Sex is a gamble. Each time a pair of star-crossed lovers embrace,they’re taking a chance. Will he be any good? Will she spend thenight? What was his name again? The question that causes us the moststress is thequestion we are the most afraid to ask ourselves — will she getpregnant?
It’s a risky bet — too risky to play blind. In order to cheat theodds, we use birth control. Many of us consume four basic food groupswhile in college: beer, pizza, diet Coke and contraceptives. However,the risks involved with taking birth control can be as dangerous asthe risks involved with having sex. Specifically, Depo-Provera, acontraceptive injection taken every three months, can cause severeproblems in a woman’s body.
The injection consists of a progesterone-like hormone producedduring pregnancy. The hormone, depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate,tricks her body into thinking she’s already pregnant. The couplenarrowly escapes parenthood, but the woman puts her health injeopardy by screwing with her hormones.
The woman takes a ticket and decides which horse to bet on.
If she chooses to take Depo-Provera, the odds that she will getpregnant go down drastically. This is good. However, the odds thatshe might gain weight, have irregular or absent periods, becomedepressed, have severe headaches, dizziness, stomach discomfort,fatigue or strange emotional highs and lows go way up. She may evenhave trouble conceiving later in life. That’s bad.
My point? Protection is a gamble too.
My friend “Elizabeth” knows what Depo-Provera can do to one’sbody. Elizabeth is a computer geek, as am I, so naturally she isn’tthe emotional type. Well, she wasn’t the emotional type. Now shecries when she sees puppy commercials on TV.
She started using Depo-Provera about a year ago, and her periodstopped a month after her first shot. Six months, another injectionand fifty pounds later, a severe depression kicked in, whichstrangely vanished after she stopped the injections. Her periods,however, didn’t return until five months after her last shot. It wasstrange to say the least. However, it wasn’t all bad — she was ableto have sex with a clear mind, as long as her partner wore a condomto protect them from STDs.
Too bad her libido shot so far down she was no longer interested.Thanks a bunch, Depo-Provera!
Why do women put themselves through this? Is preventing pregnancymore important that maintaining one’s health? It boggles the mind tothink of what a woman will go through to have semi-guilt-free sex.Depo-Provera isn’t the only contraceptive on the market, but it’s byfar the most dangerous. With such a wide variety of birth controldevices on the market, it’s stupid to use a method that’s dangerousto one’s health.
Birth control pills, although not completely harmless, give awoman far more power over the hormones being ingested into hersystem, because she only takes a daily amount, as opposed to threemonths’ worth.
It may be hard to remember to take the pill every day, buthonestly, how much does it cost to buy a watch programmed with atimer? It’s worth the cost in the end. If it’s still too troublesometo take birth control pills every day, there are always condoms. Yes,they can be uncomfortable, but so are chronic headaches. It’s yourchoice.
Cover your back, but don’t screw your body over in the process.
–Rebecca Martin is a journalism sophomore.
–This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of TheDaily Aztec. Send e-mail to letters@thedailyaztec.com.Anonymous letters will not be printed — include your full name,major and year in school.