What’s the deal with hormones?

Hormones are at the center of an individual’s health. When there is a hormone imbalance in one’s body, you can be sure that the individual is encountering health problems.

This is very true for women. Starting at the time of puberty, girls are subject to hormonal changes on a daily basis that leads all the way to menopause. On top of the normal hormonal changes occurring in a women’s body, hormonal changes occur when a women gets pregnant.

This leads me into the topic of birth control. Although I am an advocate of Planned Parenthood and the right for every woman to have birth control if they so choose, the effects of “the pill” on a woman’s body in the long term can have negative consequences.

My naturopathic doctor is not a fan of conventional birth control pills. She claims that long term effects of being on the pill can sometimes lead to infertility. It sets a women’s body on a fake cycle while completely suppressing natural hormones. This is why it can be hard for women to get pregnant after having been on the pill for many years.  

This subject of hormones and birth control is in my specific area of interest. At the age of 15, I was encouraged to go on the pill from my primary care physician to help with acne and regulate hormones. After having got off the pill, my hormones are still not balanced after a year and a half.

Being a naturopathic doctor would give me the opportunity to potentially find natural ways of preventing pregnancy and getting the word out about the long-term effects of birth control.