Why the shock news about birth control terrifies me and makes me angry

As new research reveals the sobering side effects of injectable contraceptives, Rosamund Hall – who used Depo-Provera throughout her twenties – asks why she wasn’t told of the risks... and wonders why it’s always women who are expected to go to war with their own bodies

Rosamund Hall: ‘I used an injectable contraceptive in my twenties – the news about its effects are terrifying’ (Getty Images)

The burden of womanhood is huge. Not only are we responsible for giving birth, we’re also predominantly responsible for not getting pregnant.

The average woman will menstruate approximately 480 times over 39 years – that’s 39 years of monthly cramps, bloating, huge hormonal fluctuations, mood swings... and if you have a break from bleeding, it’s likely because you’re pregnant, and despite what we are encouraged to believe, that’s not much fun, either.

Like many women, I suffer from crippling period pains. They were so bad in my late teens and early twenties that I desperately sought help from my doctor. And I duly thought I’d struck gold when the GP at my university campus surgery told me that I could have an injection which would stop my periods altogether, provide birth control – and I’d only need it every 90 days.