Sweetening the Pill: or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control

by Holly Grigg-Spall

The book that inspired the documentary  The Business of Birth Control, from filmmaking team Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein.
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Millions of healthy women take a powerful medication everyday from their mid-teens to menopause - the Pill - but few know how this drug works or the potential side effects. Contrary to cultural myth, the birth-control pill impacts on every organ and function of the body, and yet most women do not even think of it as a drug.
 
Depression, anxiety, paranoia, rage, panic attacks - just a few of the effects of the Pill on half of the over 80% of women who pop these tablets during their lifetimes. When the Pill was released, it was thought that women would not submit to taking a medication each day when they were not sick. Now thePill is making women sick.

However, there are a growing number of women looking for non-hormonal alternatives for preventing pregnancy. In a bid to spark the backlash against hormonal contraceptives, this book asks: Why can't we criticize the Pill?

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Health, Science, History, Politics, Womens

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2013

Reviews

[Natalie Rechberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, finally someone speaks up! A must read for all women who are not happy with hormonal birth control. It's a very informing, deeply
researched book with true facts and real people's stories. Holly Grigg Spall explains her own experience with the pill and how she came off it.

She brings up all the points every woman feels and thinks about, but barely anyone talks about. This book is a very exciting and easy read, I swallowed it down in days.

Not a lot of people have the courage to speak up and tell the truth about these very big players out there like Bayer, FDA, doctors, planned parenthood. It's everyone's choice to choose how they use contraception in their life, but to close the eyes towards the side effects hormonal contraception can cause, and doctors who deny the fact that side effects can happen, is not ok. The media is biased to the big players out there, not giving its readers alternatives and choices by speaking about all forms of contraception. Where is the education? Where is the truth? The effectiveness of the pill is always talked about, but the fact that natural alternatives can be just as effective, as easy and actually way cheaper, is not talked about. Instead, those who choose to use natural alternatives are stereotyped as being eco or not from this world.

Safe and effective family planning comes from within the woman's body. Education about alternatives to those who want to use natural methods is a start.

Read this book if you are not happy with how you feel towards hormonal contraception.

[Anna Keating · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have been sold a feminism of choice. Any choice is ok as long as you choose it. And all choices are private and therefore cannot be judged. But we don't make our choices in a vacuum, we make them in a patriarchal neoliberal society, and some choices are better than others in that they make our bodies objectively healthier, happier, more at peace, etc. We are taught to distrust our own experiences and bodies and to trust the pharmaceutical companies and others who profit off of our ignorance. This is an incredibly important book. It resonated exactly with my experiences both on hormonal birth control and (thankfully) off of it for over six years. Also just great sentences like, "The least disruptive woman is a woman rapt up in her own nervous breakdown." This is the type of feminism I have always identified with, "The pregnancy as disease framework legitimizes intolerance against pregnant women and moms. Why demand economic justice when you're the one who 'got yourself into this mess'? Why require child support when the mom didn't prevent her 'condition'?" Etc. I love this book because the Pill is such a sacred cow in our culture. But it's a 50 year old method. We can do so so much better by today's women and girls. No woman would accept a one size fits all twilight sleep style birth of 5o years ago, why accept synthetic hormones that reduce libido, cause migraines, depression, increase risks of breast cancer, etc. etc. etc.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I knew more about the pill and its potential effects before taking it for 15 years. I don't really agree with her arguments, but I agree that women should be better informed about things like long-term medical interventions such as the pill. Or even just about their own biology.

BUT--this book is really in need of some editing. There were some paragraphs that seemed cut and pasted from some other book or article the author was writing. And it's repetitive--I stopped reading at the halfway point and just skimmed the rest of the book. Although I think the author was trying to bring together a variety of studies addressing this issue, the effect was more like a book report than a critical analysis of the role of hormonal birth control.

I just couldn't get behind the author's whole, "capitalism is causing this" "women are just taking the pill to fit in" "women are just trying to please men by being sexually available" philosophy. I understand some of these points, but only to a limited extent. By failing to consider any positive impact that readily available birth control has had, she really lost credibility in my eyes.

And I really don't get what her ideal end point would be--the end of capitalism? Women not participating in the economy? What IS the role of women in our society, in her view? Does she think we should stop trying so hard to minimize teen pregnancies? (Seriously, she takes issue with the fact that we call it a teen pregnancy "epidemic." Maybe I missed some of the answers by skimming the end of the book...) At one point, she tells the story of a woman who's boyfriend PHYSICALLY RESTRAINS HER and forcibly removes her NuvaRing while she lies on the bathroom floor and tries to fight him off. The moral of the story--the pill made the woman crazy so her boyfriend had to do this! I don't know. Frankly, some of her points seemed sort of misogynistic.

[K.M. Herkes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I hoped for a book founded on comparisons of peer-reviewed studies, one that offered a coherent presentation of arguments with at least a nod to objectivity. This book-length jumbled collection of factoids and unsubstantiated claims is none of those things.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a difficult time getting into this book. I think the writing tried to be styled academically, but it came across as farfetched/conspiratorial rather than just presenting evidence. Many ideas presented throughout the book felt repetitious. I didn’t necessarily disagree with the points made, but reading the book itself was a total chore.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many medical dangers involved with taking birth control pills. It can cause blood clots, ongoing depression, and many other complications. But this information is suppressed by the drug manufacturers, the media, and a women's movement that promotes sexual freedom at all costs.

This book is not written from a religious nor conservative point of view. But the author dares to take on the established view that birth control pills are a practical necessity in this society.

[Patti Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

The research is overwhelming. Women and all of society should know and care. Holly uncovered the shocking reality of what hormonal birth control is doing to women and those who live and work with them. Sadly, while she came to the conclusion that natural fertility methods do not hurt women, she missed the fact that working in union with God and reserving the gift of sex for marriage is what ultimately brings stability and happiness to couples and society.

[Marideth Bridges · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not very factual. Just a bunch of opinions and anecdotes that the author is using to justify her claims that (hormonal) birth control is bad for women, periods are wonderful, and that all sexually active women of reproductive age should all just use fertility tracking, which is very time-consuming for women who work outside the home. Listen, I understand that (hormonal) birth control is not for all women, and there can be side effects, but the same is true for all prescription drugs.

Unfortunately, it’s become trendy not just among social conservatives (who see birth control as abortion), but also among ostensibly progressive, secular feminists (who are otherwise ‘pro choice’ when it comes to abortion rights) to bash (hormonal) birth control and claim that it causes all kinds of side effects, including depression, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, hair loss, low sex drive, weight gain, liver damage, and cancer. Plus, the author is not a MD, so she she’s not qualified to give out health advice.

https://slate.com/human-interest/2013...
This a good review! I like how it says that “It would be tempting to dismiss the author as an isolated crank, but she is part of a disturbing effort to reduce women to their biological functions in the name of feminism. Sexists have been trying to reduce women to incubators since time immemorial, but recently some self-proclaimed feminists have jumped on the bandwagon, arguing that true liberation means being left alone to experience feminine bodily functions like ovulation, menstruation, childbirth, and breastfeeding in all their natural glory. To these “feminists,” tampons and epidurals are keeping women down. And now, the birth control pill is, too.”

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this is a great radical feminist perspective on contraception, capitalism, women's oppression, and medical misogyny. Unfortunately, it's structurally a complete mess and needed a few more runs with the editor. I also would have liked to see more extensive footnoting in a book that frequently cites "recent research".

[Clare]

Great review by Carolyn Moynihan of this book here http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/v...

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. A must read for every woman and mother!

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It tends to repeat itself (lightly) at times and the writing feels a bit sloppy in some places, but the content is golden and a must-read for women regardless of how they feel about hormonal contraceptives. I heard about it while heavily questioning my health on the pill and started reading it after I decided to stop taking it, and this book completely solidified my decision and backed up all of my suspicions that doctors refused to acknowledge. You owe it to yourself, your health, and the women around you to read this book. Most likely, you'll be nodding along during majority of it.

[Nadina Kinnett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was only able to get through about half of this book. It reads as a book report, or notes to a power point presentation. Poor editing, and scattered thoughts. The potential for this book is great, but I wish there was more substance contained within the pages. I understand there is a documentary in the works...I'll wait for that.

[Charissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hm. Too political for my tastes, but there is some good information in here. Glad I finished it.

[M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read for the PopSugarChallenge 2019

16. A book with a title that contains “salty”, “sweet”, “bitter”, or “spicy”:

Grigg Spall spends too much time repeating her points and though they might convince someone foreign to Church teaching; I honestly agree with plenty of reviewers that this could use decent editing and maybe get reduced to a few hundred pages. I am not sure why I was under the impression that she was a libfem and that I'd get way less from this book, but she touched on important points:

-fertility, menstruation, ovulation and normal hormonal development of women's bodies as sickness, the World Health Organization and Bill and Melinda Gates' quest for population reduction.
-the myth of overpopulation and the "fear" of teen pregnancy.
-the highly intrincate processes of corruption that allow contraception to go unchallenged by the FDA and other organizations which threaten women's lives. The shallow and highly risky promises of thinnness, breast augmentation and clearer skin through some kinds of pills as a cure-all solution.
-the capitalist benefits sought by having women sexually available yet undermined by side effects (legalization of prostitution, a pornographic friendly culture, a work addicted culture, not paying maternity leave or special days due to menstruation complications)
-the contradictions of transgender ideology
-serious lack of comprehensive health education in relation to women and their own bodies.

But then she proceeded to say that Japan, whose birth rate is abysmal, was ideal because women despised birth control but loved condoms. I mean, she acknowledged the birth rate problem, which is okay and fair for her to do. Then she proposed on demand abortion as a better alternative, as if it weren't, apart from murderous, invasive, soul crushing. As if it didn't cause women to have suicidal thoughts and PTSD. And if as it didn't contradict her earlier statement about ceasing to see pregnancy as a disease.

She talked about rare conditions that are really not talked about, various kinds of vaginosis, and the STDs birth control doesn't protect you against. She even went on about the contradiciton of creating drugs aimed at risk factors, which even is a good argument against the most liberal sectors and their "but medicinal use", and "if she's gonna be raped" cries. The fundamental inequality of throwing a woman's hormonal system away, but being squirmish of even touching one man's hair, because sperm production is good, culture says, but ovulation and menstruation are gross, symbols of an unstable uterus, which is an argument I arrived at recently, before even reading this.

I found myself nodding along, but then she ignored the fact that much like birth control, condom use tells men that women are their sex toys and even opens the door to more aggressive acts such as anal sex, since a woman doesn't have a reason to refuse now that he's "properly covered"

To badmouth the Creighton Model because it has been made by a Catholic (it's good but rooted in "oppressive" Catholic ideology, she affirms) is quite immature to me. I wish I would have been able to rate it higher: I'm not a fan of the pill and there are many gems here, but ultimately, whether by structure or inconsistency, the whole thing falls apart.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of this book after listening to an interview with the author and her collaborator (they made a documentary about Grigg-Spall's research called "The Business of Birth Control"). Now, I haven't seen the documentary, but I'll probably try to track it down over the holiday break after reading the book.

I'm an old-school feminist with a special interest in the ethics of women's health care and a public health attorney, so I found this book especially interesting. Sweetening the Pill is a mix of feminist theory, bioethics, and investigative journalism. It isn't always well-researched, and it isn't always the most readable, but it still held my interest. However, if you're new to the topic, I wouldn't necessarily recommend starting with this book. Those unfamiliar with feminist theory may feel Grigg-Spall is leaning into conspiracy or hysteria (oh, the irony).

[Michael Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got a bit weird at the end there...

[Alissa Legacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A secular/liberal commentary criticizing hormonal birth control in regards to the scientific reasons one should be wary of taking it as well as the social issues surrounding how it is pushed on women and girls as a universal “must” to their healthcare as opposed to an option they should carefully consider from an informed standpoint of costs/benefits.

History of hormonal BC also explored. For example synthetic estrogen which made Hormonal BC possible was actually developed in nazi Germany- a very disturbing fact.

[Lani · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made me so angry that I still have it for fear I'll put it somewhere someone else might read it. I was so disappointed, it was cited in an article that I really loved (which I now can't find, argh!) that honestly discussed the issues with hormonal birth control and the complicated conversations around criticizing our reliance on it. This book, however, was awful. It was judgey, it was full of bad science, and I threw it across the room multiple times. IT IS TRASH.

[Sara DeSantis (Hot Reads Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that every woman should be reading if they are on hormonal birth control or other forms of birth control. The history behind the rise in birth control was very informative. I enjoyed this book a lot because it was not just about the authors's opinion but also about the opinion of doctors, pharmaceutical companies, and average woman.

[Wanderingdragon · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I agree in principle that women should be able to make informed choices, this book started out with a well meaning rant and then never really stopped.

I’ll be honest, I skimmed. My purpose for reading this book was informing myself of side effects. I’ve never taken any type of hormonal birth control, relying on barrier methods only. I am considering getting some so I wanted to be well informed. This book was not it. It’s in dire need of editing. I am not kidding that I have business emails better written than this book.

The entire book reads like a really jumbled blog post. The author jumps wildly from topic to topic, suddenly bringing up alt right groups in one paragraph and the next one pretending she didn’t bring them up at all. She fails to do any inline citations which would be crucial for the claims she makes. I would have to read every single source listed in the back to figure out if a single sentence was sourced from another body of work or if it is a claim of the author. I was looking for an intellectual book, but instead this is a half baked manifesto.

I read in entirety the first three chapters, then skipped to the last chapters since I did not feel like playing this game of ‘can the author rile me up’ because that is exactly what she aims to do. I cannot relate and actually want to use hormonal birth control, so this does not work on me. The last couple chapters are horrifying. The author describes a few different social movements that are part of the “divine feminine” bullcrap sold to women to convince us our “inner goddess” wants you to be soft, demure, blah blah. If you believe this shit you still are in the patriarchy by another name. The only solution she offers is to engage in Fertility Awareness Method (FAM). I would have at least expected her to go through all the non hormonal methods and explained how to actually use them - you know, actual advice and instruction. If you’re telling women that the only way to find their “true self” is to go off birth control, it is completely irresponsible for you to not go over non hormonal methods of preventing pregnancy and their pros/cons. FAM is extremely complicated and requires intricate knowledge of the menstrual cycle.
There are resources out there, like Taking Charge of Your Fertility, but the reality is most people won’t grasp it. Sex education in the States is abysmal (as somebody who went through puberty in not one but two abstinence only states), and reading comprehension is at an all time low. Unless the people reading up can afford a $40 book or have a baseline understanding of the menstrual cycle from some high school biology course, they really shouldn’t dive headfirst into FAM. I’m well equipped with the knowledge (thanks to years making up for my lack of school education) and it still kinda terrifies me.

Seriously, do not pick up this book if your pursuit is knowledge. Instead snap a photo of the sources (there’s not too many) and go read those instead.

[Masha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very passionate about the subject, and some things were eye opening, even if mostly about the scale of the problem of women experiencing as a result of societal pressure of taking hormonal contraceptives. I could very well relate considering my recent experience with it as well. Depressive episodes, nervous break downs, irritability, anxiety, fogged reality, hair loss, and god knows what else I will see later that I didn’t yet. As soon as I stopped taking the pills (and got in to therapy to address my PTSD after 2 years in India :-)) I am a changed person. A lot of this: how’s and why’s are described in this book. Important subject but not the best writing, I am afraid. This book is mostly an overview of other books on the subject. Which is useful but not a book. Also I felt like author was slightly condescending towards real women’s experiences that they are trying to resolve by taking “the pill”. Which was thought provoking for me as well. I used to feel so right about “the pill” being the only option in my conversations with friends. As much as I feel that everyone should stop it right away now. Author’s attitude made me re-evaluate mine and consider being much more mindful of other women’s experiences and struggles.

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started off strong and had some great themes. A lot of the impacts the pill have on the female body didn't come as a suprised to me. The book could have been edited a bit better. There were a few mistakes that an editor should have picked up. Names are used with a discriptor as to who this person is. I would have liked the references to be linked to the exact point used. There seemed much fewer references than I would expect in a book like this, and I would have liked to see more stats.

I feel like she is very much seeing the extreme of it. The impacts the pill has on women, I very much believe. However, from me and my friends' experience, we didn't skip periods to have 'sex like a man'. We skipped them so we didn't have periods will camping or at festivals or on holiday. All times when bleeding is a nightmare. Did this have a negative impact on us, very likely. I think that she is linking things together that shouldn't be linked on this scale.

I did love this line:
"In Japan, if a man loves you enough, he will offer to use a condom."

The last section was just very out there, and I didn't really agree with it. However, the Luna cycle club was cool.

All in all, it's worth a read, but maybe take some of it with a grain of salt.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I definitely learned a lot of information on how the pharmaceutical industry undermines autonomy and true informed choices on contraception. There's a lot about the risks of the pill that doctors gloss over or don't tell you, as well as information on non-hormonal contraception methods that the medical industry maligns. At the same time, some of it was a little judgy. There was a lot about the pill being pushed on women to make them sexually available to men. The reason I found this type of thing judgy was because of the implication that sexual availability benefits only men, as though women don't also enjoy sex. I also felt that there was a lot of woo-woo about how magical getting your period is. Obviously, many women do feel this way, but the way it was presented implied that if you don't like having your period, you are not spiritually fulfilled, or something along those lines. I do recommend this read for folks who have or currently use hormonal contraception (but do your own further research and take some of it with several grains of salt). I learned a lot, but also felt that the author had a major bias.

[Lorena Meusel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book mainly for an essay for uni about the side effects of hormonal contraceptives.
I found the book to be a more or less easy read, however, I couldn't quite get around some of the arguments she was making in regards to communism and women and about what an ideal world would be for menstruating women. Also, the number of actual studies mentioned in this book was quite low.
Now, I understand that this book is not intended to be a review of current scientific literature, but for my liking there was not enough science involved. I am in no way doubting the reality of the anecdotal evidence provided, having experienced something similar when coming off the pill, but anecdotal evidence is still not data. I would have more enjoyed a critical view on methods used to evaluate a contraceptive and what is flawed about such studies (because, honestly, a lot) or what could be done better.
It is a nice read to get acclimated with the topic but will bring little to no new information for people looking for scientific evidence.

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Grigg-Spall takes on a heavy hitting topic with grace and unfiltered, unsaturated truth. She discusses how the female body has become so politicised and thus created the birth of the politicisation of hormonal birth control. She looks at the left and right wing stances and draws on conclusions from her own experiences. She explores her own struggle with the pill and gives women ways in which to take control of their own bodies in a more natural way which is much healthier both in body and in mind. Holly Grigg-Spall has within her 197 pages taught me more about how the pill damages women's physical and mental health and the disturbing realities of the origins of the pill than I was taught in science class. This book is a massive eye opener to the truth about the suppression of female bodies, which has been going on for centuries. As women we need to take control of our bodies and stop putting harmful substances in our system; it's doing more harm than good.

[Jessie Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

The information in this little book is empowering in a way that, for me, was life-changing. As someone who has relied on synthetic hormones as contraceptive since age 15, I found the testimonials, history, and science to be equal parts validating and disturbing. Standing ovation to Grigg-Spall and her brave efforts to expose the “business of birth control” and the massive conflict of interest between the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies that create these oppressive drugs. I will forever recommend this book to women in my life if only to spread vital and foundational info of the female fertility cycle that, outrageously, I was never taught.

If this is all new information to you, do yourself a favor and grab a copy so that you can also ditch the pill and reclaim your mental and physical health.

[Courtney Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has recently come off the pill due to debilitating emotional and physical side effects, I was very interested in reading this book and getting information about the benefits of going off birth control.

I was intrigued and interested in the content of this book, but felt that it didn’t read very smoothly. There wasn’t a structure within the chapters and I found all the referencing of other resources very choppy and a bit of a mish-mash. It felt like a literature review, rather than an educational book.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and all of the information (and it affirmed that I’m very happy with my decision), but just wish it was easier to read.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book is sound and Holly Grigg-Spall makes a sound argument regarding the dangers of the prevalence of hormonal contraception as a one size fits all solution for both contraception and a "cure-all" for every women's ailment. The points on today's paternalistic health care paradigm pushing these drugs on women and girls without informing them of the risks really hit home. The book could use with citing some more peer-reviewed sources and the writing itself was a bit sloppy and disjointed.

[Saoirse Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book contains lots of really important information, and really supported a lot of what I was suffering from hormonal contraception. The reason for the 3 stars is the issue others have raised, it needs better editing. I understand this is a culmination of multiple sources but they really do need to be referenced properly. Hopefully another edition can be brought out to revise the book and improve how this vital information is presented. Because it IS important people on these medications understand what it can do to their bodies.