If you went on hormonal birth control (HBC) because of period problems, then you’re not alone. Actually, 58% of US women use HBC for a purpose other than contraception.

But did you know that whatever was causing these *symptoms* during your cycle – heavy bleeding, clotting, PMDD, or one of the other many symptoms of terrible periods – likely hasn’t gone away?

HBC is often used as a bandaid to treat *symptoms* of disease and in-turn can end up creating more illness.

I’m not going to lie to you and say that on your period you’re supposed to be jumping around with joy (shoutout to most tampon commercials???) – in fact, the best way to think about your period is that it is essentially your body performing internal surgery on itself

A normal, healthy period means minor cramps, some mild fatigue, and maybe some extra emotions.

It is a time for rest and self-care – but it does not have to be as uncomfortable that we’re led to believe. Your cramps don’t have to be debilitating, your periods don’t have to be irregular, your sadness doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Those symptoms belong to a deeper issue.

If you started HBC as a “cure” to your period problems, remember that your body wasn’t *missing* synthetic hormones. They didn’t cure an imbalance, they simply put a bandaid over one

Click here to learn more about the different forms of Hormonal Birth Control.

It is possible to eliminate period problems without the use of Hormonal Birth Control and I applaud you for looking into it!