In my experience, your perception of ÔÇ£the pillÔÇØ shifts hugely as you enter your university years. Birth control goes from something maybe a few of your friends are on, to it being a rare occurrence to find someone who can be prescribed the pill and who hasnÔÇÖt been.

It seems to be a modern medical superpill. From cramps to spots to sex, youÔÇÖll generally hear: ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖll start you off on either rivegedon or desogesterol and see how you get onÔÇØ.

While it is a privilege to be able to be prescribed free and private birth control in this country, it seems to be the general consensus that younger girls are frequently pushed by doctors to try it, perhaps when other alternatives might be better for them, and with less side effects.

IÔÇÖve heard stories of girls who have ÔÇ£met the real themÔÇØ by coming off the pill after years. This is really worrying, and lessening the side effects seems to be on no medical agenda.

While this is (literally) a tough pill to swallow, I have found that the uni environment has erased any taboo I previously felt – which is really important to make people comfortable in their sexuality and options. So while there may be a way to go, it seems like we are on the right track by opening conversations.

Words by Sofia Mallia

Birth control can be a very difficult subject to navigate. At a young age it seemed to be a taboo thing to talk about; for me personally I am eternally grateful for my older sister in providing me with all the tips and advice despite my initial embarrassment. From my own personal experience, I donÔÇÖt think anything could have prepared me for the side effects I would have when going on the pill. This struggle some people face when it comes to birth control is persistently overlooked, even by medical professionals.

Since coming to university, I have felt there is some pressure to be on the pill or some other form of hormonal contraception. Of course, it beats the risk of an unwanted pregnancy however I got to a point where I began to wonder is this worth it? The seemingly endless appointments with GPs and pharmacists trying to find a pill that wonÔÇÖt cause severe mood swings, body pain or irregular cycles. IÔÇÖve now met so many other people who have dealt with similar issues to me; luckily nowadays it is not such a taboo topic to discuss amongst friends and family. Conversations about this are so important to have as it opens an opportunity for people to educate each other and share advice.

Words by Madeline McCabe Smith

Students and birth control seems to be a given thing. When you get to university, with the newfound freedom it comes with, birth control seems to be assumed to go along with it. For most it’s great ÔÇô it makes menstruating a lot less stressful for so many and prevents unwanted pregnancy. But for others, it causes poor mental health, weight gain and so many other side effects.

When I first started to look into birth control, the best piece of advice I got was to make sure your doctor explains all the options thoroughly. There are multiple different pills as well as lots of alternative options such as the implant or the lesserÔÇôknown patch. It can be extremely overwhelming when choosing which birth control option to try. With the seemingly endless list of side effects and the viral stories circulating on the internet about extreme reactions, it can easily become an information overload. My advice is to stick to doctors or pharmacists’ advice and/or official medical websites for any questions. Otherwise it can make an already stressful decision ten times worse.

Overall, IÔÇÖm grateful for the control birth control allows me to have, but I think there definitely is room for improvement when it comes to the options available and the associated side effects.

Words by Mia Coley