7 of the best gastropubs around Ireland
7 of the best gastropubs around Ireland

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WIN a luxurious 2-night stay at Fota Island Resort
WIN a luxurious 2-night stay at Fota Island Resort

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Cocktail Club: For something out of the ordinary, try this green tea infused tipple
Cocktail Club: For something out of the ordinary, try this green tea infused tipple

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Real Weddings: Sarah and Karl’s festive celebrations in Co Wicklow

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Lisa O’Connor talks art, activism, and the magic that happens when the two collide

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Friends as family: How the company we keep can change our lives

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Poppy O’Toole (aka Poppy Cooks) shares her life in food

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My Life in Culture: Director Louisa Connolly-Burnham

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The IMAGE Weddings 2025 Ultimate Venue Guide is out now!
The IMAGE Weddings 2025 Ultimate Venue Guide is out now!

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How to wrap a cylindrical gift: try this step-by-step guide

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Image / Self / Health & Wellness
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SELF

Why I quit taking the contraceptive pill


by Lauren Heskin
05th Feb 2024

The pill

The pill

After 10 years of taking it religiously, I started to wonder exactly what it was that I was putting into my body every day.

I remember the first time I asked for the pill. The GP who attended to me – I avoided the family doctor out of teenage awkwardness – talked relentlessly about how women always complained about their boobs getting bigger when they were on the pill when really it was just water retention and it should subside after a few months. I hadn’t heard of this before and frankly, it wouldn’t have deterred my gangly 16-year-old...

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