This Is Your Brain on Birth Control

How the Pill Changes Everything

By: Sarah Hill

Narrated by: Nan McNamara

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

An eye-opening book that reveals crucial information every woman taking hormonal birth control should know

This groundbreaking book sheds light on how hormonal birth control affects women—and the world around them—in ways we are just now beginning to understand. By allowing women to control their fertility, the birth control pill has revolutionized women's lives. Women are going to college, graduating, and entering the workforce in greater numbers than ever before, and there's good reason to believe that the birth control pill has a lot to do with this. But there's a lot more to the pill than meets the eye.

Although women go on the pill for a small handful of targeted effects (pregnancy prevention and clearer skin, yay!), sex hormones can't work that way. Sex hormones impact the activities of billions of cells in the body at once, many of which are in the brain. There, they play a role in influencing attraction, sexual motivation, stress, hunger, eating patterns, emotion regulation, friendships, aggression, mood, learning, and more. This means that being on the birth control pill makes women a different version of themselves than when they are off of it. And this is a big deal. For instance, women on the pill have a dampened cortisol spike in response to stress. While this might sound great (no stress!), it can have negative implications for learning, memory, and mood. Additionally, because the pill influences who women are attracted to, being on the pill may inadvertently influence who women choose as partners, which can have important implications for their relationships once they go off it. Sometimes these changes are for the better...but other times, they're for the worse. By changing what women's brains do, the pill also has the ability to have cascading effects on everything and everyone that a woman encounters. This means that the reach of the pill extends far beyond women's own bodies, having a major impact on society and the world.

This paradigm-shattering book provides an even-handed, science-based understanding of who women are, both on and off the pill. It will change the way that women think about their hormones and how they view themselves. It also serves as a rallying cry for women to demand more information from science about how their bodies and brains work and to advocate for better research. This book will help women make more informed decisions about their health, whether they're on the pill or off of it.

*Includes a PDF of figures from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Sarah Hill (P)2019 Penguin Audio

so much new info

this was great. The last chapter will really get into you. she presented a lot of interesting research while bringing to light some gender imbalances.

yay information!

really well done. I feel much more informed. cant believe I didnt already know this stuff!!!!

Everyone needs to read this book

This book is so informative. I wish I had read this before I started birth control. I’m very analytical, and the author goes in depth into the science and studies that have and haven’t been done to help women make a knowledgeable decision about their reproductive health. I’ve been on hormonal birth control for years and read this because I’m considering stopping and gaining control of my health back.
She does use a handful of foul language periodically, just a warning to those who might care. Still read it because the wealth of information is more important.

Everyone should read (or listen to) this book!!

Everyone should read (or listen to) this book!!

For a long time, I had considered myself “well educated” with regards to women’s sexual and reproductive health, but once I started reading this book, I realized there was SO MUCH I didn’t know! As a woman who has been on hormonal birth control for the majority of my teens and into my twenties, I finally have the information to explain and validate my experiences. Thank you Sarah Hill for writing this book!

Helpful

This book is very well explained. I am new to learning about birth control side effects and this was a very good book to get a basic understanding. It is also very well narrated.

Good science that shows the good and the bad

Good science that simply tells like it is with minimal bias for or against any political side. Though it predictably does employ some sexism, still recommend.

Interesting and Informative

The information in this book was provided in an easy to understand manner and backed by science. Great read.

Good for young adults or those without a science background

I’ve got a BS in a human biology related field and I found it to be a little too simplistic, but I would absolutely recommend it for a high school student who is interested in the topic or someone considering birth control who doesn’t have a background in science.

I didn’t feel like some of the scientific points were explained well, given that some studies were preliminary and haven’t been repeated yet. Also, some of the studies discussed have been talking points for political organizations seeking to take away people’s health care options (though the author clearly states that this is not their opinion)

To me, the colloquial writing style didn’t pair well with the narration, at times it felt like I was being lectured by a grade school teacher who was trying to sound cool by cursing.

Must read!

Great book. Wish I read it before deciding rather to take the pill or not!

Every woman should read this

At 25 years old I learned more about my body and hormones from this book than I ever did in any health class. It makes me so mad how dismissive doctors are to women and have been throughout history when it comes to our health. It felt a little political at times but did a pretty good job at staying on topic. I think all women should take the time to read it even if you know a lot about your health and body anyway, I think everyone could learn something from it.