On Twitter, a widely relayed post advises women to consume papaya, neem leaves or pennyroyal to avoid getting pregnant. Not only are these methods ineffective, but they can also be dangerous.
Papaya, figs, neem leaves… all these natural ingredients are very effective in preventing pregnancy if we are to believe a tweet that was liked 14,000 times and widely relayed on the Internet since its publication on June 5. But do not swallow everything you are told on the web, worry the experts according to whom the effectiveness of these remedies of grandmother, or hipster, to choose from, is in no way scientifically proven. Worse, some can even be dangerous.
“Some of these things should not be consumed at all,” warns Nathaniel DeNicola, an assistant professor at George Washington University in the United States. interviewed by BuzzFeed News. Indeed, if some of the ingredients listed in the offending Tweet were used in medieval medicine, many of the plants mentioned can be very dangerous toxic, like pennyroyal, used in pesticides.
“Pynyroyal induces premenstrual flow and helps initiate automatic abortion. Often it is prescribed with other herbs to prevent pregnancy. Boil 8 ounces of spring or distilled water,” is the vague recommendation in this tweet. However, this plant can cause serious damage to the kidneys, liver and nervous system. It can also cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, high blood pressure and even lung and/or brain problems.
Several people have been poisoned by consuming pennyroyal
Worse still, it has caused its share of deaths over the centuries. Among the victims, an 18-year-old girl who had taken 28 grams of pennyroyal to try to abort on her own. Another unfortunate woman died at the age of 23 after swallowing a spoonful of pennyroyal in the hope of triggering her period.
But fortunately not everyone is fooled on social networks. “You recommend that we poison ourselves”, annoys a surfer. “It’s completely wrong and you’re misinforming. You know what works? The contraceptive pill and condoms,” retorted another. “No one thinks eating papaya twice a day will keep them from getting pregnant, do they?” two other Twitter users.
At a time when the classic methods recommended by modern medicine are less and less attractive, many people want to return to more natural techniques, which leads them to relay all kinds of unserious information on social networks. Thereby, on Youtube, several videos are circulating claiming that drinking garlic milk can prevent the risk of pregnancy. But the scientific truth is quite different since garlic, on the contrary, makes the contraceptive pill less effective.
The contraceptive pill less and less appreciated
A short time ago, another wacky piece of information like this caused controversy on the web. Thus, several young women encouraged to put garlic cloves in the vagina for three days to treat fungal infections. This recommendation, ineffective and what is more dangerous too, had screamed an American gynecologist by the name of Jen Gunter who had personally taken up the subject.
But if these grandmother’s methods are strongly discouraged by health professionals, it is clear that the pill is less appreciated by women, and not only because they are afraid of forgetting to take it daily at a fixed time. Decreased libido, weight gain, irregular bleeding and bloating for some, controversy over the risk of breast, cervix and liver cancers…this method of contraception has had a bad press in recent years.
Also, if you want to get rid of your hormonal contraceptive system (pill or implant) and are afraid of getting pregnant, rather than turning to the Internet, go to your gynecologist to discuss other possibilities. Among them, the non-hormonal IUD (to be avoided for those suffering from endometriosis). And in the meantime, of course, think about condoms.
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