

1032: Sarah Hill | How Birth Control Rewires Women's Brains Part Two
22 snips Aug 15, 2024
Dr. Sarah Hill, an expert on the effects of birth control on women's brains, discusses the surprising impacts of hormonal contraception. She reveals how birth control pills may alter brain development in teens and links their use to a significant increase in depression risks. Hill addresses the politicization of reproductive health information, highlighting the need for balanced perspectives. She also emphasizes the importance of personalized healthcare decisions and understanding the intricate relationship between hormonal health and overall well-being.
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Brain Development
- Teenage brains undergo significant remodeling, shifting from a simple to a complex state.
- This process, coordinated by sex hormones, continues into the early twenties.
Hormonal Impact
- Giving teenage girls hormonal birth control disrupts brain development, as it shuts down the brain-ovary hormonal exchange.
- This practice, surprisingly, lacks extensive research on its long-term impact on brain development.
Depression Risk
- Hormonal birth control during brain development can increase the risk of major depressive disorder.
- Teenagers on birth control face a 280-300% increased risk, a stark contrast to the minimal risk for adult women.