In August of 1960 the first birth control hit the marketplace in the United States. The pill promised to give women control of their reproductive cycles. It allowed them to engage in sexual relations without fear of getting pregnant. Within a year of its release, over 1 million American women were using it. The pill and many other birth control methods -- IUDs (intrauterine devices), hormonal patches, Depo-Provera injections and vaginal rings--can cause physiological and psychological reactions that can impact relationships.
Sexual Freedom
The pill gave women sexual freedom that had not previously been known at any level of society. The birth control pill, taken every day, could allow women to have sex as often as they wanted without fear of getting pregnant no matter how many sexual partners they had. In many ways, this leveled the playing field and changed the rules of society. Prior to 1960, a woman who wanted sexual freedom in this manner could not do so unless she wanted to gamble that she would likely get pregnant. The pill changed this and allowed women to make the same choices as men when it came to sexuality. Many other birth control devices--the IUD, hormonal patches and Depo-Provera injections--give women the same sexual freedom as the birth control pill. The same is not true with a condom and a diaphragm because they have higher failure rates, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Psychological Symptoms
According to the makers of Enovid, the first birth control to hit the marketplace, "an occasional woman receiving Enovid may experience psychic depression, although the relationship of Enovid administration to such a response is by no means clear." That warning, presented by manufacturer G.D. Searle in 1960, holds true a half-century later. Other birth control methods present different symptoms. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, women who use the hormonal skin patch or vaginal ring may also experience emotional or psychological reactions. Other birth control methods like the IUD and Depo-Provera are not likely to have those type of reactions. These emotional reactions can become serious issues for those involved in relationships.
Physiological Impact
Birth control manufacturers put warnings on their products that the use of birth control pills can have physiological effects as well. Those symptoms include headaches, nausea, weight gain, hirsutism, osteoporosis and the development of some types of cancer. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, IUD users may suffer cramps, bleeding between periods and infertility. Women who take Depo-Provera injections may have weight gain, sore breasts and headaches. Those who use a vaginal ring may suffer from swelling of the vagina and vaginal discharge.Those who wear the skin patch may suffer stomach pain, weight gain and high blood pressure. Women who suffer physiological symptoms as a result of birth control may be forced to turn their attention to recovering physically and emotionally before they can regain full interest in their relationships.
