An eye-opening book that reveals crucial information every woman taking hormonal birth control should know.
The birth control pill has revolutionized women's lives in ways that were hard to imagine even 50 years ago. But in this groundbreaking book a psychologist on the forefront of research on women and health pulls the curtain back on how it has changed us - and the world around us - in ways we are only just beginning to understand.
When we change what our sex hormones do - as when we're on any hormonal contraceptive - we change the version of ourselves the brain creates. This means that the pill changes who we are. For instance women on the pill do not have a working stress response. This sounds great (no stress!) but it can adversely affect memory and learning. It may also impact systems that ultimately increase women's risk for autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer's Disease, depression, and suicide. Women on the pill are also attracted to different kinds of mates. This may inadvertently create a genetic mismatch, causing relationship problems once women go off the pill, and make it more difficult for them to become pregnant when they decide to start a family. And when women change, men change. This means that the reach of pill extends beyond women's own bodies, having a startling impact on society and the world.
Ultimately this book is a rally cry for women to have full access to information regarding what is going on in their bodies and for better science to show them the way to better decisions.
