{"id":19774,"date":"2021-07-20T12:46:45","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T10:46:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=19774"},"modified":"2021-07-20T12:46:50","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T10:46:50","slug":"do-i-need-a-birth-control-cleanse-getting-off-hormonal-contraceptives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/do-i-need-a-birth-control-cleanse-getting-off-hormonal-contraceptives\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I Need a Birth Control Cleanse? Getting off Hormonal Contraceptives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Modern forms of birth control revolutionized the world for women and people with uteruses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It gave them more freedom over how they lived their lives, their career options, how they could navigate their sex lives, and when and how many children they wanted. Today in the U.S., an estimated twenty-five percent<\/a> of women aged fifteen to forty-nine use some form of hormonal birth control.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hormonal contraceptives have given sexually active humans options and choices. Unfortunately, they\u2019re not perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Many people experience side effects from hormonal birth control<\/a> like weight gain, loss of libido, and in some cases \u2013 mental health issues<\/a> like depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point in another, everyone who is on HBC will have to go off of it, Whether that be because they\u2019re experiencing side effects, or they\u2019re hoping to conceive, or it\u2019s just no longer right for them and their body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With birth control being readily prescribed and used, many people don\u2019t give much thought to the effects artificial hormones can have on the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Birth Control Cleanse?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More and more people are starting to connect with their reproductive health with tools like tracking their menstrual cycle<\/a> and becoming more mindful of their periods<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This rise of body awareness has people asking questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat are the long-term effects of hormonal birth control?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow long does it take for birth control to get out of your system?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cIs there a way to cleanse my body off birth control?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A birth control cleanse is a method that is typically used by naturopathic or holistic doctors and practitioners to help a client\u2019s body \u201cdetox\u201d off the hormones that are in birth control. These are typically formulated with various vitamins, herbs, and minerals.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do You Need to Do a Birth Control Cleanse?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No, you don\u2019t need <\/em>to do a birth control cleanse. Plenty of people go off of birth control, never do a cleanse, and go on to lead happy, healthy, and oftentimes, fertile, lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes a cleanse is promoted to support people with what\u2019s called \u201cpost birth control syndrome<\/a>\u201d. This isn\u2019t technically a disorder, but rather a set of symptoms that some people experience after going off hormonal contraception, typically the pill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This term was coined by the thought-leading influencer, Dr. Aviva Romm<\/a>, in her textbook \u201cBotanical Medicine for Women\u2019s Health<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most HBC work by suppressing ovulation, so that people can\u2019t get pregnant. This is done through the use of artificial hormones. Many people go on birth control in the first place to help with things like acne, painful and irregular periods. Oftentimes people go on HBC as teens to help with these \u201cissues\u201d, which are usually just a normal part of being a teenager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people then go off HBC years later, these symptoms can arise again, much to their dismay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are symptoms that people may experience going off birth control:<\/p>\n\n\n\n