The Truth About the Birth Control Pill: How It Can Change Your Body, Mind, and Relationships

1. The Pill Can Change Your Personality

How hormones shape behavior

Hormones play a key role in regulating our emotions, impulses, empathy, and decision-making. When this natural rhythm is disrupted by hormonal birth control, many women report noticeable changes in how they think, feel, and connect with others.

Changes in attraction and desire

Research shows that women who met their partners while on the pill often report a drop in sexual attraction and satisfaction after stopping it — especially when their partners are perceived as less physically attractive.

2. Overlooked but Important Side Effects

Emotional health and mental well-being

Teenagers who use the pill face double the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms. Alarmingly, some studies link hormonal contraceptive use to higher suicide attempt rates in adolescent girls.

Reduced stress response

The pill suppresses the production of cortisol, the hormone responsible for managing stress. This blunted response can resemble what is seen in PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) patients, making it harder to react appropriately to daily challenges.

Lower sex drive

By suppressing estrogen and testosterone, the pill often causes a significant drop in libido. Some women experience a 60% decrease in free testosterone levels after long-term use.

3. How the Menstrual Cycle Influences Attraction

Fertile phase and mate preferences

During ovulation (typically days 9–15 of the cycle), estrogen levels surge, increasing both sexual desire and attraction to masculine traits such as deep voices, facial symmetry, and confidence.

How men perceive fertile women

Men are subconsciously drawn to signs of fertility, including voice pitch, natural scent, and body language. The pill suppresses these natural signals, potentially dampening mutual attraction.

4. Love and Modern Dating Struggles

The search for “above-average” partners

Despite increasing financial independence, many women still prefer partners with equal or higher social status, narrowing the pool of potential long-term partners.

Evolutionary roots of female behavior

Historically, women depended on male partners for protection and resources during pregnancy and nursing. This evolutionary trait still influences relationship choices today — even if our environment has changed.

5. What Are the Alternatives to the Pill?

Non-hormonal methods

• Copper IUD: highly effective and hormone-free.

• Fertility-awareness methods: based on cycle tracking, they require consistency and body awareness.

The urgency for better contraceptive options

Traditional medicine has long focused on the male body, leaving women with fewer and often compromised options. It’s time to develop modern solutions that respect women’s mental and emotional well-being.

6. Dr. Sarah Hill’s Mission

Information as empowerment

Dr. Sarah Hill is a leading voice in promoting hormonal awareness and female autonomy. In This is Your Brain on Birth Control, she explains how contraceptives can alter:

• Brain function and emotion regulation

• Risk perception and attraction

• Mental and relational well-being

Her goal is to help women reclaim their hormonal identity with science-backed insights.

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✅ Call to Action (CTA)

Are you currently using or considering the birth control pill?

👉 Download our free e-book:
“Hormones & Identity: What You Should Know Before Taking the Pill”
and uncover the facts every woman deserves to know before altering her natural cycle.

This article was inspired by insights shared by Dr Sarah Hill during her interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast. Watch the full episode here: