Birth Control & Poly Pharmacy- The Series: Part 4 Recurrent Antibiotic Use on the Pill

Once again-I am all for the use of Birth Control, it is empowering. I am also all for the use of adequate Informed consent about the use of the birth control and I love empowering women through education surrounding the use of the birth control. This week I will be sharing a series about the reality of the Pill and PolyPharm (;the use of multiple medications to address side effects of previously prescribed medications.)

Women on the birth control are SIGNIFICANTLY more likely to be prescribed multiple drugs after starting Hormonal Birth Control:

PART 4:

Antibiotics

Used to manage

Bacterial Infections: as it pertains to the birth control these are to treat Bacterial Vaginosis and Urinary Tract Infections:

Common prescriptions for these conditions include

• Metronidazole

• Clindamycin,

• Nitrofurantoin

The Facts

• BV is the most common cause of vaginal symptoms prompting medical evaluation

• Interventions to treat BV rely on the use of antibiotics (metronidazole, clindamycin, secnidazole), but the effectiveness of such treatments is disappointingly low, and relapse is common.

• Hygiene practices, sexual practices, smoking, obesity, contraception, lubricant use among others can affect the composition of the vaginal microbiota

Recurrent UTI’s and Bacterial Vaginosis while on the Pill: The connection

• Hormonal birth control can depletes key vitamins that are important in building our immune system up and protecting our bodies from bacterial infections.

• Hormonal birth control can influence the pH of our vagina making it more prone to Bacterial infections.

• Hormonal birth control is inflammatory, and can cause issues in our gut microbiome which is shown in the literature to influence our vaginal microbiome.

Final thoughts:

Does this mean you need to come off the birth control? Again, maybe- but probably not, it is your choice. I am writing this to create a space where women can educate themselves and empower them to know what side effects there are, what it can lead to, and how awareness can help them avoid falling into the cycle of poly pharm. With my patients on hormonal birth control we work to specifically ensure that we are replenishing the nutrient depletions, supporting our immune system, and optimizing our inflammation in our body to prevent these negative processes from occurring. Just as you can also reestablish your gut health through clinical nutrition to restore normal flora there are steps we can take to prevent and treat UTI’s and Bacterial Vaginosis more naturally and avoid the antibiotics when possible.