3 Weird Things You Never Knew About Birth Control

Written by Jenna Lee Dillon on February 8, 2013

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And now, strange but true facts about birth control…

1. The Pill may affect women’s taste in men.

How much does hormonal birth control (the Pill, the Shot, Ortho Evra Patch, NuvaRing, Mirena IUD and Implanon) determine the man a woman chooses to date?

Scientists have found that a major component of women’s attraction to a certain man is his major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. Indicators of a man’s MHC genes are found in his scent. Typically, women are attracted to men with MHC genes different from theirs, which, in ancient history, made people who were related (and thus had similar MHC genes) less likely to be attracted to one another. This is nature’s way of minimizing inbreeding and, thus, promoting a stronger, healthier human race.

However, a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that women using a hormonal birth control are more likely to be attracted to men with similar MHC genes. This may later become a problem if the woman stops taking her birth control, and finds herself no longer attracted to the man.

2. Too much grapefruit decreases the effectiveness of birth control.

Grapefruit juice can result in a decrease in the level of CYP3A in the intestine. According to the University of Arizona’s Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, the body relies on CYP3A to metabolize, or use, the estrogen in hormonal contraceptives. The Center recommends that women who are taking hormonal birth control avoid drinking grapefruit juice, lest the estrogen not get the chance to do its job.

3. The “period” women get between birth control cycles is not a real period.

Then why do we bleed and get the same cramps, bloating and other side effects? Because it’s a cruel joke courtesy of nature. Just kidding (kind of). Hormonal birth control pills prevent pregnancy by inhibiting menstruation, so the bleeding that occurs is called withdrawal bleeding. It is a result of the change in hormone levels, not the shedding of uterine lining and an egg.

Many women will attempt to avoid withdrawal bleeding by taking active hormonal birth control pills continuously. No evidence shows this is harmful; indeed, hormonal birth control like the Mirena IUD and Implanon remain in the body for years, continuously supplying hormones that prevent withdrawal bleeding. However, not all women are able to suppress withdrawal bleeding in this manner.

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