Carolyn Westhoff is an instructor at the College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Mailman School of Public Health at
Columbia University. Her work focuses on research, teaching, and clinical services in the areas of contraception, abortion, and
preventative services.
Westhoff announces: "I'm going to talk about hormonal contraceptives, but I'm going to talk about the ones we already
have." The myth that "endogenous hormones (produced by our own body) are natural and are good, but exogenous hormones (that we might
swallow) are not natural and are bad for us" has limited the acceptability of hormonal contraceptives. There is a potent mythology among
young women about the adverse affects of exogenous hormones, and these beliefs can limit acceptance.
Westhoff says there are a variety of uses of exogenous hormones. There are many noncontraceptive benefits of the pill,
including long-term health benefits. Professor Westhoff debunks the misconception that taking exogenous hormones adds more hormones to
the body; hormonal birth control pills actually decrease the production of endogenous hormones. Chances are substantial that although
the pattern of hormones changes, the amount may be equal or smaller. She describes contraceptives new to the market and notes that
exploitation of noncontraceptive benefits (such as the reduction of acne and weight loss) by drug companies will be a big trend in the
coming decades.
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