This is what happens to your body when you stop taking birth control

The hormonal impact, a desire to go back to the natural way of doing things, needing to reconnect with your body… There are hundreds of reasons to stop taking the pilland more and more women nowadays are turning to other forms of contraception as a result.

Going off the pill can be a blessing for your body

According to Statista, 28% of women in the UK aged 15 to 49 chose the birth control pill as their main contraceptive method, making it the country with the 7th highest percentage of users across Europe. If you do decide to opt for other kinds of contraception, you might see a few benefits such as:

1. You may develop a higher libido

Studies show that some women experience vaginal dryness or a loss of libido when on hormonal birth control. So, changing to a non-hormonal alternative may help you get your rhythm back in the bedroom.

2. Your headaches might disappear

If you're one to experience headaches while on the pill, changing to another form of contraceptive could help reduce or even get rid of them entirely!

3. Your weight may go down

Some women may experience weight gain on the pill, especially for those on progesterone-only pills. By changing your birth control you may just see your weight return to normal. Although, a healthy diet and exercise is the better way to do this.

4. You may still have some protection from cancers

Those taking birth control pills also experience decreased likelihood of developing ovarian and endometrial cancer as well as non-cancerous issues such as fibroids and fibrocystic breast disease. The good news is, if you've been taking the pill long enough, you may be at a lower risk of developing these conditions.

For some people, stopping the pill is a way to gain more freedom. According to testimonials given by some women who chose to stop taking birth control:

Since I stopped taking the pill, I have truly started to live again. I couldn’t take it anymore, I felt like I was in a state of emotional lethargy, my libido was completely gone, it was hell. Today, I know why I am sad or happy, my life is no longer dictated by synthetic hormones.

Another person revealed 'I will never go back on the pill. Over the months, I feel like I have been discovering a new person.'

For others, the experience is not so great

Unfortunately, not all people have a great time when they go off the pill. When going off birth control there might be some negatives such as:

1. Your period pain may get worse

If you experienced a heavy, painful or irregular flow before going on birth control, chances are that they will resurface once you go off the pill.

2. Your PMS will get worse too

Some pill formulas help to balance out your hormones making PMS a little bit easier. Without that balancing, you may start to experience more moodiness, feelings of depression, anxiety and irritability.

3. Your acne may return

For those who chose the birth control to help deal with hormonal acne and unwanted hair, going off the pill may bring these back.

Unfortunately for some, due to the absence of a male contraceptive alternative apart from condoms, going back on the pill seems to be the only logical solution.