As the daughter of a nurse, I was used to frequent discussions about health. My mom often used her medical expertise in our everyday life, and I was raised in a very health-conscious community. Because of this, I grew up believing “the natural way” was typically the best, and this mindset transferred to how I viewed women’s health. I hadn’t thought much about birth control pills besides the fact that I knew I would jamais choose them for myself.
A disappointing doctor’s visit
Fast forward a few years when I found myself sitting in a doctor’s office. I was a young teen experiencing irregular periods, and I wanted to get bloodwork done to see if déséquilibre hormonal could be causing the problem. Without asking me any questions about my concerns, the nurse said, “Take this pregnancy test and we will get you started on birth control.” I made it clear that birth control pills were not the solution I wanted, and we moved on with the appointment. That conversation left an impression on me.
My senior thesis
Around the same time as that doctor’s visit, I was trying to find a topic for my senior thesis presentation for high school. The assignment consisted of a twenty-minute speech followed by twenty minutes of Q&A. I needed to choose a topic that was current and controversial, and birth control fit the bill. I knew many girls in my small high school were on birth control or were considering it; I wanted to share with them the knowledge I had received from my mom. The process of preparing and presenting my thesis took a full calendar year, and I learned a lot along the way.
I had been worried about the feedback I would receive about my topic, but I was astonished by the amount of curiosity my topic received by students—girls and boys alike—as well as faculty. The most impactful conversation I had was when I did a practice presentation of my thesis in front of a class of twenty-five tenth-grade students. I was pleasantly surprised that almost every student was engaged throughout my speech, and even more surprised at their questions. They asked about every aspect of birth control. Some of the questions were:
- If any medical tests are required before prescribing birth control pills
- How fertility is affected
- The difference between birth control pills and Plan B pills
- The different kinds of pills available
A few students were on the pill, and some challenged me. After addressing their questions, I had several girls come up to me to share their personal experiences, as well as how much they had learned and how excited they were to come to my official presentation. It was a rewarding feeling, and I was happy to see so many of my peers interested in my topic and open to hearing my opinion.
Facing my peers—and a medical panel
The experience of speaking to my peers about my topic was surprisingly positive. My final presentation proved to be harder. To complete my thesis presentation, I gave my speech in front of an audience of roughly eighty people as well as two panelists who were experts in the medical field. One of my panelists clearly agreed with me and asked uncomplicated questions like, “How would you bring up this topic with a friend?” and “How has researching this topic affected you?”
My other panelist wasn’t as sympathetic to my view and implied my premise was that birth control pills are morally wrong; she strongly disagreed. This took me aback, as I had clearly stated in my thesis that I was only presenting medical evidence, not passing moral judgment. The rest of her questions were just as difficult. They included whether I believed doctors should have the right to refuse to prescribe birth control pills to a patient, and the role a parent should have in a minor’s decision to be put on birth control. I wasn’t intimidated— her probing questions allowed me to share how well I knew my topic.
The impact of my thesis
My goal with my thesis was to give teenage girls necessary medical information and facts regarding birth control—but I also gave them the power of knowledge regarding how to protect their bodies from the many negative effects of hormonal contraceptives. I’m glad I chose birth control pills as my thesis topic, and I plan to continue to share what I’ve learned with as many women as I can.
Lectures complémentaires
Faut-il mettre sa fille adolescente sous contraception hormonale ?
3 mythes sur la sensibilisation des adolescents à la fertilité
Un nouveau livre explore les effets de la contraception hormonale sur le cerveau des femmes
Peut-on faire des graphiques quand on prend la pilule ? Peut-être, mais c'est compliqué.
La pêche industrielle et les contraceptifs mettent en danger les poissons
