3 ms·

I agree, and I see a lot of false equivalence comparing BC to the dangers of Tylenol/acetaminophen/paracetamol in this thread. Yes, both are drugs and can be m

I agree, and I see a lot of false equivalence comparing BC to the dangers of Tylenol/acetaminophen/paracetamol in this thread. Yes, both are drugs and can be misused with disastrous or even fatal consequences. The important distinction is that you can use oral contraceptives correctly and still have seriously negative, life-altering side effects. There are alternatives which may be preferable and ideally every woman should have access to a medical expert who can guide them to make the best choice. Access to an appropriate medical resource is in the other issue, in the absence of a completely safe and effective option. And that seems to outweigh the risks in the the US. I can only hope that, when given the option, women continue to consult medical professionals even though there is now an over-the-counter option available.

kodah 3y ago
Sure, and you can use NSAIDs correctly and experience the same. For instance, if you're taking methotrexate. At some point you need to have a new avenue for disseminating that type of information, especially when doctors visits are becoming more inconvenient and expensive.
kaitai 3y ago
I think that it's really shitty that one can take hormonal birth control with perfect responsibility and encounter negative side effects. I also think it's really shitty that the US has the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the developed world. I've had to deal with both sides (taking hormonal birth control, with some side effects; having a "high risk" pregnancy and being confronted with forced surgery that would increase my mortality burden, against empirical medical evidence but for insurance reasons). My philosophy is consistent: given that the hand of cards is shitty, I want to choose how I play the cards. Ideally, as you say, folks should have full access to knowledgeable medical experts who can help guide them. Again, our mechanisms for delivery of care in the US don't allow that, and unfortunately our physician and nurse training doesn't facilitate that either. A lot of medical professionals insist that hormonal BC doesn't have side effects, many insurance companies don't cover experimentation to find the best method for a particular person, non-hormonal woman-controlled methods are underused in the US. Since medicine in the US is built around making money & defending against lawsuits, care gets lost.

kodah 3y ago

Sure, and you can use NSAIDs correctly and experience the same. For instance, if you're taking methotrexate. At some point you need to have a new avenue for disseminating that type of information, especially when doctors visits are becoming more inconvenient and expensive.

kaitai 3y ago

I think that it's really shitty that one can take hormonal birth control with perfect responsibility and encounter negative side effects. I also think it's really shitty that the US has the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the developed world. I've had to deal with both sides (taking hormonal birth control, with some side effects; having a "high risk" pregnancy and being confronted with forced surgery that would increase my mortality burden, against empirical medical evidence but for insurance reasons). My philosophy is consistent: given that the hand of cards is shitty, I want to choose how I play the cards. Ideally, as you say, folks should have full access to knowledgeable medical experts who can help guide them. Again, our mechanisms for delivery of care in the US don't allow that, and unfortunately our physician and nurse training doesn't facilitate that either. A lot of medical professionals insist that hormonal BC doesn't have side effects, many insurance companies don't cover experimentation to find the best method for a particular person, non-hormonal woman-controlled methods are underused in the US. Since medicine in the US is built around making money & defending against lawsuits, care gets lost.