After the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the birth control pill for the first time in 1960, it was still very controversial and illegal in eight states. Then, five years later, 6.5 million women took it every day because it had become the most common way to prevent pregnancy.

Today, many women can’t imagine their lives without it. The CDC says that 14% of women in the US between the ages of 15 and 49 are using the pill. But at what price?

Georgia Shaw, a student from Leicestershire who is 20 years old, recently talked about the risks and side effects that might come with the pill. In an honest tweet, she said that the leaflet that came with the Rigevidon pill was so big that it scared her.

Georgia tweeted in a thread that went viral and got 23.9k likes, “Started a new pill today and wanted to show you guys what women have to go through so you don’t have to wear a bit of rubber.” More women joined the thread to talk about what it was like to take the pill and the scary side effects they had to deal with while on it or after they stopped.

So, let’s look at the shocking thread below, which will make us wonder how on earth no one thinks twice about such a dangerous way to prevent pregnancy.

Credits:bored panda

Georgia, 20, from Leicestershire, recently told how shocked she was by how big the warning leaflet that came with her Rivegidon birth control pills was.

Image credits: georgiaas00

Bored Panda reached out to Georgia, who started this thread that went viral and started a much-needed conversation about the side effects of birth control pills that are often overlooked. Georgia thinks that “systemic sexism” is to blame for the fact that a birth control method with so many risks is so common.

She also said, “I think it’s because of how society views gender roles that women always take care of the kids while the man goes to work.” This hasn’t changed, even though women in the West have more equality than ever. “

So she wrote an honest tweet about the risks of the pill that a lot of women could relate to.

Image credits: georgiaas00

When asked about her own experience with the pill, the thread’s author said, “With Rigevidon, I’ve had some mood swings, but mostly it’s been okay.” “My skin has actually cleared up,” she says, and “the only side effect I’ve really felt is a craving for fatty foods.”

Image credits: georgiaas00
Image credits: georgiaas00
Image credits: georgiaas00

Georgia would like to ask men whose partners are on hormonal birth control to “give them time and understanding and just go the extra mile to make sure they’re feeling okay.”

“It means a lot to us when a man is understanding and willing to work with us.” They should also make sure to learn about the risks and side effects of hormonal birth control and watch for signs of stroke and blood clots in their partners, as there is a high risk of having one if they use it.

The huge leaflet listed a lot of scary things that could happen if you took the pill.

Georgia questioned why women are subjected to all of these potential dangers without question.

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: georgiaas00

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread
Image credits: georgiaas00

The person who started the thread also said that she is not optimistic about the future of birth control for men. I’d love to see a male birth control pill come out, but I don’t think it will. I think education is the best way, and I hope that boys will start to learn about female sex education in school along with male sex education. This will help change attitudes and knowledge, as many of the men who replied to my tweet didn’t know it wasn’t just used as a birth control method.

It’s not a secret that many women who have taken or are still taking birth control pills have had some kind of unwanted side effect. Among women ages 18 to 49 who choose to use birth control, the number of women taking the pill dropped by 4.5% between 2008 and 2015.

The number of women who use birth control pills is going down because more of them are speaking out about their bad experiences, which often overshadow the good ones. But it’s still hard to say how many women experience side effects from the pill.

The writer said that the point of her tweet was to warn people about the risks of taking the pill.

Image credits: georgiaas00

Elizabeth Farrell, the medical director for Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, says that nausea, sore breasts, and bleeding that doesn’t make sense usually happen “in the first three months,” but usually go away after that.

Serious problems happen less often, but they have been written about. There is a higher chance of blood clots, a small increase in breast cancer (1 in 50,000 more cases), and more stress on the liver.

As if that wasn’t enough, a growing number of cases suggest that the pill may be linked to mood swings, anxiety, and even depression in women who take it, but this hasn’t been fully researched yet.

The message struck a chord with a lot of women because they had had similar, horrifyingly terrible experiences with the pill.

Image credits: ellie_kirtley
Image credits: alex_wright7
Image credits: alextomlinson_x

And while it keeps you from getting an unwanted pregnancy, it doesn’t protect you from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This is, of course, an important thing to think about when choosing a method of birth control that works for you.

Also, it’s important to say that even though side effects are real, some women never have any of them and are very happy with the pill and what it does for them.

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: LeahLeonard02

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: barnaclebear

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: CharlRobinsxn

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: georgiaas00

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: megsjono

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: nbanattt

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: meganameliax

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: pamelasmyth_

Others praised the author for bringing up this very important topic

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: helz_sadler

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: EllieGosling23

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: redpwade

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: Inetux

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: amandacollins16

Women Are Sharing Horror Stories From Taking Contraceptive Pills On A Viral Twitter Thread

Image credits: AngelMiners