Elon Musk criticizes hormonal birth control

Just the News ^ | February 18, 2024 4:25pm | Madeleine Hubbard

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticized hormonal birth control and was met with stories from women about their personal experiences on the pill. 

"Hormonal birth control makes you fat, doubles risk of depression & triples risk of suicide. This is the clear scientific consensus, but very few people seem to know it," Musk wrote Friday on X, formerly Twitter, citing a 2017 news article from Time about studies on hormonal birth control. 

The Time article discussed how an American Journal of Psychiatry study indicated women who take hormonal contraceptives have a three times higher risk of suicide than those who never took hormonal birth control. Another study in the article found that women on hormonal birth control have a 70% higher risk of depression. The article did not mention weight gain.

"I was placed on the pill at just 14 years old for acne. A few months later, I saw my first-ever therapist despite no prior history of depression," Babylon Bee contributor Ashley St. Clair said in response to Musk's post. "In retrospect, after being on birth control for nearly a decade, being placed on the pill for 'acne' was akin to killing a mouse with a rocket launcher."

Tammy Peterson, wife of psychologist Jordan Peterson, said: "I suffered from depression from the hormonal birth control. Elon is absolutely correct."

Others voiced their opposition to Musk's remarks. 

Brianna Wu, executive director of the progressive Rebellion PAC, said: "The right wing is coming for your birth control."

[Romulus]

You are aware that the Bible condemns contraception?

[Antoninus]

It’s also a Class 1 carcinogen. Go check the American Cancer Society website if you don’t believe me.

[Antoninus]

Sometimes Elon Musk is way out there. This is one of those times.

Point out where he's wrong? Hormonal birth control is also carcinogenic.

But by all means, convince the women in your life to take it. Cancer, depression and suicide are better than having children -- if you hate human life.

[Antoninus]

Are we women supposed to be brood mares until we keel over or be celibate while our husbands seek solace elsewhere?

As if those are the only two choices. How many children do you have?

[lightman]

Anybody who uses an infantile word like “kookydoodle” is a complte kookydoodle
Do tell.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

He actually is correct in this case.

Hormonal birth control is probably not very healthy.

[Theophilus]

Job 39:19-24 (paraphrased )

"Do you give the horse her strength or clothe her neck with a flowing mane? Do you make her leap like a locust, striking terror with her proud snorting? She paws fiercely, rejoicing in her strength, and charges into the fray. She laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; she does not shy away from the sword. The quivler rattles against her side, along with the flashing spear and lance. In frenzied excitement she eats up the ground; she cannot stand still, when the trumpet sounds."

You could choose worse analogies than "brood mare" for a fertile, husband & baby loving wife.

[vladimir998]

“Sometimes Elon Musk is way out there. This is one of those times.”

No, actually his opinion on this is pretty tame.

1) It’s been known for decades that hormonal birth control is not a healthy practice: weight gain, hormonal issues, personality changes, strokes, breast cancer, etc.

2) Women on hormonal birth control are more likely to choose men they wouldn’t normally choose.

3) The Pill ushered in the sexual revolution. How’s that been working for society lately?

[combat_boots]

Whoa

10

[alexander_busek]

Says the man with 11 children by three different mothers

Thank you for so precisely pointing out the logical flaws in Musk's statements!

Oh, wait! You didn't!

As far as I, personally, am concerned, hormonal birth control is the way to go! I don't care if women then have twice the rate of depression or three times the rate of suicide; I get unfettered access to you-know-what.

A price I'm willing to pay!

/mordant sarcasm

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

[...] and think guys who screw around are alpha males but women who screw around are $luts

A key that opens many locks is a high-value key. A lock that is opened by every key is a low-value lock.

Summa summarum: Men and women are different (when it comes to reproduction). Double standards are hence valid here.

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

Humorless people love to point fingers...

Your post #2 certainly points fingers.

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

I just don’t think women should be expected to have unlimited children.

Straw Man Fallacy! No one here is saying that women should be expected to have "unlimited" children!

So, please rephrase your actual objection!

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

You are aware that the Bible condemns contraception?

Chapter and verse, please!

And please don't cite the story of Onan: He was "smote" by the Lord for trying to wriggle out of his duty, as a brother, to continue his deceased brother's legacy by impregnating his brother's widow. (Something that wouldn't "fly" in today's world, anyway.)

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

No, actually his opinion on this is pretty tame.

He's not actually stating an opinion - just facts.

Regards,

[irishjuggler]

Fail. Ad hominem argument.

[Fury]

Re: double standards:

I prefer to look at different outcomes.

When it comes to sexual morality, both a promiscuous Alpha Male or a woman who is a slut are subject to cause/effect from their actions:

1) a pregnancy that may be sadly not wanted by one or both;
2) risk of STD

There certainly are different outcomes in 1) - a woman who wants that baby is going to get child support (rightly) from the man who does not.

And there are different outcomes depending on
sex for STDs.

[Jeff Chandler]

Is that you, Hillary?

[JustaTech]

She was too skinny so the extra weight was positive after she started the Pill.

But I never connected the radical change in her behavior and feelings to the Pill, until recently.

At least the mysterious aspect is cleared up, though the damage was done and over long ago.

[alexander_busek]

I prefer to look at different outcomes. When it comes to sexual morality, both a promiscuous Alpha Male or a woman who is a slut are subject to cause/effect from their actions: 1) a pregnancy that may be sadly not wanted by one or both; 2) risk of STD

Wasn't talking about "sexual morality." Was only observing that men who are highly successful in the sexual arena have to work hard and prove themselves to be successful, while women don't.

I've known "studs" who had "game," were tall and handsome, and understood how to sweet-talk the girls. (Their primary tactic was to always feign an "abundance mindset" and appear only barely interested; that always triggers a woman's self-doubt while simultaneously suggesting to her that the man is "pre-selected" - i.e., his apparent lack of desperation must mean that he is in "high demand" and is thus "high quality" - women hate to have to go to the trouble to actually evaluate a man's worth themselves; it's so much easier to rely on subtle "tells" based on other women's testing.)

For a man to tally up a high "body-count," he has to go to considerable effort. (As a rule, he will also have to be above-average in looks, heights, money, etc.)

But for a woman to score a high "notch-count," she need only have a sn*tch.

The "studs" I knew were actually pretty judicious in selecting their partners (having an abundance of choice, they could afford to be!), and were also careful in those other "departments" (regarding V.D. and unwanted pregnancies).

I think that you should also consider a third categories of "consequences" (besides V.D. and pregnancies): The psychological damage / diminishing ability to pair bond, which is demonstrable among women. Stats show that most men can have one or two dozen "affairs" without it appreciably affecting their ability to subsequently "settle down" and be happy with a single partner. But a woman who has had two dozen men - she's ruined for (married) life.

Regards,