How the humble contraceptive pill is reshaping your body, brain, relationships and society

Written by Vicky Beckett, 31 December 2024

I was walking down my university halls surprised to find tears streaming out of my face that I had literally zero explanation for other than that I had gone batshit crazy. This was just one of the side-effects of the first contraceptive pill I took, which was prescribed to me within 10 minutes. After a whole host of concerning problems, the doctor put me on a different one. I didn’t cry in public for unknown reasons so it looked like a success. My skin was clear and my boobs were massive — fantastic.

For decades, the contraceptive pill has been hailed as a feminist triumph and a marvel of modern medicine. But as with all great inventions—electric scooters, social media, and fast fashion—there’s always fine print. While the pill may have spared millions from unexpected parenthood, but the long-term side effects of pumping women with a cocktail of synthetic hormones, sometimes for decades, are only just starting to be publicly discussed.

The effects are so wide-ranging that “this is a conversation for women, for women's partners and those who love women. It's a conversation for everyone,” Dr Sarah Hill insisted, a renowned evolutionary social psychologist, when she recently spoke to Steven Bartlett on his podcast, Diary of a CEO.

“This has consequences for everything, ranging from who women are attracted to and might be choosing as partners to women's mental health.”

For decades, public consensus has been that the pill is a positive. You may be perfectly happy on the pill, as I was. But, I was surprised to find how much happier I naturally was when I decided to stop taking it in 2020. While I’m not denying it can be a force for good, this article delves into just a few of the negative impacts in a bid to balance the conversation.

Mood swings

One of the longest-running debates in pill history revolves around its effect on mental health. Studies suggest that hormonal contraceptives can influence mood and potentially increase the risk of depression, especially in younger women. A large Danish study found that women on the pill were 23% more likely to be prescribed antidepressants¹. That’s not a tiny number. While some swear the pill stabilises their mood, others report feeling like they’re living in a soap opera.