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Birth Control PillsBirth control pills are highly effective: their failure rate is less than 1 percent. Today's birth control pills are very different from the original formulation in that manufacturers have reduced the dose of female hormones. When birth control pillscontained high levels of estrogen, they caused heart and circulatory disorders in some women. With the newer, low-dose pills, although there are still risks involved in taking them, the danger is now slight, especially for anyone younger than 30 years. Smoking may increase these risks. Two types of birth control pills are available. The combination pill, which contains both estrogen and progesterone, has only one—tenth as much estrogen as the original birth control pill did and half as much progesterone. The so called mini-pill, which has only progesterone, is also low dose. The result of these changes is that it is now statistically safer to take the pill than it is not to use birth control at all because the death rate associated with normal pregnancy or elective abortion is higher than that associated with taking the pill. The Pill Is Not for Everyone. Some women should not use oral contraceptives. You should not be taking the combination pill if you have a history of strokes, blood clots, high blood pressure, severe diabetes, or breast or uterine cancer; if you have active liver disease or sickle cell disease; if you may already be pregnant; or if you are breastfeeding. Some physicians also will advise you to avoid the pill if you are depressed, have migraines, or are a heavy smoker; if your menstrual periods are infrequent ; or if you have stopped menstruating altogether. In addition, because studies show that the risks associated with birth control pills increase with age, physicians generally recommend that all women who smoke should stop taking the pill once they are older than 35 years and that every woman should stop taking it after age 40 years. Side Effects Because there is still some small risk that the pill will cause a stroke, there are danger signs to watch for if you are taking it. If you are having more headaches than usual or if you feel faint or begin to have speech difficulties, call a physician. If you know you are going to have an operation and you are taking high-dose pills, stop using the oral contraceptive about a month before the procedure because the pill increases your risk of developing a blood clot after the operation. These effects are not a cause for concern with the low dose pills. Birth control pills also have other, less serious, side effects. Especially when you first start to take the pill, you may sometimes bleed slightly between menstrual periods, or you may not menstruate at all. There are dozens of birth control pills on the market, and usually your physician can eliminate these problems by prescribing a different brand. Some women menstruate regularly while they are taking the pill but stop having periods after they discontinue using it. This effect is almost always temporary. Roughly 5 percent of women who use birth control pills develop some increase in blood pressure after about 5 years. In most cases, their blood pressure returns to normal if they stop taking the pill. Other possible side effects include nausea, breast tenderness, fluid retention, depression, and nervousness. In addition, you may gain a little weight, either because of water retention or because the pill has increased your appetite and you are eating more. If you are getting a new prescription of any kind, remember to tell the physician that you are taking the pill because it can interact with other drugs. Not all side effects are harmful and birth control pills have some beneficial effects that are a welcome bonus. While you are taking the pill, you are less likely to have heavy menstrual bleeding or severe cramps or to develop breast lumps, iron-deficiency anemia, ovarian cysts, endometrial or ovarian cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis. Your periods should be regular, light, and predictable. Young women taking the pill also seem to have lower rates of uterine cancer than other women. Furthermore there is no convincing evidence that women who take the pill develop breast cancer or any other type of malignancy more often than women who don’t. Mother Health And Care
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