Up until this month I have felt like I mostly understood contraceptives. Mostly understood them in that I knew the names of many hormonal types, how they (vaguely) worked in the body, how the body might respond to them (vaguely; mostly from personal experience). I had a grasp on non-hormonal methods as well, but still with a bit of a haze surrounding the information. I wanted to learn more, but most of the print sources I could find had pretty brief, dry information. And working at the well woman clinic last semester it seemed like every woman I spoke to was only 'so-so' with their current birth control method. I really wanted to get a solid understanding of contraceptives so I could share this information, and also wanted to find a resource that I could pass along to those seeking to do their own research.
Well, this is all build-up to say, I have found that amazing resource to read and share. It's called ‘In Our Control: The Complete Guide to Contraceptive Choices for Women’ and it’s by Laura Eldridge, a women’s health writer and activist. The book was put out by Seven Stories Press in 2010. I found out about it while paroozing the website of one of my favorite worker-run publishers/distributors, AK Press.
This book is thorough. Eldridge covers the history of contraceptives, outlines each type of contraceptive (hormonal and non-hormonal, from the fertility awareness method to tubal ligation), the environmental impact of contraceptives, men and contraceptives ('What About The Boys? Or, Why Is There Still No Pill For Men?'), the HPV vaccine, menstruation and fertility, the politics of the morning after pill, international issues in reproductive and contraceptive health... It’s all there. I would like to add that when I say ‘outlines each type of contraceptive’ I really mean it. She outlines not only the history of each type of birth control, but how it works in the body, possible risks/benefits, includes reviews of the method from different women, and issues reported to the FDA that involve the method/warnings given on the method by the FDA.
She does not seem to be for or against any method in particular. In fact, she says “When it comes to contraception and sexual health, there is no magic bullet that works equally well for everyone—but that is not the message we receive. We are told that doctors, scientists, and experts know what’s best for our bodies, and we are discouraged from seeing our own experience as a source of legitimate knowledge. We are often closed to the idea of trying different methods, a problem that seems to have more to do with the success of pharmaceutical marketing and the alliance of doctors with drug companies than with the safety and efficacy of alternatives. To be informed consumers, to trulyexercise our freedom of choice, we must trust ourselves. And to build that trust, we must understand how our birth control works in and on our bodies; research the available contraceptive options independently of advertisements and doctor’s visits; and take into account the complicated, sometimes disturbing history of how birth control came to exist as it does today.”
I love this book and learned so much from it--I have been recommending it to all of my friends and clients. To order a copy of In Our Control, go to AK Press or Amazon.
Other resources for learning about contraceptive options:
Well, this is all build-up to say, I have found that amazing resource to read and share. It's called ‘In Our Control: The Complete Guide to Contraceptive Choices for Women’ and it’s by Laura Eldridge, a women’s health writer and activist. The book was put out by Seven Stories Press in 2010. I found out about it while paroozing the website of one of my favorite worker-run publishers/distributors, AK Press.
This book is thorough. Eldridge covers the history of contraceptives, outlines each type of contraceptive (hormonal and non-hormonal, from the fertility awareness method to tubal ligation), the environmental impact of contraceptives, men and contraceptives ('What About The Boys? Or, Why Is There Still No Pill For Men?'), the HPV vaccine, menstruation and fertility, the politics of the morning after pill, international issues in reproductive and contraceptive health... It’s all there. I would like to add that when I say ‘outlines each type of contraceptive’ I really mean it. She outlines not only the history of each type of birth control, but how it works in the body, possible risks/benefits, includes reviews of the method from different women, and issues reported to the FDA that involve the method/warnings given on the method by the FDA.
She does not seem to be for or against any method in particular. In fact, she says “When it comes to contraception and sexual health, there is no magic bullet that works equally well for everyone—but that is not the message we receive. We are told that doctors, scientists, and experts know what’s best for our bodies, and we are discouraged from seeing our own experience as a source of legitimate knowledge. We are often closed to the idea of trying different methods, a problem that seems to have more to do with the success of pharmaceutical marketing and the alliance of doctors with drug companies than with the safety and efficacy of alternatives. To be informed consumers, to trulyexercise our freedom of choice, we must trust ourselves. And to build that trust, we must understand how our birth control works in and on our bodies; research the available contraceptive options independently of advertisements and doctor’s visits; and take into account the complicated, sometimes disturbing history of how birth control came to exist as it does today.”
I love this book and learned so much from it--I have been recommending it to all of my friends and clients. To order a copy of In Our Control, go to AK Press or Amazon.
Other resources for learning about contraceptive options:
- Planned Parenthood
- Scarleteen
- Wikipedia
- Contraceptive Technology by Robert A. Hatcher
- Healthy Choices for Fertility Control: Your Guide to Better Birth Control, Conscientious Contraception, and Sensible Sexuality by Dr. M.T. Williams Ph.D
- Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health by Toni Weschler
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