 | I love this book. It’s had some stick, and there’s some bits I don’t like, but it’s a rollicking read for anyone who cares about women’s health. Holly Grigg-Spall has many completely valid reasons for mistrusting the pill, reasons that should be heard, not dismissed. Yes not all references are included, and some of the sources are anecdotes and online forums, but as Ben Goldacre says “Don’t dismiss anecdotal evidence, it can be the canary in the cage”. Sweetening the Pill argues for a more sceptical approach to the pill, and has a great historical, and international, |
perspective. If you never got round to reading up on classic feminist theory (like me) – you will feel like you have by the end of it, and picked up loads of fascinating stories and bits of research on the way.
Holly Grigg-Spall’s own experience of the pill, and coming off it, are very striking. The pill left her feeling depressed and paranoid, and with zero sex drive but on the upside (?) she had clear skin, bigger boobs and was a few pounds lighter. Coming off the pill for her initially meant acne and greasy hair - fairly common withdrawal side-effects and not things that help you to feel good about yourself. Though at least she tells us that acne can be a result of rising testosterone levels, which is in turn linked to sex drive – a potentially cheering thought if the pill has destroyed your libido.
There are some great points made about the way that hormonal contraception is sold as a "choice", but how that choice is often made well before we get anywhere near a doctor's surgery or contraception clinic. Women get the message from all sides that being responsible means putting aside all worries about risks or side effects and simply taking our medicine (for decades). Thanks to all this, it doesn't matter that natural family planning/fertility awareness is on the NHS website, most women don't consider it, and if they do some dismissive words from a health professional will be enough to put them off.
It is also suggested that hormonal contraception is too quickly prescribed as an antidote to painful periods and acne for teenagers. This means it becomes a part of women's lives without them thinking about their choice in any depth. It might also increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections. If you feel safe from pregnancy, you are more likely to skip using a condom - no matter how many times you are told to use them.
All this sounds fairly reasonable to me. The part I find harder to handle is Holly Grigg-Spall's argument that work to improve access to contraception in poorer countries is simply an attempt by rich countries to maintain their own resource-hungry lifestyles by controlling the world's population of poor people. This seems a harsh judgement, access to contraception is a pretty fundamental need for everyone, although of course no one should be forced to use any kind of contraception, and there is an uncomfortable missionary feel to some of the work of international agencies.
Holly Griggs-Spall isn’t completely anti-pill, she appreciates that it is a great (and hard-won) option. She just feels that women are let down if the only ones listening to their concerns are those who are anti-contraception. I think she deserves a hearing. You can buy a copy of Sweetening the Pill here.*
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*Affiliate link- that Amazon link means I receive a (very) small payment if you buy the book. You don't pay anything extra.
Holly Grigg-Spall’s own experience of the pill, and coming off it, are very striking. The pill left her feeling depressed and paranoid, and with zero sex drive but on the upside (?) she had clear skin, bigger boobs and was a few pounds lighter. Coming off the pill for her initially meant acne and greasy hair - fairly common withdrawal side-effects and not things that help you to feel good about yourself. Though at least she tells us that acne can be a result of rising testosterone levels, which is in turn linked to sex drive – a potentially cheering thought if the pill has destroyed your libido.
There are some great points made about the way that hormonal contraception is sold as a "choice", but how that choice is often made well before we get anywhere near a doctor's surgery or contraception clinic. Women get the message from all sides that being responsible means putting aside all worries about risks or side effects and simply taking our medicine (for decades). Thanks to all this, it doesn't matter that natural family planning/fertility awareness is on the NHS website, most women don't consider it, and if they do some dismissive words from a health professional will be enough to put them off.
It is also suggested that hormonal contraception is too quickly prescribed as an antidote to painful periods and acne for teenagers. This means it becomes a part of women's lives without them thinking about their choice in any depth. It might also increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections. If you feel safe from pregnancy, you are more likely to skip using a condom - no matter how many times you are told to use them.
All this sounds fairly reasonable to me. The part I find harder to handle is Holly Grigg-Spall's argument that work to improve access to contraception in poorer countries is simply an attempt by rich countries to maintain their own resource-hungry lifestyles by controlling the world's population of poor people. This seems a harsh judgement, access to contraception is a pretty fundamental need for everyone, although of course no one should be forced to use any kind of contraception, and there is an uncomfortable missionary feel to some of the work of international agencies.
Holly Griggs-Spall isn’t completely anti-pill, she appreciates that it is a great (and hard-won) option. She just feels that women are let down if the only ones listening to their concerns are those who are anti-contraception. I think she deserves a hearing. You can buy a copy of Sweetening the Pill here.*
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*Affiliate link- that Amazon link means I receive a (very) small payment if you buy the book. You don't pay anything extra.