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Women receiving hormones for life
Contraceptive methods and their implications in women’s health
The author analyzes how the woman has been held responsible for the
development and use of contraceptive methods, and how medical progress has
only taken place with regards to hormonal methods at the expense of other
harmless ones. Hormonal stimulation would accompany women from adolescence
to menopause.
Dr.
Mónica Puga
Contraception has been
developed since primitive times throughout different cultures, religions and
societies. The first writings about this matter are Chinese and date back to
three thousand years before Christ. They are about substances such as Arabic
gum (taken from acacias’ roots), which liberate lactic acid with spermicidal
properties when fermenting. The Hindus used rock’s salt intra-vaginally for
the same purpose.
After the industrial revolution the idea of regulating birth rates from a
collective point of view arises, instead of the individual way used in the
Ancient times. The strategy of covering the glans penis aimed, at first, at
stopping the spread of syphilis which was threatening Europe. However, we
can consider this technique to be the beginning of modern times’
contraceptive methods.
By the end of the XIX century in Germany, the first diaphragms were
described. By those times, in England, the first spermicidal substances,
which were improved in the 20s, appeared. The first intrauterine disposals
also arose in those years, not being accepted, however, by the Medicine and
the population in general until the 60s.
In 1959, the inhibition of ovulation through the administration of a
combination of synthetic feminine sexual hormones: estrogens and
progesterone was discovered. This is how “the pill” was born, carrying with
it a social and scientific revolution, especially for women who consider it
an important achievement in their fight for freedom.
In the Spanish Estate, contraception was legalized in 1978 due to a
modification in the penal code. Until then, contraception had been compared
with abortive practices.
Women’s
Business
Talking about
contraceptive methods is talking about women, since they are the ones who
consult, use most of the methods, and practically take the responsibility
for this topic.
According to allopathic or official medicine, the hormonal methods are the
best ones in any of their forms: pill (daily), vaginal ring (monthly),
transdermic patches (weekly) or intradermic hormonal transplants (every 3
years); or either the IUD (intrauterine devices), given that, according to
statistics, they are the most effective.
On the contrary, the experience in our consultations shows that non-permanent
methods –mainly barrier methods, masculine and feminine condoms, cervical
cap and diaphragm – are generally effective and safe as well as being more
natural and harmless.
Medical-scientific developments, however, have only and exclusively been
concerned with hormonal issues. As time goes by, we get “better”
combinations to administer hormones.
In advanced societies, when active sexuality starts-during the adolescence
and youth- hormones are commonly provided to inhibit ovulation. The further
this daily act is from women’s consciousness, the better. The vaginal ring
and intrademic hormonal transplant which will make the woman forget abut
this topic for no less than three years, would be less toxic for not being
oral and therefore, for skipping the hepatic barrier. Their toxicity will
have to be verified along the time.
Hormonal contraception abusively administered for many years, with very few
or none resting periods, originates many disorders once it is abandoned,
when the feminine cycle is restored. Many times, natural ovulation is not
achieved any more; and even menstruation might not be recovered for quite a
long time.
Fertility disorders appear which added to the advanced age for maternity,
gets the woman in contact with ART (Assisted Reproductive Techniques) and
their consequent absolute overflow in the administration of hormones to
stimulate the ovaries and obtain a number of ovules exceeding the natural
amount.
It is known nowadays that for any of the assisted reproductive techniques,
even when the disorder is not associated with the woman but with the man’s
spermatic reproduction, the stimulus falls anyway, on the healthy woman’s
ovaries either for an artificial insemination or an in vitro fecundation.
Some years later, the SHT (Substitutive Hormone Therapy) appears making the
woman consume hormones again, this time in the menopausal period, to appease
the symptomatology of the climacteric period until further notice.
As far as we see, from adolescence to post-menopause, we can affirm that
women’s body doesn’t rest. If we don’t become aware of this, hormonal
stimulation will continue being part of the whole feminine fertile life.
In my opinion, the fewer side effects the method produces, the more adequate
it is, although in certain circumstances, using a hormonal method can be
appropriate for a specific woman in a determined moment of her life.
Mónica Puga is a homeopathic doctor, psychoanalyst, specialized in
female illnesses.
Highlights
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In the Spanish Estate,
contraception was legalized in 1978 because of the modification in the penal
code.
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Medical-scientific developments
of contraceptive methods have only and exclusively been concerned with
hormonal issues.
-
From adolescence to menopause
there wouldn’t be a resting period for the woman’s body.
-
Hormonal contraception abusively
administered for many years, with very few or none resting periods,
originates serious fertility disorders.
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