Every woman knows that pregnancy should be conscious and planned. To prevent unwanted pregnancies, gynecologists advise to use contraceptives rather than rely on chance. Hormonal pills are considered the most common and reliable birth control option. They appeared and became widespread in the middle of the last century. Now they are very well studied and widely used in developed countries. In addition, preventing unwanted pregnancies is not the only benefit of such medication.
Advantages of hormonal contraceptives
Such drugs have undeniable benefits that have made them the most popular birth control option:
- high efficiency;
- immediate effect if you start taking pills on 1-5 day of your period;
- very few risk factors;
- very few side effects (the pills are safe for most women);
- do not affect sexual intercourse;
- comfortable and easy to use;
- use can be easily stopped;
- various positive effects;
- combination pills prevent some causes of infertility.
Useful properties of combination pills
In addition to effective protection against unwanted pregnancy, this method has many positive effects on the health of women. Using a combination pill, a woman may feel a reduction in pain during menstruation, the period may become less abundant and shorter. The menstrual cycle becomes regular, and therefore this method is recommended for women with irregular menstrual cycles. By inhibiting ovulation, oral contraceptives prevent ectopic pregnancy and if a woman has an ectopic pregnancy, then it is worth taking the combined pill (ectopic pregnancy causes a large number of deaths of women). Taking combined oral contraceptives significantly reduces the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer (the inner lining of the uterus). In addition, the use of this method protects against some of the factors that cause pelvic inflammatory diseases. The amount of menstrual blood, which is a good breeding ground for the reproduction of bacteria, decreases. In addition, tablets thicken cervical mucus and makes it more difficult for microorganisms to overcome such a barrier. Combination pills prevent some causes of infertility and increase the likelihood of pregnancy after stopping the drug. Taking pills reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
Who should use birth control pills?
Oral contraceptives are recommended to:
- sexually active young women;
- couples wishing to have a highly effective method of preventing unplanned pregnancy;
- nulliparous women;
- sexually active teens;
- women in the postpartum period (not breastfeeding);
- women who want to be protected from pregnancy immediately after an abortion;
- women with painful menstruation and irregular menstrual cycle;
- girls with acne;
- women with anemia;
- women with an ectopic pregnancy in the past;
- women with recurrent functional ovarian cysts or a family history of ovarian cancer.
How to take birth control pills?
Tablets need to be taken daily, preferably at the same time for 21 or 28 days (depending on the drug). A menstrual-like reaction occurs within seven days after taking the last active tablet.
Some packs contain 21 tablets per cycle. Then you can start taking them on the 1 day of menstruation, take 1 tablet daily, and when they run out, you need to take a break for 7 days. There is no need to use additional contraceptives during the 7-day break. Next, start a new packaging.
Packs may contain 28 tablets. They need to be taken daily without any interruptions. The most common brands include Yasmin, Alesse, Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Mircette and Levlen.
Keep in mind that it is necessary to consult a doctor before using this method of contraception because different tablets have different doses of estrogen and progestin, which determines their properties. Some tablets may not suit you, while others may be suitable. In addition, there are risk factors that need to be considered (your age, health condition). For this reason, it is not recommended to buy pills online without consulting a specialist!
Category: Birth control
Tags: birth control pills, contraception, Contraceptives, women's health