There are many types of birth control, including hormonal, permanent, emergency, barrier, and natural
methods.
Deciding which one is best for you is a personal
decision that you must make based on your health needs and each
method’s effectiveness rate.
We at Rocket Health offer
birth control pills.
Most oral contraceptives, commonly called "the pill,"
contain a combination of estrogen and progestin. The combination pill
reduces the risk of pregnancy by:
- Preventing ovulation
- Keeping the mucus in the cervix thick
and impenetrable to sperm
- Keeping the lining of the uterus
thin
The pill makes menstrual bleeding more regular, with fewer days of
flow and overall lighter flow. Other benefits of the pill include a
reduction in:
- Menstrual cramps or pain
- Risk of
ovarian cancer or cancer of the endometrium (uterine lining)
-
Acne
- Iron-deficiency anemia (a low blood count due to low iron
levels)
One potential downside of the pill is that in order
to maximize efficacy, you have to remember to take it every day,
ideally at the same time of day. Some women find this difficult or
inconvenient.
When taken properly, birth control pills are a highly effective form
of contraception; however, skipping pills or forgetting to restart the
pill after the week of your period will decrease efficacy.
Approximately 9 out of every 100 women who take birth control pills
for one year will have an unintended pregnancy.
Missed
pills are a common cause of pregnancy. In general, if you forget to
take an active pill (containing hormones), you should take it as soon
as possible and take the next one at the usual time it is due. If you
miss more than two pills, use a backup method of birth control (eg,
condoms) for seven days.
Possible side effects of the pill include:
- Nausea,
breast tenderness, bloating, and mood changes – These typically
improve within two to three months without treatment.
-
Bleeding between periods – Irregular bleeding, also called
"breakthrough bleeding" or "spotting," is
particularly common during the first few months of taking the pill. It
almost always resolves without any treatment within two to three
months. Forgetting a pill can also cause breakthrough bleeding.
Taking birth control pills does not cause weight gain.
If you are taking the pill, tell your doctor right away
if you experience abdominal pain, chest pain, severe headaches, eye
problems, or severe leg pain. These could be symptoms of several
serious conditions including heart attack, blood clot, stroke, and
liver or gallbladder disease.
Potential complications —
When the pill was first introduced in the 1960s, the doses of both
hormones (estrogen and progestin) were quite high. Because of this,
cardiovascular complications occurred, such as high blood pressure,
heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots in the legs and lungs.
The pills prescribed today have much lower doses of progestin
and estrogen, which has decreased the risk of these complications. As
a result, birth control pills are now considered a reliable and safe
option for most healthy, nonsmoking women. While there is a very small
risk of blood clots, this risk is actually lower than the risk in
pregnant women or those who have recently given birth.
Experts have studied the possible association between taking the
pill and the risk of breast cancer. While these studies have had mixed
results, there is some evidence that women who take the pill do have a
slightly higher risk of getting breast cancer later in life than women
who do not. However, if there is an increase in risk, it is very
small, especially in younger women. It's important to balance
this against the benefits of the pill, which include not only
pregnancy prevention but a reduction in the risk of ovarian and
endometrial cancer (see above).
Because of an increased risk of complications, you should not take the
pill if you:
- Are 35 or older and smoke cigarettes (as
this puts you at high risk for cardiovascular complications such as
blood clots or heart attack)
- Are pregnant
-
Have had blood clots or a stroke in the past (as this increases your
risk of blood clots while taking the pill)
- Have a
history of an "estrogen-dependent" tumor (eg, breast or
uterine cancer)
- Have abnormal or unexplained menstrual
bleeding (in which case the cause of the bleeding should be
investigated before starting the pill)
- Have active liver
disease (the pill could worsen the liver disease)
- Have
migraine headaches associated with certain visual or other neurologic
symptoms (eg, aura), which increases your risk of stroke
Some women may take the pill under certain circumstances, but need
close monitoring. Talk with your doctor if you:
- Have
high blood pressure – You may experience a further increase in blood
pressure and should be monitored more frequently while on the pill.
- Take certain medication for seizures (epilepsy) – In this
case, the pill may be slightly less effective in preventing pregnancy
because the seizure medicines change the way it is metabolized.
- Have diabetes mellitus – Women with diabetes and kidney
disease or vascular complications from diabetes should not use the
pill.
- Medication interactions — The pill may not work as
well to prevent pregnancy if you also take certain other medications.
- Anticonvulsants — Some anticonvulsants decrease the
effectiveness of birth control pills. As a result, women who take
these anticonvulsants are advised to avoid hormonal birth control
methods (with the exception of depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate
[Depo-Provera]).
If you take any anti-seizure medications,
it's important to talk with your doctor about possible
interactions before starting the pill or another hormonal birth
control method.
Antibiotics — Rifampicin, which is used to
treat tuberculosis, can decrease the efficacy of hormonal birth
control. As a result, women who take rifampicin are advised to avoid
most hormonal birth control methods, with the exception of
depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera). Other alternative
options include an intrauterine device (IUD), condoms, or a diaphragm,
or sterilization.
Contrary to popular belief, other (more
commonly used) antibiotics do not affect the efficacy of hormonal
birth control methods. Backup contraception is not needed when you
take these antibiotics.