This Is Your Brain on Birth Control by Sarah E. Hill, PhD

Book Review

I love learning about the brain and how it works. If you enjoy an informative and educational nonfiction read, I highly recommend this one! Especially if you are a woman of childbearing age.⁣
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⁣I think the title of this book is pretty self-explanatory, so instead of sharing a summary, here are some of my most interesting takeaways:⁣
⁣—Birth control alters your hormones and your hormones affect everything else. Including who you’re attracted to, your stress response, your mental state, your sex drive and much more.⁣
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⁣—Studies have shown that exotic dancers who are not on birth control make substantially more money than those who are on hormonal birth control. As men (unbeknownst to them) are more attracted to the pheromones of naturally cycling women (aka women they can get pregnant).
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⁣—The connection between hormonal birth control and anxiety/depression is REAL. Studies show that women starting hormonal contraceptives are 50% more likely than women not on birth control to be diagnosed with depression six months later.
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⁣—Contrary to popular belief (and what I’ve always heard from doctors), non-oral birth control products (like the hormonal IUD and the patch) actually show a higher percent increased risk of depression than oral products. 🤯
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⁣I like the fact that the author doesn’t attempt to sway her readers’ decision to take or forgo birth control, she simply seeks to educate women so they are best able to make the right decision for themselves. I really appreciate this perspective as well as her mission to better educate women about what we’re putting in our bodies. It’s honestly kind of mind-blowing how little information women typically receive before making such critical decisions about their health.
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⁣⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5