Birth Control Pills - Closer to Natural Than You Think

 

 Dr. Steven R. Goldstein MD, a leading NYC Gyn, at times suggests birth control pills for numerous non-contraceptive benefits in terms of bleeding control, less anemia, and so on. The response is often “they are not natural”.

 

So, what did nature expect for us? As higher order primates, women would have approximately eight children (along the way, statistically, three miscarriages). So if one does the math, women have approximately forty years of menstrual function (roughly age 11-51). There are 13 lunar months in a calendar year. Thus, most women can be expected to have approximately 520 menstrual cycles.

 

There is no bottle or formula in nature and, thus, breast feeding for at least fifteen months would be mandatory. Thus, modern women who have two children, for instance, and nurse them perhaps 3-6 months, end up with nearly 500 menstrual cycles. Left to nature, women would have perhaps 250.

 

One of the reasons, that ovarian, uterine and breast cancers are on the rise in modern industrialized nations is women are cycling too much. Suppressing the cycle with birth control pills is closer to “natural” than what we have socialized into. Dr Goldstein, a leading NYC Gyn, is not suggesting that his patients have eight children and nurse them all for fifteen months, but he is suggesting that we evaluate what is truly “natural” and what is not.

 

In studies, the use of birth control pills has been shown to reduce ovarian and uterine cancers in addition to controlling bleeding, less anemia and other benefits and are closer to being natural as proven above. Women who are prone to ovarian or uterine cancers based on their family history or are experiencing bleeding conditions should schedule a consultation with Dr Steven R Goldstein MD, a top NYC Gyn  to evaluate their condition further.