Several scientists from Denmark interviewed more than a million women in the country and concluded that indeed, a large percentage of pill takers have exhibited symptoms of depression and teenage respondents are at a higher risk.
Scientists have speculated that there might be a relationship between the development of the brain, and the amount of estrogen and testosterone the body produces and their survey confirmed this.
While the pill is one of the most significant discoveries of the twentieth century, and it gives women the ability to take control of their fertility, this medicine was initially intended for use only by adults.
Nowadays, contraceptives are becoming increasingly popular among teenagers, and not only for preventing unintended pregnancies. Research has proven that in some cases taking the pill might have a positive effect on period pains, and on acne.
The benefits of contraceptives for adults are indeed undeniable; however, there is scarce information regarding the pills’ effects on a young adults’ organism. Recent research has claimed that taking the pill as a teenager might lead to adverse effects and increased risk of depression at a later stage of her life.
The pill and schools
Contraceptive measures like the pill are often part of sex education classes in schools. The pill is often advertised as the most effective contraceptive available, which is why the share of teenage girls taking it has been increasing steadily for years.
Unfortunately, the effects of the pill on young bodies are still unknown. This warrants a severe dose of concern and rethinking of the way sex education is organized in schools. Not only that, but new developments in the world of medicine should always be subject to extensive testing, including for different uses and cases.
Medicine is not the only field where new developments are regularly entering. The food we eat also has a significant impact on the way our bodies function, and much like the pill, it affects the hormonal balance. This is why new inventions like lab-grown meat should be accepted with a grain of salt.
