"Coming Off The Pill: Why I Tested My Hormones?"

I set out to take autonomy over my body this year and it’s been one heck of a journey so far. I’m 26 and have been on the pill since my teens. After a decade of various forms of contraception, including the injection and countless different pills being my chosen options, I finally decided it was time to step away from the hormones. At the mere age of 15, I had little knowledge of what a hormone even was. Now, well into my 20s, I came to the realisation that my body was being influenced by the synthetic hormones I was taking. Mood swings, weight gain, acne, and irregular bleeding came part and parcel with the contraceptive injection and the pill in my experience. I deemed my erratic emotional fluctuations the norm, and let’s face it, I knew no different.

In January of this year, I took the plunge into the great unknown and finally called it quits with the contraceptive pill. Miraculously my skin transformed, to the point where I very rarely get a spot these days. I had taken the pill to help with these symptoms, but it turned out to be the cause all along!

It dawned on me that 6 months had passed since I came off the pill and I was yet to have a period. I was aware it can take a few months for your cycle to regulate after weaning off contraception, so there were no major alarm bells going off in my head at this point. I simply left it and hoped my period would arrive soon enough. When it hit 8 months, I thought it may be best I speak to my GP about this issue and thank god I booked that appointment. After a lot of back and forth, I was booked in for an ultrasound to scan my ovaries. Low and behold, I’m in the 1 in 10 women that have PCOS.

With no obvious symptoms, this was news to me. I was familiar with PCOS, with two of my best friends also in the same position, but it came as complete shock that I had been blissfully unaware of this hormonal imbalance in my own body. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic disorders which can cause a whole host of symptoms, from irregular periods to acne, excessive hair growth, weight gain and fertility issues.

With this new diagnosis, I left my GP appointment feeling deflated to hear that they recommend I start taking the pill again to regulate my periods. If women go for long stints (nearly a year in my case) with no bleeding the lining of the uterus can become too thick, which puts you at risk of endometrial cancer. This is typically when doctors recommend the pill or a form of hormone called medroxyprogesterone to trigger a withdrawal bleed, or induced period. After the hellish experience I’d had with the pill, and any form of synthetic hormones for that matter, I personally don’t wish to give my body any further synthetic hormones, and I do not wish to go through that rollercoaster of a journey with my skin again.

In a bid to take matters into my own hands, I’ve turned to Hertility to delve a little deeper and get a better picture of what is going on inside my body. The Hormone & Fertility Test is a comprehensive online health assessment which has been revolutionary in the healthtech, fertility, and reproductive health space. Setting out on a mission to deliver first-class women health assistance, without any faff or red tape, Hertility’s award-winning at-home Hormone and Fertility Testing screens for up to 10 hormones and 18 health conditions, to give you an insight into any hormone imbalances, assess your egg reserve, and check for warning signs of infertility. Years of research into reproductive health and hormones has gone into Hertility’s clinically validated diagnostic solution that is generated by ingenious algorithms to provide unique answers to every one. From a PCOS diagnosis, to detecting early menopause, and even fast-tracked access to pelvic ultrasounds, the testing is thorough and the best part is you can test from the comfort of your own home using the blood collection kit, sent straight to your door without a GP referral, with results in as little as 10 days.

From a personal standpoint, I’m so intrigued to see the hormonal panel which lays out clearly my hormonal levels across the board, as this isn’t given at the GP. With this information, I’ll be able to chat to their expert team of specialists to see what the next steps for me will be. The Hertility website is a foundation of knowledge on all matters women’s health, which I’ve been utilising to get up to scratch on all the various terminologies so I’m more clued in on what my results will mean when I receive them. Follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinising hormone, oestradiol and prolactin are all words I have now added to my vocabulary.

My main concern and the question that often keeps me up at night is ‘will I be able to have children’. I have always envisioned my life with kids, so you can imagine the intrusive thoughts that enter your head after nearly a year of not ovulating. Hertility gives you access to fertility advisors to help you navigate fertility services, and to understand treatments without a GP referral.

Hertility also has a plethora of clinical services including next day appointments with leading Private Gynaecologists, Fertility Advisors, Fertility Nutritionists and Fertility Counsellors, plus fast-tracked referrals to vetted clinics offering a pelvic ultrasound scanning and egg-freezing. Appointments are done online, taking all the hassle out of the process.

It’s worth mentioning that although I do suffer with PCOS, you don’t need to be somebody with a hormonal imbalance to utilise Hertility. Whatever stage you’re at, whether you’re still on the pill, you’ve just come off, you’ve never used it, you’re entering perimenopause, or you’re in menopause, Hertility is an invaluable tool that empowers all women with insights into their body.

Bringing cutting edge reproductive science out of the lab and into the hands of every single woman world-wide, Hertility are setting a new standard for female health. Discovering Hertility has thrown me a lifeline when I need it the most. At a time that I felt rather hopeless, this is the service I need to help me learn more about my body and how to navigate PCOS, gaining awareness for my individual needs, and to hopefully get my cycle back. The female body is beautifully intricate, and Hertility is the tool to help me learn more about yourself.