Red Tent Sisters

The Globe & Mail's Article: Red Flag for Birth Control Patch

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080109.wlpatch09/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home

My first reaction to reading this article is let’s use the precautionary principle! I have concerns about the long term safety of using any hormonal contraceptive however, I realize that for many young women it is [or at least appears to be] the best option [of a series of bad options]. My concerns are reinforced by the article in which it’s written that “it's well known by the medical community that any hormone-based birth-control method can increase a woman's chances of blood clots, heart attack, stroke and other health problems”. What I learned from the article was that different types of hormonal birth control are cause for differing levels of concern. In fact “the FDA revealed in 2005 that the patch sold in the United States exposes women to 60 per cent more estrogen than birth-control pills do”. There is concern within the environmental cancer movement about the role elevated levels of estrogen plays in various forms of cancer.

Two sentences in particular jumped out at me when I read the article. First of all, the statement that “Janssen-Ortho issued a statement defending the safety of the patch, adding that all hormone-based contraceptive methods could cause health problems” made me cackle. Defending your product because all the products in your field [can] cause health problems is not the way to get my money! Secondly, a woman who got two blood clots in her lungs because of being on the patch said “‘if I had known [the potential risks], I would have had second thoughts,”’. The question is, would she have? We often know the potential risks of using pharmaceutical products [who hasn’t seen those ad’s with a list of potential side effects as long as the commercial itself, or the sheet from Shoppers Drug Mart about the 50 potential side effects of the drug prescribed] and perhaps like this woman said she would, we have second thoughts. Yet so often we plunge ahead anyway because while we don’t like the option presented to us we don’t see any other viable option.

Regarding the birth control patch or even the pill for that matter, we do have another option. This past Saturday I went to Amy’s introductory session about Fertility Awareness Methods [FAM]. Prior to the session “the Rhythm Method” was the only natural form of contraception I knew about and I really only vaguely knew about it; although I knew enough to know that it was considered to be not that reliable. On Saturday I learned about the difference between natural forms of contraception [including but not limited to retrospective methods like the Rhythm Method] and direct observation methods – of which the Justisse Method is one way to learn. While direct observation methods can be used for contraceptive or conception purposes I am not in the market for either; yet I am fascinated by the body literacy one learns through direct observation methods. Did you know that by becoming more intimate with one’s reproductive system and learning how to read its clues you can learn about food intolerances, vitamin deficiencies and overall health?! Whether you decide to rely on the Justisse approach exclusively or not, it is an amazing tool for learning how to work with your body. And regardless of where you are in your relationship with your reproductive system direct observation of your body [from a perspective of awe and respect] can only improve your health. As for helping myself along to my next stage of awareness I bough Justisse’s recently published [and inexpensive!] manual about coming off the pill – something I did long ago but the effects of which, I believe, are still felt by my body.

Labels: Birth Control, Contraception, Fertility Awareness, Justisse, Patches, Pills

# posted by Amy Sedgwick @ 2:32 PM 0 Comments

This past Friday was the third screening of the Feminist Film Circle. About 18 people gathered in the back room of Red Tend Sisters to watch Giovanna Chesler’s film, Period: The End of Menstruation. On the homepage of redtentsisters.com there is a link to the Feminist Film Circle – click there for an overview of the film [and for upcoming films!!]. After the film people stayed for an hour to reflect on the film, the birth control pill and women’s health [a few individuals even dilly-dallied in the store until after 10 chatting about the film and making a few purchases!]. There was a good mix of “dialogers” and active listeners in attendance and I don’t think I would be wrong in saying that the evening was enjoyed by all! As was expressed by some grateful participants it was wonderful to be in an environment that was simultaneously respectful of a variety of [menstrual/health] choices made by women and also particularly focused on alternative, wholistic health perspectives. Overall the evening was one in which to learn and engage in thoughtful conversation, and I have faith that the educational opportunity will have a ripple effect – positively affecting the lives of those who attended and those whose lives intersect with the attendees!

The following is a [partial] list of “things” and people addressed in the movie and the discussion after, as well as points to ponder.

1. A major topic of discussion was the need for real informed consent before going on the birth control pill. While women learn about the pill from a variety of sources, mainstream info sources such as doctors, the public education system and the mainstream media do not often/ever educate about alternatives. One reason for this is the difficulties grassroots educational initiatives face when competing with large corporations. This is especially the case because:

· the current socio-political context creates and supports the quick fix, pop a pill, short sighted orientation towards health

· not all people have access to information about alternatives – alternative explanations of what is going on with their health and/or alternative solutions for their health concerns

· wholistic approaches often take resources such as time, energy and money, that people do not have – they also often require a paradigm shift that may not be supported by one’s personal context or society at large

Film circle participants recognized both the need for increased education about alternatives as well as the difficulties faced in getting this information and putting it into practice. While there may always be some women who need to be on the pill to reduce the pain they experience when menstruating, the participants seemed to agree that the number was less than those who are currently using the pill in this way. The consensus was that with truly informed consent the pill would have a different role in society, and in particular a different place in the lives of young women, than it does now.

2. Some participants expressed concern that today’s users of the pill are guinea pigs for pharmaceutical companies. We don’t know what the long term affects of taking the pill[s] is because the versions of the pill that are on the market right now have not been around for very long. The fact that a lot of the research done about pharmaceutical products such as the pill is funded by the companies themselves was also a cause for concern. The film also pointed out that birth control pills are becoming THE option for birth control, decreasing the knowledge base about other birth control options and making other options more of an afterthought than actual options. Consider this: why would a company promote diaphragms which are purchased once and can be used for many years when the same company can promote their version of the birth control pill which has to be purchased monthly? Not talked about in the movie but in a similar vein, why promote menstrual cups or reusable cloth pads when companies can market and sell disposable menstrual products which have to be bought time and again?

3. An f2m individual expressed his lack of internal tension over the fact that he’s a man who menstruates. Although he could up his dose of testosterone and suppress his menstruation he feels that since his organs were made to menstruate it is best to let them keep doing that. It appeared that any attempt on his part to justify/explain being a man who menstruates was done for others’ confusion and not his own. For him the combination just is and it makes sense. During the discussion after the film one individual wondered about the negative health implications of using hormones to transition and if there was a parallel between the problematic nature of using the pill [synthetic hormones] and using testosterone to transition. Another individual suggested that there’s a difference between “popping the pill” – a mostly unconscious use of hormones – and consciously using hormones to transition. In particular, emotional health is important and therefore using hormones to transition maybe/is just as important to shoring up someone’s health as it maybe/is to causing problems because transitioning may be crucial for someone’s emotional well-being.

4. Related to #2 is the double edged sword about reclaiming menstruation as an important part of being a woman. While a psychologist who was featured in the film stated that menstruation is central to being a woman this has problematic implications for men who menstruate and for women who don’t [individuals who are m2f or women who don’t menstruate for a variety of reasons such as menopause or hysterectomies].

5. Several women shared menstrual stories. A few of them had had painful periods and at the advice of their doctors had gone on the pill to deal with the pain. After several/many years they came off the pill for various reasons and desired a more natural approach to dealing with their menstrual pain and contraception. The result of opting out of using the pill? Increased body literacy, decreased pain and an awareness of the interconnectedness of their menstrual health, emotional well-being and taking care of their physical health [eating well, sleeping enough, being physically active, etc.]. In my opinion the stories were a demonstration of the importance of sharing menstrual experiences as such stories can act as a form of education. It also makes obvious that painful periods are not anomalies and perhaps this is something we as a society need to be dealing with proactively and in a different manner. [The Justisse Method is one such option which teaches women body literacy for contraception, conception and well-being.]

6. We learned from Zahra that during their cycle women experience four emotional and energy phases which mirror the phases of the moon; two phases of being extroverted and bubbly and light and two darker phases in which reflective energy is turned inward. Going with the flow of these phases honours one’s body and maximizes one’s abilities. A little promotional plug: check out Moon-Goddess Yoga in the Services – Fertility section of the Red Tent Sisters website.

7. Geneva Kachman and her artistry were featured during the film. Kachman uses her creativity to re-imagine the relationship between women, society and menstruation. Check out her Museum of the Menovulatory Lifetime at http://www.moltx.org/ and in particular take a peek at the information on Menstrual Monday – an annual day to celebrate menstruation [the Monday before mother’s day].

Labels: Justisse, Menstruation, Moon-Goddess, Period

# posted by Amy Sedgwick @ 3:04 PM 0 Comments