Why the fuck do women have to rely on each other for birth control advice?

I've been on birth control since I was 16.

My mom was terrified when I went on birth control. Back in her day, women were scared to be on the hormones for too long. 

Let me tell you something — women are full of hormones, they don't just come in tiny pills or patches we subject our bodies to. 

I did start to get nervous about the side effects of my birth control — was I gaining weight? Is it possible I wouldn't be able to get pregnant if I was on it for too long? 

So I do what every good woman does — I ask for recommendations from my friends. What are they using? How do they find it? I almost always end up changing my birth control method when I hear from a friend that what they're trying is working great for them. 

Every pill I've ever consumed or device I've had in my body is in large from a recommendation from a friend. 

Should we be relying on doctors more for this in particular? 

I don't have a perfect answer, but the one thing I can say is that women talk, and we like to be open and honest with each other about these things because we can strongly relate and empathize and not every doctor can say the same.

Ask your friends. Ask your doctor. But ultimately, make an informed decision about what is best for you.