What your doctor isn't telling you..

yoniyogaflow
Apr 4
3 min read

What Western Medicine Isn’t Telling Women About Their Hormones, Cycles & Non-Hormonal IUDs

Why being disconnected from your cycle isn’t as harmless as you’ve been told..

If you’ve ever been told:

• “You don’t need a period to be healthy.”

• “A non-hormonal IUD won’t affect your hormones.”

• “Birth control is the best way to manage your symptoms.”

…you’re not alone. And you’re not crazy for questioning it.

Let’s gently — but firmly — untangle the half-truths.

“Non-Hormonal” Doesn’t Mean Hormone-Neutral

The copper IUD is often marketed as a hormone-free alternative. But here’s the piece most women aren’t told:

Even without synthetic hormones, your body still experiences a physiological response. Chronic inflammation from the IUD in the uterus can stimulate the immune system, increase cortisol, and even disrupt the balance of estrogen and progesterone indirectly.

In other words: it might not contain hormones, but that doesn’t mean it has no hormonal impact. The way IUDs work is the same biological process as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).

No Cycle, No Problem? Not Exactly.

Many women are prescribed birth control that stops their cycle altogether — and reassured that this is “completely fine.”

But here’s the truth: your cycle is a vital sign.

Your monthly rhythm reflects your overall health, your emotional state, your nervous system, your endocrine function, and even your spiritual connection to self.

Suppressing it might be convenient, but it’s also a way of silencing your body’s most intelligent feedback system.

The Current Research

A 2023 study conducted in Sweden addressed the usage of non-hormonal IUDs. The findings concluded that 45.4% of women in the study claimed to have negative experiences and described a variety of symptoms consistent with hormonal side effects, despite being told it was an "impossible attribution" by their healthcare professionals (Wemrell & Gunnarsson, 2023). There was an overwhelming incidence of physician denial that these symptoms were connected to IUD usage.

Study participants reported both somatic & psychological impacts such as:

anxiety
depression
panic attacks
fatigue
heart palpitations
weight gain
hair loss
skin problems
insomnia
dizziness
headaches

After having their concerns underscored by their doctors, many patients reported being referred to mental health professionals, offered antidepressants or diagnosed with stress disorders--even after insisting that their complaints were indeed somatic (Wemrell & Gunnarsson, 2023).

Interestingly, despite being informed that there are no systemic effects of copper,

there was a direct correlation between the presence of more severe side effects and higher levels of copper found in the IUDs (Wemrell & Gunnarsson, 2023).

Although the supportive evidence shapes medical practice guidelines, (FDA) regulation is proven to be less rigorous for medical devices, a category in which copper IUDs fall into, compared to pharmaceutical drugs (Wemrell & Gunnarsson, 2023). **this is also true for tampons, which are not tested/regulated although any chemicals present are directly absorbed Into the body..

The Deeper Issue: Disconnection

This isn’t about fear-mongering — it’s about informed choice.

When we’re disconnected from our cycles, we’re more likely to ignore our intuition, miss early signs of imbalance, and live in a state of energetic disembodiment.

Especially if we're being told it's normal...

This is not just a physical issue — it’s an issue of unrealistic expectations & communication failure.

What You Deserve to Know

You deserve doctors who see you as a whole, holistic being and provide informed choices that include the emotional, energetic, and long-term impacts of contraceptive options.

You deserve to trust your body — not fear it.

A woman’s cycle is a source of rhythm, power, creativity, and inner knowing. When we override it, we start to override ourselves.

References

Wemrell, M., & Gunnarsson, L. (2023). Claims in the clinic: A qualitative group interview study on healthcare communication about unestablished side effects of the copper IUD. PLoS ONE 18(9): e0291966. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0291966

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