Low Dose Hormones Are Safer... Right? (The Surprising Truth)

"Releases a continuous low dose... of hormones to help  prevent pregnancy." Sound familiar from your birth control research? This is the claim to fame of Nuva Ring, and if your like any of us, the promise of "low dose hormones" comes as a relief.

When we stop and think about it, none of us actually want synthetic hormones in our systems. Heck —we don't even want hormones in dairy cows, let alone directly into our bodies. The low dose claim is one of the reasons vaginal rings have catapulted to the number one prescription birth control on the market today. But what is going on underneath the slick marketing and pharmaceutical push?

Nuva Ring uses what are called 'Third Generation' hormones. Very little research has been conducted on third generation hormones, but the studies that have been done revel a disturbing trend. The risk of blood clots may be as high as 50% more likely to occur in women using this form of birth control. Additionally, women may experience unexplained spikes in estrogen, but occurrence and ramifications are being pushed under the carpet by the pharmaceutical companies.

In its April newsletter Worst Pills Best Pills Ranked Nuva Ring as a 'Do Not Use' product. And heartbroken family members of women who died of heart failure at shockingly young ages are rallying to make consumers more aware of potential health risks. Why should women have to compromise their health, and even more their lives, for adequate birth control? Read more on the truth about Nuva Ring here.

So what options are there for safe and effective birth control? Believe it or not, all women have a built in birth control rhythm. For almost three out of four weeks of the month, conception is simply biologically impossible. A viable egg is only available for sperm to fertilize for a short window of time, during ovulation, before and after which impregnation is impossible.

Understanding your unique fertility window is simple  thanks to fertility monitors like Cyclotest 2 Plus. The most accurate way of assessing ovulation is tracking your Basel Body Temperature. Cyclotest 2 Plus, has a built in thermometer and automatically generates a fertility graph based off of your temperature taking. Its easy and affordable! Click here to learn more about Cyclotest 2 Plus.

There is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to relying on understanding the your natural fertility rhythm. But imagine this: if women were empowered to connect with their bodies, instead of viewing them as a problem that needs to be medicated away, a revolution in women's health could occur. We could create a culture of holistic contraception, with safe, natural birth control. It starts now.

Check out ethicalfamilyplanning.com for more on safe natural birth control options.