Billionaire Elon Musk posted about the side effects of hormonal birth control pills on Friday, setting off a host of women to reply to the post with their own negative experiences from taking the contraceptive.
Hormonal contraceptive, a.k.a “the pill,” is extremely common among women and girls, and is sometimes even recommended for youths for something as benign as acne. However, side effects from the pill are hardly talked about, though some women in recent years have spoken out about ditching the pill following such side effects.
“Hormonal birth control makes you fat, doubles risk of depression & triples risk of suicide,” Musk posted to X. “This is the clear scientific consensus, but very few people seem to know it.”
The post has already been viewed more than 37 million times.
Hormonal birth control makes you fat, doubles risk of depression & triples risk of suicide.
This is the clear scientific consensus, but very few people seem to know it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 16, 2024
The SpaceX CEO followed up with a link to a Time magazine article highlighting the increased risk of suicide associated with the pill. He also linked to a study in the American Journal of Psychiatry that found hormonal contraception to double the risk of suicide attempts, and triple the risk of suicide.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 16, 2024
The responses to the post included women lauding Musk for bringing attention to the issue, and sharing their own stories.
Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director-turned-pro-life advocate, responded: “Hormonal birth control gave me pseudotumor cerebri, which causes debilitating headaches and if untreated, blindness,” she wrote. “I will have to be on medication for my entire life or otherwise lose my sight.”
“Fertility is a sign of HEALTH!!!,” Johnson stressed. “Don’t take a pill to break something that is working! I’m so thankful to have gotten off that crap and now have 8 beautiful children.”
Hormonal birth control gave me pseudotumor cerebri, which causes debilitating headaches and if untreated, blindness. I will have to be on medication for my entire life or otherwise lose my sight. Fertility is a sign of HEALTH!!! Don’t take a pill to break something that is…
— Dr. Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) February 17, 2024
Ashley St. Clair of The Babylon Bee recounted her experience after being on the pill for nearly a decade, starting at age 14.
“I was placed on the pill at just 14 years old for acne. A few months later, I saw my first-ever therapist despite no prior history of depression,” she wrote. “Shortly after that, I was placed on an SSRI. Each time I would talk to my doctors about my deteriorating mental health, not a single one in nearly a decade of being on the pill suggested that it may in fact be the hormones I was taking every single day. Not one.”
“In retrospect, after being on birth control for nearly a decade, being placed on the pill for ‘acne’ was akin to killing a mouse with a rocket launcher,” St. Clair continued. “Hundreds of thousands of women across the United States and the world have had a similar experience to mine — feeling completely out of their mind on a pill their doctor told them was relatively ‘harmless.’”
I was placed on the pill at just 14 years old for acne. A few months later, I saw my first-ever therapist despite no prior history of depression. Shortly after that, I was placed on an SSRI.
Each time I would talk to my doctors about my deteriorating mental health, not a single… https://t.co/Fj4hOj4qQQ
— Ashley St. Clair (@stclairashley) February 16, 2024
“I’ve been (wrongfully) slandered time and time again as an anti-science conspiracy theorist for pointing out all the legitimate reasons why we shouldn’t shut off our natural hormonal functioning,” writer Andrea Mew posted, captioning screenshots of her columns on the topic published at Evie magazine. “Is the tide finally turning for mainstream opinions on hormonal birth control?”
I’ve been (wrongfully) slandered time and time again as an anti-science conspiracy theorist for pointing out all the legitimate reasons why we shouldn’t shut off our natural hormonal functioning.
Is the tide finally turning for mainstream opinions on hormonal birth control? https://t.co/TZumHdReg4 pic.twitter.com/bHmvhgfvXU
— Andrea Mew (@andreajmew) February 16, 2024
“I CAN VOUCH FOR the weight gain and mood swings, etc. I took this stuff for about 2 years as a very young wife,” another woman responded to Musk. “Hated the way it made me feel, and stopped taking it. I’m a grandmother now … never regretted getting off the pill. I feel the same way about many modern meds. Be careful folks and listen to your body.”
Other women discussed the increased risks of both breast cancer and cervical cancer associated with the pill.
