Dr Faris is a rock solid, no bullshit PCOS-OBGYN Queen who really helps us understand all the things we didn't know we didn't know about hormonal birth control. She is totally in your corner and will fight like hell for you, her patients. 

Dr. Basma Faris is a Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist. Dr. Faris attended the University of California at Berkeley where she received a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Sciences. She went on to complete a Masters of Science in Nutrition at Brooklyn College. She received her medical degree from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University at Buffalo in 2009. She completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Faris began her career in healthcare as a Registered Dietitian.

You can connect with Dr Faris on IG @drbasmafaris and @pollyprep ! Be the first to know about the release of her new "Prep School" for people with PCOS- coming soon! Visit her website at www.basmafaris.com or www.pollyprep.com . And if you're a busy physician, she has created an amazing course for you too: Nutrition for Busy Physicians (available on her website)

TLDL action steps and takeaways:

1) What hormonal birth control (HBC) ACTUALLY does: a) suppress ovulation (but not all of them); b) thicken the cervical mucus (making it more difficult to get pregnant) and c) thins the endometrial lining over time (again, making it more difficult to get pregnant)

2) Types of hormonal birth control options:

    i) Combination of estradiol (synthetic form of estradiol) and progestin (synthetic progesterone-like hormones). Different pills differ in type of progestin and dosage

    ii) Progestin-only contraceptives like emergency contraceptive pill (Plan B)- (delays ovulation); there are also progestin-only pills for regular use

    iii) Injectible contraceptives

    iv) Implant contraceptives

    v) Intra-Uterine Devices (IUDs)

3) Some common side effects of HBC: decreased sex drive, increase in anxiety and depression

4) To have a better experience with HBC use, Dr Faris says we should all ask ourselves "What am I trying to accomplish by being on contraceptives?" and communicate this to our doctors

5) Nutrition guidelines to support our bodies (in general but also especially if using HBC):

    i) Avoid refined carbohydrates 

    ii) Get enough healthy fats in the diet

    iii) Avoid too much alcohol

    iv) Get enough fiber

6) Signs your contraceptive isn't working well for you:

    i) Changes in skin (like acne, facial hair) that you didn't have before

    ii) Weight changes (including water retention)

    iv) Mood changes

7) Expectations of starting HBC; there may be: 

    i) Decreased libido

    ii) Vaginal dryness

    iii) Changes in bowel function

    iv) irregular bleeding during the first few months or blood clot risk

8) Is post-pill PCOS a thing? Dr Faris says we're not sure yet

9) If you're experiencing amenorrhea after coming off the pill (6+ months) your body fat may be too low

10) Dr Faris' starting questions to ask about HBC:

    i) What are my contraceptive options? (ALL of them)

    ii) Is there anything about me (the patient) that you think should steer me towards one vs the other? Why?