Bitter pill: Everything you need to know about hormonal contraception

Davina McCall's recent documentary on the pill highlights a lack of awareness about birth control and women's concerns about the side effects, the side effects, such as anxiety, depression, and low libido. We talk to medics about online misinformation 

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LAST week, Channel 4 broadcasted Pill Revolution, a compelling documentary that revealed serious problems in how contraceptives are prescribed and administered to women in Britain. Presented by Davina McCall and produced by Kate Muir, it compared women’s choice of contraception to a game of roulette. Because women are not educated about the range of options available to them, most choose blindly, usually opting for the familiar contraceptive pill.

Lack of education is merely the first problem. According to a Channel 4 poll of 4,000 women, 77% of women experience side effects as a result of taking the pill. Some 36% suffer from anxiety, depression or low mood and 21% have low libido. The side effects were so severe for 33% of women that they stopped taking the pill altogether.