Some of us have said for many years that using the contraceptive pill poses very high risks. Admittedly the numbers of women suffering sudden death by heart attack as a direct result of taking this class of medication has dropped dramatically since introduction of more sophisticated formulations, such as the mini-pill. However, artificial manipulation of such important biological function always does some harm.

Now a U.S. study has shown that prolonged use of the birth-control pill might dampen a woman's sexual desire and could lead to other permanent physical changes. Doctors have, of course, known that the Pill can alter a woman's production of some hormones including testosterone, which plays a critical part in sexual arousal. But they have assumed a woman's hormones return to normal once she stops the oral contraceptive.

However, new research indicates there could be "long-lasting consequence of taking the Pill," Irwin Goldstein, lead author of the study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, said.

Although testosterone is considered a "male sex hormone," women also need a certain amount of it. It not only affects female libido (sex drive), but it is also essential for strong bones and muscles as well as mental health, since women with below-normal levels of the hormone are more likely to suffer from depression.

The Pill affects testosterone in two ways. It:

1. decreases the amount of testosterone produced in the ovaries.
2. pumps up the production of a protein called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which latches onto testosterone and essentially deactivates it.

The new study found that even when women stopped the Pill for six months, their SHBG levels were still elevated. That means these women would continue to be affected by low testosterone levels.

Dr. Goldstein, a urologist, said the research team is continuing to follow the 124 women who took part in the study. He said a longer study is needed to determine if the changes are permanent, and to see what effects such changes might have on a woman's health.

Unfortunately Dr Goldstein has the ignorant and destructive mindset of orthodoxy. He is is former director of the Institute of Sexual Medicine at Boston University. Dr Goldstein said, "I guess you pick and choose your poisons as you go through life. You want contraception, so you give up these other things. But nobody realized there were more chronic consequences from taking the Pill."

I find Dr Goldstein's comment quite interesting. It is an amazing admission of either profound ignorance, since such consequences have been part of the warnings from naturopathic practitioners for many years, or dishonesty. Perhaps it is some of both. You can make up your own mind.