Davina McCall is turning her attention to the contraceptive pill with a new Channel 4 documentary after sparking a healthcare revolution with her investigation into the menopause.
The TV presenter, 55, is shocked that more than 60 years after the pill was invented, women are still enduring a litany of side effects if they don’t want to fall pregnant.
Davina, 55, who is a mum to Holly, 21, Tilly, 19, and Chester, 16, says: “Both of my daughters took the pill, and one of them got on absolutely fine with it but my younger one had a terrible time in sixth form with her mental health and she has often wondered whether her pill contributed to that.”
In her own life, Davina, who was just 15 when she secretly obtained the pill, struggled to find the right contraception for her until she tried the Mirena coil – a T-shaped plastic frame that’s placed in the womb and releases a hormone called progestin.
The Mirena coil was a game changer for Davina – and she still uses one now to supplement her HRT. And as such, Davina has filmed herself having her coil changed in her new Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall’s Pill Revolution to dispel any "horror stories" people may have heard.
“I stayed on the pill for a few years and decided I wanted to go for a natural method,” shares Davina. “Then I heard that didn’t work too well. I’ve tried several other things, but ended up on the Miranda coil, which I loved because I had no periods and I’m still on the Mirena coil now because it really does suit me and I use it as part of my hormone replacement therapy.”
Finding the right contraception was life changing for Davina and she wants women to have more information about the different methods available to them. Having her coil fitted stopped Davina’s periods and she never looked back.
“It was amazing, a game-changer for me,” says Davina. “Not having periods was fantastic. My monthly PMT was quite severe – I used to have a week of feeling just annoyed at the world and very moody and emotional before my period. A monthly bleed for me was difficult, painful, a few days where I just didn’t feel myself. With the coil, I didn’t get any of that. It doesn’t agree with everybody, but it was great for me.”
The coil isn’t a perfect solution for everyone, and many women worry about the process of having one fitted. To demystify the insertion process Davina has filmed herself having her coil changed for the documentary.
It’s an intimate procedure so Davina checked if those most important to her thought it was also a good idea before being filmed for her TV show.
“I ran it past my kids and they gave me the green light,” says Davina. “But this was my idea. Just in case anybody thinks that the TV company made me do it, absolutely not, I suggested it, because it’s the one thing that so many people contact me and say they’d never get a coil fitted because of all the horror stories. So I thought ‘Why not show a positive experience?’”
It’s ground-breaking TV and Davina asked Professor Dame Lesley Regan, a former President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to do the honours.
“I was pretty sure I’d have a positive experience, because I’ve never had a negative one,” smiles Davina.
On the show, Davina describes the sensations of having the coil put in while Dame Lesley describes the steps she takes to carefully fit the contraceptive.
Lesley’s nickname is “Fairy Fingers” but Davina is honest about the procedure not being pain free.
“The thing that hurt the most was a short sharp jab when they measured the cervix to see how far they needed to put in the coil,” explains Davina. “They measure it, and they can make it the right length for your cervix. And I didn’t even feel the insertion. During the process, I had some stomach cramps for about ten or fifteen minutes, and then afterwards, I didn’t feel anything. It was amazing.”
Davina hopes her demonstration encourages other women to try it – but she also knows that there is already a huge backlog of women waiting to have a coil fitted. As demand has increased over the last decade, waiting times have increased dramatically.
“We’ve gathered exclusive evidence from freedom of information requests, which shows that across many regions of the UK, women are having to wait at least a month for an appointment,” says Davina. “Some are waiting over two months. Some over six months and in parts of Devon and Northern Ireland, women are waiting for a year or more.
Long waiting lists for coils, coupled with side effects from the pill could be contributing to unwanted pregnancies.
Davina McCall’s Pill Revolution, Thursday 8th June at 9pm on Channel 4 and Channel 4 Streaming
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