What you need to know about birth control prescriptions
What you need to know about birth control prescriptions
The traditional approach in prescribing birth control is broken. To find the right contraception, we often rely on trial-and-error by trying various pills, one after another, in hopes of finding one that works for our body. This takes time and can wreak havoc on our bodies, emotions, and mental health. Almost half of women who start the pill stop using it within the first year because of side effects.“The pill” that played a pivotal role in feminist progress in the 1960s has created a love-hate relationship with women who rely on it, not just for pregnancy prevention, but for relief in symptoms of hormonal imbalance conditions. Examples of these conditions are dysmenorrhea, heavy menstrual bleeding due to uterine fibroids, PMS, PCOS, Endometriosis, and irregular cycles.For some, the benefits of birth control don’t outweigh the side effects. Birth control can lead to unpleasant changes in mood, and issues like anxiety and depression. Although newer methods of contraception have been introduced, not everyone can safely, comfortably, or happily live without the use of the birth control pill. With the negative stigma attached to the pill in recent decades – how do we educate ourselves about the use of hormonal contraception? The answer is by increasing the understanding of contraception and our hormones. With this knowledge, we can make informed decisions regarding our health and wellness – and choose the pill that works best for our body.
Table of Contents
How many types of birth control are there?
There are over 250 types of birth control pills. In order to release a new birth control pill, the makers of the drug have to prove their drug is different enough from what’s currently available and that it’s solving a different or new problem. This leads to drug manufacturers developing different types of synthetic hormones, different combinations of hormones, or different doses. Manufacturers can also differentiate themselves by how the drug is administered – oral pill versus an injection.
Generic vs. brand-name birth control pills
With so many types of pills on the market all claiming to be unique from one another, where do the generic pills fit in? A generic pill does not mean it’s the same formulation as the name brand it is associated with. In order for a generic pill to be prescribed in place of a name-brand pill, its active ingredients have to be the same as the name-brand version. However, the inactive ingredients (which often make up a significant proportion of the pill) can be different. These inactive ingredients can cause allergic reactions and malabsorption for some. Depending on one’s hormonal profile, a generic pill might actually benefit someone more than a name brand, and vice versa. However, depending on your insurance, the precise pill for you may not be covered.
Health Insurance & Prescription Coverage
Imagine you and your doctor decide to move forward with a specific pill. You get to the pharmacy and find out it’s not covered by your insurance. Instead, they approve you for a generic version and the pharmacist fills that prescription. You didn’t know the generic version is different in the formulation of its inactive ingredients. Your doctor also doesn’t know this switch has occurred at the pharmacy. If you opt for the originally prescribed version, you could end up paying hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket as insurance might not cover it. So you stick with the generic one and hope for the best.
Symptoms and Side Effects
Over 50% of women experience side effects from birth control. Everyone is different and our hormones are no exception. We react differently to the varying levels of hormones in birth control.But what if you didn’t have to suffer from side effects with your birth control? What if there is a method to find a pill, patch, or ring that only improves your symptoms from hormonal imbalances, without causing an onslaught of other side effects? Now there is.We have met Tuune, a team of experts and doctors who personalize your contraception by calculating which methods and ingredients work best for you according to science and your hormonal assessment. Hormone University does its research, and we want to clarify this is not a sponsored ad. Our aim is to inform you of all options and give you the ammunition to make informed decisions. If you decide the pill is for you, we are here to provide you with what we believe is the best option for you.
Why Tuune?
Tuune’s sophisticated algorithm evaluates 39 common hormonal symptoms and scans thousands of pages of research to help determine the best birth control for each unique person. Tuune’s technology is free from bias, and evaluates all 250+ types of hormonal and non-hormonal contraception. You can also take Tuune’s at-home hormone test to further understand your hormone levels and how they relate to your symptoms.Tuune helps remove the anxiety and stress of starting or switching to a new birth control with less trial and error. In fact, 74% of women are more positive about starting a new birth control after using Tuune, and 75% of Tuune users are more satisfied with their recommendation compared to the typical online birth control services.Data from the clinical trial shows that, compared to other online birth control services, women who used Tuune reported feeling:
Less stress while deciding on a new birth control option
Less anxiety about starting or switching to a new birth control
More knowledgeable about their birth control options
More confident they’ll be on the best birth control for their unique body
More optimistic their birth control will improve their overall health and well-being
Until there are more solutions that relieve us of the burden of birth control, we can make more informed choices about what will work best for our unique hormones with Tuune. “It’s time we stop accepting side effects as some kind of toxic trade-off for being a woman.” – Shardi Nahavandi, Founder and CEO of TuuneIf you’re interested in starting or switching birth control, take control of your health with a personalized recommendation at tuune.com today.
Meet Shardi, Founder of Tuune:
Shardi Nahavandi, couldn’t drink water, she couldn’t see, and her hair was falling out. Initially, doctors suspected bowel cancer and she underwent dozens of tests. Once cancer was ruled out, doctors dismissed her symptoms as stress.It didn’t add up. Shardi knew her symptoms were serious so why wasn’t she getting any clear answers? Doctors wouldn’t listen. Set on uncovering the answers herself she quit her job to pursue two master’s degrees in Health Technology and Endocrinology. Countless research papers later, she found her kryptonite that no doctor could diagnose — a hormone imbalance.“I was frustrated, tired, and alarmed at how little understanding there seemed to be about female hormones.” So in 2018, she started Tuune to finally understand the way female hormones work so we can create a more personalized healthcare system. The first hurdle to tackle? Contraception.
Tuune is offering Hormone University readers 20% off their products to support women in assessing which birth control is best for their bodies. Use code GLOW20 on the TUUNE website.
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