Why I Support Access To Birth Control.

With the recent Planned Parenthood controversy going on, I have noticed a lot of people on social media have taken to attacking access to birth control. Some folks saying things like “It’s unethical”, “messing with god” and “If you can’t feed em, don’t breed em” I was left pissed off and heartbroken at the same time!

See I am one of the over 40% of woman who suffers from a menstrual-related disorder. I suffer from a severe case of PMDD(Premenstrual dysphoric disorder) along with a case of abnormal bleeding. I was one of those 1 in 5 women who had to put my life on complete hold during that time of the month.

It all started around 16, I started having crazy heavy periods, I would become super suicidal, have massive panic attacks, horrible sleeping, and my periods were monstrous I literately would feel like my uterus was falling out. My doctor told me an average woman bleeds around 5 tablespoons during their period, I was bleeding 10 times that. I was diagnosed as anemic a few times and a few times I ACTUALLY thought I was having a miscarriage because I would be lying on my bathroom floor with uncontrollable bleeding in a ball crying. I finally demanded that my doctor des something about it. I was 16 years old going to be graduating high school, I couldn’t put my life on hold every single month because of my period, but there was NO way I would be a productive member of society.

I still remember the day he looked at me and told me if something wasn’t done, I would need a hysterectomy by 23. I was devastated because I always wanted to have children, I refused to accept it and we decided to discuss birth control options.

I came across a birth control called Seasonique, I fell in love instantly, I get my period 4 times a year, and the bleeding is almost normal and my PMDD is under control. Now I am not housebound that time of the month and I can ACTUALLY function and not to be gross, but the money I spend towards tampons is majorly cut in half.

I want to bring awareness to menstrual related disorders, these disorders include

• abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB): which may include heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia), no menstrual bleeding (amenorrhea) or bleeding in between periods (metrorrhagia)
• dysmenorrhea: (painful menstrual periods)
• premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)

Any period issue that is out of the ordinary for you warrants a call to your doctor, especially if it makes you uncomfortable or keeps you from doing your normal activities. “If a woman feels that it’s interfering with her lifestyle, then she needs to address it,” Loffer says.

Definitely, call your doctor if:

• Your periods used to be regular, but they’ve become irregular.
• Your period comes more often than every 21 days, or less often than every 35 days, for several cycles.
• You bleed for more than seven days straight.
• You stopped bleeding for 12 months in a row (menopause) and are now bleeding again.
• You are soaking through one or more pads or tampons each hour for several hours in a row.
• You have bleeding between periods.
• Your periods are very painful.