Episode 56 - New Non-Hormonal Birth Control Methods: Innovation or Interruption?
Two groundbreaking contraceptive "innovations" have been flooding headlines recently, particularly in the Netherlands and Belgium. Both promise to revolutionize birth control: a weekly pill that blocks progesterone and a microscopic valve system inserted into the fallopian tubes. Both are marketed as hormone-free, side-effect-minimal solutions to the "burden" of female fertility.
But as someone deeply committed to honoring the body's innate wisdom, I can't help but question: Are these truly innovations, or are they sophisticated new ways to medicalize and control healthy biological processes that were never broken to begin with?
Topics Covered
In this episode, we explore:
- Critical analysis of Mifepristone as a "hormone-free" weekly birth control pill
- Examination of a new microscopic valve system for fallopian tubes
- The difference between "hormone-free" and truly non-invasive contraception
- Why blocking progesterone isn't as neutral as it sounds
- The materials and potential risks of implantable valve devices
- Who really controls these "empowering" birth control innovations
- The business and profit motives behind contraceptive technology
- Why body literacy and education are more empowering than technological fixes
Listen to the Episode
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Timestamps
[00:00:00] Introduction to new birth control innovations in the headlines
[00:02:55] What is Mifepristone and how it works as birth control
[00:04:08] Why "hormone-free" doesn't mean hormone-neutral
[00:06:48] The real impact of blocking progesterone in the body
[00:08:27] Lack of long-term research on Mifepristone as contraception
[00:09:32] Why this continues the narrative that cycles are burdens
[00:11:05] Questioning why we always look for the next pill
[00:12:55] The importance of body literacy over technological fixes
[00:14:15] Introduction to the microscopic valve system for fallopian tubes
[00:15:47] Who actually controls these "autonomous" devices
[00:17:07] Concerning materials used in the valve system (nitinol, aluminum oxide, silicone)
[00:18:53] Why fallopian tubes aren't just passive plumbing
[00:19:57] The business and profit motives behind these innovations
[00:21:38] Real freedom versus outsourced control
[00:23:22] Listener responses and the reality of female fertility windows
[00:25:59] Why these aren't the "holy grail" solutions they're marketed as
[00:27:41] Recommendations for making informed contraceptive choices
[00:29:16] Introduction to "Chart Your Cycle" masterclass
The Mifepristone Pill: "Hormone-Free" but Hormone-Blocking
Mifepristone, originally used in medical abortion, is now being researched as a weekly contraceptive at lower doses. It works as an anti-progestin—meaning it blocks progesterone, one of the most essential hormones in the female body.
While marketed as "hormone-free," this terminology is misleading. We're not adding synthetic hormones, but we are actively interfering with our body's natural hormone production. Mifepristone doesn't just prevent pregnancy; it blocks progesterone's vital functions throughout the body.
What Progesterone Actually Does
Progesterone isn't just about maintaining pregnancy. This crucial hormone affects:
- Mood regulation and mental health
- Sleep quality and patterns
- Metabolic function
- Brain health and cognitive function
- Bone density
- Cardiovascular health
- Nervous system regulation
When we block progesterone completely, we're silencing a hormone that serves as a natural antidepressant, sleep aid, and metabolic regulator. The consequences of long-term progesterone suppression simply haven't been studied adequately.
The Research Gap
The studies on Mifepristone as contraception are small and short-term. We don't know how prolonged use affects:
- Long-term hormone balance
- Future fertility
- Bone health
- Metabolic function
- Mental health
- Nervous system function
Yet it's being presented as a revolutionary solution to the "problems" of menstrual cycles and fertility.
The Valve System: High-Tech Control Disguised as Freedom
The second "innovation" is even more concerning: a microscopic valve system inserted into the fallopian tubes. The premise sounds simple—when closed, sperm can't reach the egg; when open, conception is possible.
Researchers at the Maxima Medical Center in the Netherlands developed this prototype, claiming it's:
- Effective and painless
- Hormone-free
- Reversible
- Without impact on libido or mood
Their tagline? "Your body, your choice."
The Autonomy Illusion
But here's the critical detail buried in the marketing: you cannot control this device yourself. Only a specialist can open or close the valve using specialized equipment in a clinical setting.
This isn't autonomy—it's outsourced agency. Your fertility control still depends entirely on:
- Access to specialists
- Medical appointments
- Clinical procedures
- Healthcare system compliance
- Insurance coverage
- Geographic accessibility
Concerning Materials and Methods
Research into the device's construction reveals troubling components:
- Nitinol: A nickel-titanium alloy containing nickel, a known allergen that can cause various health problems
- Aluminum oxide: Durable but debated for long-term safety in biological systems
- Medical-grade silicone: Associated with inflammation, immune responses, and chronic complications in some cases
These are stent-like mechanisms borrowed from cardiovascular medicine, treating fallopian tubes as passive plumbing rather than living, pulsing muscular tissue that participates in the orchestration of life.
The Profit Motive Behind "Innovation"
These aren't just scientific developments—they're products backed by venture capital, shaped by market forecasts, and driven by profit motives. Behind the empowerment language, companies are:
- Analyzing target demographics
- Calculating adoption rates
- Preparing patents and profit models
- Treating our physiology as something scalable
- Marketing our autonomy as a selling point
This is "FemTech Capitalism" where women's bodies are seen as markets to be captured and problems to be solved—for profit.
The Deeper Pattern: Medicalizing Healthy Biology
Both "innovations" continue a troubling pattern:
- Women's bodies are problems to be fixed
- Natural cycles are disruptions to be neutralized
- Fertility is an unpredictable risk requiring management
- Real freedom comes from outside intervention
The False Narrative
When did we decide that:
- Less bleeding equals more success?
- No mood shifts mean balance?
- Silencing the body equals peace?
We've been conditioned to believe that suppressing natural biological processes is progress when it's often just sophisticated suppression.
The Reality of Female Fertility
Here's a crucial fact often ignored in contraceptive marketing: female bodies are only truly fertile for 24 hours per month. This is how long an egg survives after ovulation.
The reason we count approximately six fertile days is because sperm can survive up to five days in the female reproductive tract. Meanwhile, male bodies remain fertile 24/7, yet the burden of fertility control consistently falls on women through increasingly invasive interventions.
What True Liberation Looks Like
Real contraceptive freedom doesn't come from more devices, implants, or outsourced control. It comes from:
Body Literacy
Understanding your menstrual cycle, fertile window, and the function of each hormone. Knowing your body's natural rhythms and signals.
Education
Comprehensive, honest information about all options—including how to work with your body rather than against it.
Sovereignty
Choices that are self-governed and don't require ongoing medical intervention or corporate dependence.
Trust in Biology
Recognizing that our bodies are already amazing and don't need constant technological override.
The Questions We Should Be Asking
Before embracing any new contraceptive technology, ask:
- Who benefits from this innovation?
- Who profits from it?
- Who holds the power and control?
- What are the long-term consequences?
- Does this empower me or create dependency?
- Are we solving problems or creating new ones?
My Perspective: Beyond the Holy Grail
There is no Holy Grail when it comes to birth control. It's a deeply personal journey where everyone must weigh pros and cons based on their unique circumstances, values, and needs.
But we must stop accepting innovations that:
- Remove us from our own knowing
- Medicalize healthy biological processes
- Create dependency on systems and products
- Market symptom suppression as empowerment
Real Alternatives Exist
For those seeking body-positive approaches to fertility awareness:
- Fertility Awareness Method (FAM)
- Sympto-thermal method
- Cervical mucus observation
- Basal body temperature tracking
- Comprehensive menstrual cycle education
These methods require education and commitment but offer true autonomy—knowledge that belongs to you, travels with you, and costs nothing once learned.
The Bottom Line
I'm not completely against finding new approaches to fertility management, but I am critical of innovations presented as Holy Grails while actually perpetuating the medicalization of healthy bodies.
Before accepting any contraceptive technology, ensure you're truly educated about how it works, what to expect, and who benefits. Seek counsel from trusted sources both within and outside the medical system—people without hidden agendas or products to sell.
Remember: the medical system is also a business. Your best protection is your own knowledge and discernment.
Moving Forward
Whatever contraceptive choice you make, ensure it aligns with your beliefs, values, and genuine needs for your body, fertility, and sense of sovereignty. Don't let marketing language disguised as empowerment override your intuition about what feels right for your body.
True reproductive freedom lies not in the next technological innovation, but in reclaiming our relationship with our bodies and trusting our innate wisdom.
Key Takeaways
- "Hormone-free" doesn't mean hormone-neutral - Mifepristone blocks essential progesterone throughout the body
- Autonomy requires self-control - If you can't operate it yourself, it's not truly your choice
- Follow the money - These are profitable products, not neutral healthcare innovations
- Your body isn't broken - Healthy menstrual cycles don't need technological fixes
- Education empowers - Body literacy provides sustainable, self-governed fertility awareness
- Question the narrative - Challenge the assumption that natural biology needs external control
- Long-term effects unknown - We're being asked to accept technologies without adequate safety data
- True freedom is self-governed - Real liberation means choices that don't create dependencies
About the Host
I’m Iris Josephina—functional hormone specialist, orthomolecular hormone coach, and entrepreneur. Through Cycle Seeds and The Inner Rhythms Podcast, I support people in reconnecting with their cyclical nature, deepening body literacy, and reclaiming hormonal harmony from a place of sovereignty and embodied knowledge. Most people know me from Instagram, where I share stories, tools, and inspiration on cyclical living, menstrual cycles, fertility, hormones and more.
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