In this conversational excerpt, Brigid Titgemeier and an unnamed speaker critique the medical education system and conventional gynecological practice for overlooking the menstrual cycle as a vital sign. They argue that clinicians often treat symptoms with hormonal birth control without investigating underlying physiological imbalances. The discussion highlights how chronic inflammation and insulin resistance are the true root causes of conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis, and infertility. By masking cycles with birth control, these underlying issues remain untreated, leading to long‑term side effects, difficulty conceiving, and a delayed awareness of the health problems that have been ignored. The speakers advocate for educating women about their own cycles—temperature changes, symptoms, and patterns—so they can detect early imbalances and address the root causes rather than relying on artificial hormonal regimens.
Chapters
Even if you look back to our medical school education, we do not really get a great education on what happens throughout the month of women's menstrual cycles. Like, we get a basic understanding. But then when you go and talk about, you know, like, birth control options, it's basically like, you know, quote unquote, for birth control. And it's, you know, pills or it's implants or it's an iud. And there's no conversation about even understanding a woman's cycle as a vital sign, which is so insightful. And there's so much that if women can be educated on this and understand for themselves, what does a normal menstrual cycle look like? What does their, you know, temperature changes look like, their symptoms, then they can start to identify when things are out of balance early, and you can start to really diagnose underlying causes like PCOS or endometriosis or, you know, other things. And so in the conventional system, it's basically like, okay, you have this symptom. We're gonna put you on a birth control pill to basically, you know, override your normal hormones and just put you on this kind of artificial cycle. And so there is no, like, understanding, once again, of what the root cause is or how to help the body restore balance.
Exactly. Is chronic inflammation. The underlying issue is insulin resistance. The underlying issue that's creating these issues. And then 10 years later, you go off of birth control because you're getting ready to have a family, and then you can't get pregnant because you still have the underlying chronic inflammation or insulin resistance that was never addressed. And then you're struggling with infertility, and it's like, that's the first time in your life that. That you're actually aware that there are so many issues that have been ignored and, like, swept underneath the rug.
Totally. Not to mention the, you know, the side effects that you've picked up from being on a birth control pill for so many years.
