Although it is only 11 a.m., Rhea Khanna ’26 is on her way home from school. She feels a stabbing pain in her stomach as she sits hunched in the passenger seat. She worries about the math test and history lesson she will be missing but knows that she would not be able to focus had she stayed at school. Khanna is leaving early due to painful period cramps, something she has to do often.
Khanna said her intense period symptoms and irregular cycles caused her to go on birth control.
“I had really terrible cramps before starting birth control,” Khanna said. “Sometimes I would have to go home from school if they were really bad because medicine didn’t really help. My periods also either stopped for a whole month or happened every other week, which was obviously really inconvenient. I heard from my friends that birth control helped regulate their symptoms and at times even stop their period, which sounded great to me.”
Menstruation occurs when the uterus sheds its lining monthly and can cause symptoms like cramps, bloating, headaches and mood swings. Many people treat these symptoms with over-the-counter pain medication or heating pads. However, for more extreme symptoms, birth control pills, which contain certain hormones, can regulate periods, make menstrual flow lighter or even stop menstruation altogether, according to Planned Parenthood. Estrogen-progesterone or progesterone-only birth control thins the uterine lining, lessening heavy periods, according to Megan Bernstein, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.
Eleanor* is also on birth control to regulate her periods. Before going on birth control, Eleanor said her periods were abnormal, interfering with her daily life.
“There was a point where I was pretty much bleeding for two months,” Eleanor said. “My period would come at random times, either 10 days late or 10 days early. My periods always lasted for two weeks to a month, which isn’t normal. I would also have really bad cramping, stomachaches and was always lethargic.”
Khanna said that since going on the birth control pill, her periods have become less intense.
“My cycles have been more regular since starting [birth control],” Khanna said. “I heard it can have bad side effects like making your skin bad, but that hasn’t happened yet for me. I’ve definitely noticed a decrease in the strength of my cramps and symptoms.”
Although the birth control pill can help with various period symptoms, it can also have negative side effects that vary from person to person. Common side effects include nausea, headaches, weight gain and mood changes, according to Medical News Today.
Daphne*, who has now been on birth control for about one-and-a-half years due to heavy periods, was initially nervous to start birth control because of discouraging feedback she had received from her friends regarding the medication. Daphne said she experienced severe side effects when she started birth control.
“I remember one night, I had a math test the next day, and I was stuck awake until 4 a.m. vomiting because of all of the side effects I was experiencing [from birth control],” Daphne said. “The next day I woke up and I was still nauseous and hadn’t gotten much sleep, so it made it hard for me to focus during the test. There were also times where certain pills would give me mood swings because of the change in hormones, which was uncomfortable.”
Daphne said her negative experiences with birth control made her unenthusiastic at times about continuing to stay on birth control. Despite her initially negative experience with the medication, Daphne said she is now grateful to be on it.
“When I was trying different brands [of birth control] that gave me bad side effects, I wished that I wasn’t taking the medication,” Daphne said. “I’m now overall glad that I’ve found one that gives me a lot less side effects. I’m very happy I’m taking it.”
Eleanor said she has not experienced negative effects due to birth control and that it actually has a positive effect on her mood and emotions throughout her cycle.
“Before birth control, I used to be so angry because my face would break out and it was horrible,” Eleanor said. “I was a generally mad and moody person because of my hormones. Now that I’m on birth control, I am not as angry and moody as I was before. I’m so happy I was able to start birth control. I have no regrets.”
Stigma and shame around menstruation is caused by a lack of reliable and accessible information on the topic. It creates a mentality of shame and secrecy around periods, according to the National Library of Medicine. Enzo Prochillo ’26 said the lack of knowledge about menstruation causes many male students to view it negatively.
“There’s a general stigma about [menstruation], especially with boys my age, because of the lack of exposure to it,” Prochillo said. “It results in a lot of them not understanding and treating it jokingly. It’s really easy to tell that they just don’t know anything about it.”
Khanna said the negative stigma and sexual connotations associated with birth control can create stereotypes about those who use it.
“Some people don’t know that birth control can be for periods and not just to prevent pregnancy, [which is] detrimental to people who use it,” Khanna said. “It seems like you’re just going on it [to prevent pregnancy], but it actually has so many reasons that it can be used for women besides just preventing pregnancy.”
Like Khanna, Prochillo said girls can be sexualized due to being on birth control.
“In a twisted way, guys knowing that a certain girl uses birth control can lead to sexualization,” Prochillo said. “They think that the girl is on it because she wants to be sexually active and not worry about being pregnant when in reality that may not why they’re doing it. It leads to jumps in logic about the way certain guys think about certain girls.”
Bernstein said parents typically do not stigmatize their child’s desire to start birth control.
“Many parents are supportive and understanding of their children’s interest or requests to start a birth control method,” Bernstein said. “Most parents have had to make these decisions themselves for contraception reasons or other medical reasons and just want to help guide their kids to making healthy and safe choices. It’s always great to have your parents’ support when helping to make medical decisions, but these are conversations you can also have privately with your doctor.”
Eleanor said her parents supported her decision to go on birth control.
“My parents were totally fine with me starting birth control because it was for the purpose of regulating my periods,” Eleanor said. “I used to be in so much pain because of the cramps and stomach aches. When we began looking into birth control, my parents were simply looking out for my best interest. I’m really grateful for my parents allowing me to go on birth control.”
Gender Studies Teacher Lilas Lane said male students should be educated on menstruation so that they do not view it negatively.
“It’s really important for boys to be exposed to these ideas as well and for young men to understand that menstruation is a natural thing that the women in their lives are going to have experiences with,” Lane said. “I don’t think that [menstruation] should be stigmatized or treated as some strange taboo. [Male students] are going to be in relationships with women and shouldn’t view menstruation as a weird thing.”
*Names have been changed
