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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Is birth control technically a drug?

M

methoxetaman

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Messages
317
Can anyone tell me... is birth control, estrogen and progestin, technically a drug?

I would have said it?s a hormone supplement and not a drug, but it does change the function of the body and now I?m
Not sure. Thanks.
 
No but it is very bad for you, studies show that it may be one of the leading causes of certain types of cancers, in women.
 
Of course it is a drug. All medicines are drugs.

And if you meant to ask "Is birth control a psychoactive drug?" the answer would also be yes. It messes with a woman's hormones, which obviously affects her psychologically. Many stories of women's personality changing completely after starting birth control.

Not to mention, they legally refer to hormonal birth control as a "contraceptive" when it is really an abortaficent. In other words, fertilization takes place, and then the fertilized embryo is flushed out of the body. They get away with legally calling it a "contraceptive" because it prevents implantation of the fertilized embryo in the uterus. If it never makes it to the uterus, it is not legally considered a "pregnancy" (although conception did occur, and the embryo was killed). This is very misleading, if you ask me. There are lots of women who wrongly believe that birth control prevents conception, and would not use it if they knew the truth. Even if you're pro-abortion or whatever, you should still support women being told the truth in order to make informed decisions, and not deliberately misled by the pharmaceutical companies in order to sell more pills.
 
Pillsbury_Dope_Boy said:
Of course it is a drug. All medicines are drugs.

And if you meant to ask "Is birth control a psychoactive drug?" the answer would also be yes. It messes with a woman's hormones, which obviously affects her psychologically. Many stories of women's personality changing completely after starting birth control.

Not to mention, they legally refer to hormonal birth control as a "contraceptive" when it is really an abortaficent. In other words, fertilization takes place, and then the fertilized embryo is flushed out of the body. They get away with legally calling it a "contraceptive" because it prevents implantation of the fertilized embryo in the uterus. If it never makes it to the uterus, it is not legally considered a "pregnancy" (although conception did occur, and the embryo was killed). This is very misleading, if you ask me. There are lots of women who wrongly believe that birth control prevents conception, and would not use it if they knew the truth. Even if you're pro-abortion or whatever, you should still support women being told the truth in order to make informed decisions, and not deliberately misled by the pharmaceutical companies in order to sell more pills.
Click to expand...

Not true. You're thinking of Plan B or IUDs (which can cause abortion but can also prevent conception). Most standard hormonal birth control prevents ovulation (e & p combo meds) &/or conception by making the uterus hostile to fertilisation (p only, IUDs).
 
It matters because I want to know.

I seek knowledge, that’s all. I think it’s enjoyable to learn and discuss things.

No,
Not all medicines are drugs. If I take a vitamin B supplement, that’s not a drug. It’s a supplement
 
KHow is it not?

medicine
—noun

any substance or substances used in treating disease or illness; medicament; remedy.

Vitamins are used to help treat illnesses as a remedy.

By this definition, a cold washcloth on the forehead could also be medicine. Is that a drug too?
 
No. A drug is any substance that when consumed or absorbed by the body causes a change in the way something in the body functions. A washcloth could be a treatment, but certainly isn’t a drug. Why so pedantic?
 
testerpester said:
No. A drug is any substance that when consumed or absorbed by the body causes a change in the way something in the body functions. A washcloth could be a treatment, but certainly isn’t a drug. Why so pedantic?
Click to expand...

Wouldn?t the change be that it prevents the release of the egg? That seems like a change in the body to me.
 
I get conflicting answers anywhere I ask. I?ll have to ask some doctors or something but I bet even they would argue.
 
It all comes down to the definition of 'drug' which can vary depending on who you ask, so you'll most likely get a lot of conflicting answers.
If you check Wikipedias definition of drug:
A drug is any substance (other than food that provides nutritional support) that, when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed via a patch on the skin, or dissolved under the tongue causes a physiological (and often psychological) change in the body.
Click to expand...
then yes, birth control is a drug as it causes physiological changes in your body (and maybe even psychological, iirc there are studies claiming that birth control might change your taste in sex partners, some women might become depressed and anxious etc.)
 
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