we use them. Also, I'm certainly not a doctor but doesn't Nexplanon release the same hormones in "the pill", used by millions of women around the world? I think the real problem is in this part: > Her doctor didn't appreciate the significance of the main negative symptom she complained about (bleeding continuously for months), and injected her twice more anyways. The problem here isn't hormonal birth control, it's an incompetent doctor. > Except to the people who have them. Here's a report from a random redditor She also seems to be a victim of an incompetent doctor.
    - tcj_phx 9y ago

masonic 9y ago

chemical castration Equating temporary and removable birth control with "castration" is ludicrous.

tcj_phx 9y ago
> Equating temporary and removable birth control with "castration" is ludicrous. The 'chemical castration' comment was about Depo Provera specifically. The injection is NOT removable: you're basically stuck with the effects for 3+ months, unless you know to use the antidote (which is not covered in doctors' curriculum for using this class of drugs on their patients). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration#United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration#United_Sta...

Veratyr 9y ago

The article mentions that they're using Nexplanon, which, though it's a hormonal method as you say, is absolutely not comparable to chemical castration. It's recommended for use by Planned Parenthood among other organisations, as it's convenient and has a low failure rate. All the "chemical castration" and "severe adverse reaction" seems to do here is introduce unwarranted FUD. As far as I'm able to find, the number of complications due to the implant are insignificant. It's like those disclaimers in drugs commercials where they mention a headache relief medicine might give you a heart attack. Sure it's possible, no it's not something many people need to worry about.

tcj_phx 9y ago
Some people defend the current contraceptive status-quo by reasoning "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." > is absolutely not comparable to chemical castration. Yes, the article is about Nexplanon, and DMPA (Depo Medroxyprogesterone Acetate) is what's used to chemically castrate men, and to render women temporarily infertile. But nexplanon's active ingredient suppresses the HPG axis [1] too. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothalamic%E2%80%93pituitary%E2%80%93gonadal_axis#Suppression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothalamic%E2%80%93pituitary... My friend is that one-in-10000 who was especially vulnerable to pseudo-hormones. Her doctor didn't appreciate the significance of the main negative symptom she complained about (bleeding continuously for months), and injected her twice more anyways. She would be an inmate at the state's psychiatric hospital, or dead, if I hadn't taken an interest in her struggles. > As far as I'm able to find, the number of complications due to the implant are insignificant. Except to the people who have them. Here's a report from a random redditor: https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/4mofxf/the_birth_control_nexplanon_almost_ruined_me/ https://www.reddit.com/r/TwoXChromosomes/comments/4mofxf/the...
- Veratyr 9y ago
  I understand and sympathise with your friend's experience but: > Some people defend the current contraceptive status-quo by reasoning "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one." Yes. This is how modern medicine works. Nearly every medication will cause an adverse reaction to a small number of people and there's really not much we can do about it. They produce a net good though so we use them. Also, I'm certainly not a doctor but doesn't Nexplanon release the same hormones in "the pill", used by millions of women around the world? I think the real problem is in this part: > Her doctor didn't appreciate the significance of the main negative symptom she complained about (bleeding continuously for months), and injected her twice more anyways. The problem here isn't hormonal birth control, it's an incompetent doctor. > Except to the people who have them. Here's a report from a random redditor She also seems to be a victim of an incompetent doctor.
  - tcj_phx 9y ago