I went to the Dr. with the usual PMS symptoms that I'm sure all women have at sometime experienced. After talking with me my Dr. decided to put me on the pill, not taking the time to explain the risks that went along with it (I had no idea there were even ANY risks), well after a year I developed chest pain and went to Redfern, it turned out to be a blood clot in my lung due to taking Oral contraceptives. They said I could have died from it. I was very scared and mad at the same time that my Dr. had not spared the time to tell me the risks involved with taking the pill.
First, I think that people should not be as naive as I was when taking a new prescription, but also doctors should not be so quick to hand out prescriptions to a drug that has potentially fatal side effects.
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Wow! What a scary experience?!
ReplyDeleteYou know, you are right, though. Taking the pill has become so commonplace that people forget there are risks involved. There is a societal presumption that women WANT to control reproduction. It is no longer "normal" to just be a child-bearing female who may actually bear children through her productive years, who allows her body to respond the way IT desires to, in normal relations. This is just one example of how we have come to expect our rationale to have preeminence over our bodies - by trying to exert total domination over the physiological functions of our bodies.
A funny story of my own -- I went to the doctor this last Spring for a referral to another doctor (oh yes, the glories of managed health!) It was the first time I had ever seen this doctor. While at the appointment he looked at my chart and asked me three questions:
1) You're not taking any birth control?
Answer: No
2) Do you want more children?
Answer: No
3) You DO know where babies come from, right?
Answer: No, I keep asking these two kids where the heck they came from, but so far, they haven't given me an answer.
I was both amused and bothered by this line of questioning.
First of all, this definitely shows a societal shift in "normal" expectations in sexual relationships, a reflection that society has embraced the idea of intercourse as a recreational act rather than procreational one.
Second of all, it showed that in spite of society's proclivity to define these decisions as "personal" and "private", there is a social convention in place that designates this "personal" decision as right or wrong, "responsible" or "irresponsible." It is the social norm to use artificial means to restrict fertility. It is not "normal" to simply be capable of "naturally" becoming pregnant.
In addition to this, the conversation illustrates another societal declaration -- that birth control is a feminine responsibility. The possibility that my partner might be the one responsible for preventing pregnancy in our relationship did not even occur to my doctor. This was related by his question "you DO know where babies come from, right?" which implied that babies come from an action on my part rather than an action on our (mine AND my partner's) part. I found that to be an interesting revelation on the perspective of the medical community.
For the record, he never asked me and I didn't feel the need to explain this possibility to him. I left him to wonder . . .
:)
Caitlin - this is a *really* important point, and I'm glad you shared your story. Poor medical care (like not being given basic information about risks, or being lectured and not educated about your choices (as in Rebecca's story), or not having your choices respected) frightens me.
ReplyDeleteBirth control *definitely* has mild to severe potential side effects, and risks for blood clots increase with age and if you smoke or use tobacco (but, as you've shown, these can also happen to young non-smokers).
Glad you are okay!
I would like to point out that whenever I have taken birth control pills, the side effects are explicitly listed in all of the information. I may not always choose to read it (foolish, I know), but it is there. I do not say this to minimize your problem (I've almost been in a similar situation myself!). I'm just saying, it's not all the doctors or pharmaceutical companies who are at fault here. I think that too often we are very quick to blame the medical profession for not alerting us to these side effects when they are written out for us to read in the packets that we get along with the medication. I have never gotten a birth control pack that did not come with a little booklet explaining the risks and side effects. Please don't think I'm blaming you; I think you're right and that the doctor should have warned you! I just also think that the information is definitely available and that emphasis on being aware yourself of the things you're putting in your body and the possible effects. And lastly, y'all need to find better doctors!! I like my gynecologist and he is very very very careful to explain any sort of medication that I am taking including the side effects and also very careful to check and make sure that it will not interact with anything else and that it is relatively safe for me to take!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first got on birth control I did extensive research because you can never be sure. You know your body better than anyone (well you are suppose to ;->) but some people don't consider the side effects, they just think that it has a 99% rate (some do)to prevent them of getting pregnant.
ReplyDeleteAs Becca says birth control does come with warning instructions and even the commercials states them but different birth control has different, less, or more side effects. However, I am glad you found out what these were doing to you ahead of time. I wish more girls would just take the time out and do the same.