The Environmental Cost of The Pill

Are birth control pills bad for the environment?

Since 2003, as the Chicago Tribune reports, scientists have raised concerns about the flow of synthetic estrogen and other hormones into water, as they are flushed (whole, or after running though the body) down the toilet. There, the hormones may be having enough of an effect that fish that would have been born male are born female, or at least reducing the ability of populations of fish to reproduce. Some edgy critics have suggested that communities (of humans) that see more births of girls than boys are suffering from the effects of environmental contamination, though that link is far from proven. Likewise with decreased sperm counts in adult men.

Part of the problem are chemicals that mimic hormones, like certain plastic ingredients (phthalates, bisphenol A), but also of concern are those hormones we take on purpose, either for birth control, menopause or other medical issues.

The size of the human population is certainly a greater environmental concern, if you want to put the eco in your erotic. But you may want to consider the environmental impact in various birth control alternatives before opting for one over another.

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