Messing with mother nature
By Lindsay Heintz

OTTAWA — We've come a long way since birth control was legalized in Canada in 1969.

From Depo-Provera to the patch, birth control pills, and IUD, women today have more choices than ever in protecting themselves against pregnancy.

Many forms of birth control are also being touted as a way to stop or reduce menstruation, with seemingly few side effects. A new birth control pill recently approved in the United States, Seasonale, restricts a woman’s periods to just four per year. Other forms of the Pill are prescribed for continuous use, eliminating the “mess” and “fuss” of a menstrual cycle.

Depo-Provera, an injectable form of birth control.

But new research is warning against long-term use of one of these drugs, Depo-Provera. The manufacturer, Pfizer, has said that women using the drug for longer than two years may be victim to increased bone density loss. Are the drugs used to reduce or eliminate menstruation worth the risks to women?

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