Tenacity is a virtue in most circumstances. Unfortunately, that virtue can be used for evil. One such case is the recent approval of an over the counter (OTC) birth control contraceptive named, “Opill.”
Why is this not a good thing? Keep reading to find out more.
What is Birth Control?
According to the Cleveland Clinic:
“Birth control pills are a type of contraception that’s 99% effective at preventing pregnancy when taken consistently every day. The pill contains hormones that regulate menstruation, decrease PMS symptoms, lower the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers, improve acne and treat endometriosis.”
At first glance, this seems like a wonder drug. It prevents pregnancy, regulates hormones, lowers cancer risks, and even improves acne. Unless you ask a medical professional or Google, you may not know that birth control is a steroid.
How does birth control work?
Birth control is a steroid that introduces synthetic estrogen and progestogens into a woman’s body, halting ovulation, and thickening the mucus around the cervix to stop sperm from entering.
What are hormones?
Hormones are the messengers that regulate our body and health.
If there is something wrong with your health, the odds are that your hormones may not be working properly. Hormones are secreted by glands into the bloodstream to send signals to your organs about how they should function.
Hormones affect various processes such as:
- Growth and development
- Metabolism – how your body gets energy from the foods you eat
- Sexual function
- Reproduction
- Mood
The major glands in the human body are (respective to the gender of the person): pituitary, pineal, thymus, thyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, testicles, and ovaries.
What does estrogen do?
There are multiple forms of estrogen and each plays key roles in the health and wellbeing of a woman.
According to Andrea Chisholm of Verywell Health:
- Sexual development
- Menstrual cycle
- Bone development and bone health
- Heart health
- Mood management
- Cognitive health
What does progestogen do?
Progestogen is naturally occurring in both men and women, it is predominantly a sex hormone.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Progestogen is responsible for:
- Thickening the lining of the uterus for implantation
- Regulating bleeding during menstruation
- Supporting a pregnancy once conception occurs
- Helping to improve a woman’s mood
- Supporting thyroid function
- Supporting lactation
What are the risks?
Low estrogen and low progestogen can lead to major problems.
- Heart disease
- Bone loss
- Incontinence
- Menstrual irregularities
- Atrophy of the cells lining the vaginal wall and urethra
Low progestogen can lead to:
- Weight gain
- Depression
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Gallbladder issues
Though there is a low rate of people experiencing complications (that are reported) there are some risks to taking birth control:
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Pulmonary embolism
- High blood pressure
- Heart attack
- Stroke
These are the official side effects, but as seen above, introducing synthetic hormones could potentially cause a range of issues.
Mainstream Use of Birth Control
The Guttmacher Institute has some data surrounding the use of birth control:
- In 2018 there were 72.7 million women of reproductive age in the US. 46 million of those women were sexually active and not seeking to become pregnant.
- In 2008, 99% of all US women from ages 15-44 have used at least one contraception, regardless of whether they are sexually active or not.
- This figure also includes women of religious persuasion of all mainline religions.
- Most contraceptives are covered by insurance, including Medicaid.
Why is birth control so popular?
Statistics show that the vast majority of women who have chosen to have an abortion did not do so based on a life-threatening medical condition. Rather, more than 76% of the time, the decision was made by the women due to feeling pressured by their immediate network of family, friends, and surrounding community.
In addition, data reveals that 88% of all sexually active women are taking birth control as a means to avoid pregnancy. However, birth control doesn’t have the dark implications surrounding it because of its varied uses.
The average person may see the use of birth control as harmless, as it is often prescribed by doctors to help with acne and other hormonal issues. This certainly doesn’t stand out in comparison to the act of abortion, as abortion involves the killing of a preborn child. Though these two approaches to ensure a child is not born seem worlds apart, they both lead to the same result.
Standard birth control has a 98% effectiveness rate in its use as a contraceptive, while the over-the-counter version of birth control (Opill) has a 91% effectiveness rate.
Recent FDA Ruling
This leads us to a recent FDA ruling on the over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill called, Opill. This is the first birth control pill to be approved for OTC status in the US. According to Healthline:
“The FDA’s move to make birth control more accessible could help lower the risk of negative maternal and perinatal outcomes. Each year, nearly half of the 6.1 million pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended.”
The Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Patrizia Cavazzoni, said this:
“Today’s approval marks the first time a nonprescription daily oral contraceptive will be an available option for millions of people in the United States. When used as directed, daily oral contraception is safe and is expected to be more effective than currently available nonprescription contraceptive methods in preventing unintended pregnancy.”
Who is behind this?
The firm responsible for the development of Opill is Perrigo, an American-Irish generic pharmaceutical company headquartered in Ireland.
What is Opill?
Opill (norgestrel) is a sex steroid (synthetic hormone) that only contains progestin, a lab-made form of progesterone, and not estrogen. This should not be confused with norgestrel-ethinyl estradiol which contains both progestogen and estrogen and still requires a prescription.
What are the side effects of Opill?
Some FDA staff have raised concerns about Opill and the potential harm it can cause after being taken without physician oversight. Serious side effects include ectopic pregnancy and liver complications, along with possible progestin-sensitive cancers such as breast cancer.
Examples of Drugs that Require a Prescription
Since the FDA decided to deregulate a drug that has serious health risks attached, here is a list of commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals that still need physician oversight:
- Levothyroxine: black box warning / Thyroid Hormones — Synthetic T4 / used to treat hypothyroidism.
- Lisinopril: black box warning / ACE inhibitor — used to treat hypertension and heart failure.
- Atorvastatin: warnings concerning muscles, liver, and increased blood sugar / statin — used to improve cholesterol levels and decrease risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Metformin: recall warning for some brands / Insulin Response Enhancers – Biguanides — used to treat blood sugar levels for type-2 diabetes.
- Zocor: warnings for liver problems and Rhabdomyolysis (muscle break down that literally poisons you) / Statin — used to lower cholesterol, lower risk of cardiovascular problems, and treat heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.
- Omeprazole: warnings for vitamin deficiency, severe diarrhea, bone fractures, and kidney damage / Gastric Acid Secretion Reducer – Proton Pump Inhibitors — used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, erosive esophagitis. Different gastric ulcers, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and stomach infections.
- Amlodipine: warnings for low blood pressure and heart attacks
- Metoprolol: black box warning / Beta Blockers Cardiac Selective — used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and angina.
- Acetaminophen-hydrocodone: black box warning / Analgesic Opioid Hydrocodone Combinations · Analgesic Opioid Hydrocodone, and Non-Salicylate Combinations — used to relieve moderate to severe pain.
- Albuterol Nebulizer: warnings for chest pain and seizures / Bronchodilator — used to relieve muscle tightening in the airways to help a person breathe (it’s just an inhaler).
Some of the medicines listed above are used in treating malicious cancers, as well as others as benign as an inhaler. Yet, all require a prescription (physician oversight) because of the side effects that may potentially come along with them.
The Dark Truth
The fact of the matter is that birth control, is an abortifacient. Though birth control has legitimate medicinal uses, the purpose of birth control is to induce a miscarriage of a developing baby.
The difference between a contraceptive and an abortifacient is simple: a contraceptive puts a physical barrier between sperm and egg, an abortifacient enduses a miscarriage of an already fertalized egg.
According to Human Life International:
“There is also no scientific debate about the abortifacient effects of the drugs in question (though some drugs are still being tested), as preventing the tiny embryonic human being from implanting in the womb will certainly kill him. The manufacturers and promoters of these birth control methods, however, having largely won the debate over language, continue to market their products as ‘contraception.’”
Conclusion
Did the FDA make a mistake deregulating this form of birth control? Was it politically motivated? We can’t know for sure but regardless, taking the life of a preborn baby is now, sadly, easier due to the lack of a physician’s prescription. As we see, birth control is abortifacient.
Abortionists have made it obvious that they will stop at nothing to take the lives of preborn children. It seems that they’ve found their way into the FDA and are letting their agenda fly free.
