Things Women Wish Men Understood About The Pill
The pill has been one of the two most commonly used forms of birth control since 1928, and 80 percent of sexually active women have used it at some point.
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What’s more is that it’s an incredibly effective form of birth control. When used perfectly (at the same time every day etc.) it has less than a one percent failure rate. If you’re a man in a relationship, there’s a good chance there is a pack of birth control pills somewhere in your home right now! And yet, men have a lot of misconceptions about this tiny powdered circle of hormones women pop in their mouths. Misconceptions that can make them at the very least judgmental, and at worst ignorant to how to prevent pregnancy. Here are things women wish men understood about the pill.
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A lot of women miss them
Hey, men who take a daily vitamin or supplement of any kind; are you going to tell us that you have a perfect track record with that? Not likely. Women aren’t irresponsible for forgetting to take the pill one day. Every woman has forgotten to take it.
It can be taken at different times
A lot of men don’t realize that some varieties of the pill can be taken at different times each day and still be effective. So, again, your partner isn’t irresponsible if she takes her pill at 6 pm today when she took it at 3 pm yesterday. She may just be on that kind of pill.
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It can still be effective off-schedule
If your partner is on the type of pill that must be taken at the same time each day, but she is off by a couple of hours one day, don’t say, “So what’s the point in taking it?” It can still be partially effective.
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Yes, there really are placebo pills
Some men think that when women don’t take that fourth line of off-color pills in the packet, it’s because they get lazy. They think we are lying when we say, “That line is placebos!” We aren’t lying. Those are just placeholders while we get our period. Unless we are on a pill that doesn’t have placeholders.
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No, we won’t take it in private
Don’t tell your partner to take her pill packet into the bathroom of a restaurant. She isn’t embarrassed about it and you should be either.
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Yes, it really can mess us up to miss a pack
Your girlfriend is not dramatic when she panics about getting off schedule and having to miss a whole month of pills. The pill can really help regulate hormones, which means it can help regulate emotions. Your girlfriend may be facing down an emotionally difficult month without her pill.
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Yes, it really does affect weight
And don’t reference the donuts she has added to her breakfast when she complains that going off the pill has made her gain weight. Again, it affects hormones, and those also affect weight.
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So yes, we’re going to the pharmacy on vacation
If your partner forgets to bring her pack of pills on vacation, there is a good chance she’ll have to make an overseas phone call to her gynecologist to have a prescription sent to a strange little pharmacy in a remote area. She needs that pill.
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You’re not off the hook for condoms
Look, if your partner really, really doesn’t want to become pregnant, she can ask you to use condoms even if she is on the pill. You don’t get to refuse to use added protection just because she’s on the pill. In fact, the pill is only 91 percent effective with typical use—99 percent with perfect use.
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No, we can’t just borrow our friend’s
I’ve had partners suggest I just borrowed a pill from a friend if I missed one. There isn’t enough time to explain all the problems with this but let’s just say, her doctor prescribed her her brand for her own specific body. We need our brand. And our friend needs all of her pills!
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Some really do reduce periods
No men; we are not trying to hide a pregnancy from you when we insist this pill only gives me three periods a year. There are pills that reduce the number of periods a woman gets a year; don’t panic.
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She does need to pause for the period week
If your partner is, however, on a pill that allows for a monthly period, don’t suggest she just charge through onto the next packet so you can have sex 30 days a month. The jury is still out on the medical effects of forcefully skipping one’s period through the pill. Don’t risk it.
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It’s normal for single women to take the pill
Many men do not understand why some women stay on the pill even after a relationship ends. Well, our body has made a lot of adjustments to that pill. We aren’t going to throw it out of whack all because we are single again.
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Just listen to her
A little tip from me to you; don’t try to tell your partner how to take the pill, why to take the pill, when to take the pill, where to take the pill…she’s done the research, she knows her body, and she’s got this. Just be grateful she takes the pill.
