By providing safe, effective, and convenient protection against unwanted or unplanned pregnancy, the pill has given women more control over their own sex lives and reproductive health. The birth control pill is one of the greatest innovations in women’s health. Posted Februby south ave & filed under Birth Control.
Side effects of birth control free#
For information on ways to reduce STI transmission, feel free to read through the Go Ask Alice! Safer Sex archives.Birth Control for Beginners: 5 Things to Know Before You Start the Pill Lastly, keep in mind that birth control pills don’t protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Check out the Go Ask Alice! Contraceptives archives or Planned Parenthood for additional information and research updates. Speaking with a health care provider will help you get answers to specific questions about birth control as it relates to your individual medical history. Heart problems, including history of stroke or heart attack.Use of tobacco products, especially for those over 35 years old.Reasons birth control pills may not be right for you: Though some research indicates that more than five years of OC use may increase a person’s likelihood of developing malignant (potentially cancer causing) tumors on the liver, other studies have not found this association.
OC use has been linked to increased risk of benign liver tumors. Birth control users may have an increased risk of liver cancer.However, it’s not clear whether OC use decreases the body’s ability to fight off HPV or if there’s another indirect reason for the higher risk. Long term use (five or more years) of OCs is associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is commonly caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Birth control users may have an increased risk of cervical cancer.Many experts have concluded that OCs have little or no effect on breast cancer risk. Current users of OCs may be slightly more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer due to the likelihood of regular medical visits, including breast exams. Research on the correlation of OC use and increased risk of breast cancer has found that while breast cancer risk may increase slightly during the first two years of use, this risk returns to pre-OC levels ten years after discontinuation. Birth control use has minimal, if any, impact on risk of breast cancer.This protective effect persists even after discontinuation of the pill. And protection against endometrial cancer only increases with prolonged use. In general, use of OCs reduces a person’s risk of developing both endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. Long-term use of birth control pills can reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer.Also, OCs do not correct any underlying ovarian dysfunction.ĭecreased and increased cancer risks with birth control pills: So people can expect to return to the menstrual pattern that existed prior to OC use. Less than 3 percent of birth control pill users have a delay in the return to fertility. Many people ovulate within a couple of weeks of discontinuing OCs. Birth control pills have no adverse effect on future fertility, do not defer menopause, nor do they hasten menopause's onset.
In fact, if stopping OCs puts someone at risk for pregnancy, it is not recommended. While some medical providers previously recommended temporarily stopping birth control use, this is no longer advised. There is no medical indication for "taking a break" from OCs.Myths debunked about long-term birth control pill use: Now, let’s move forward with a summary of the medical findings regarding long-term use of birth control pills. The safe use of OCs depends upon careful evaluation and knowledge of patients’ health history by health care providers (so, it’s best to communicate regularly and honestly with your health care provider). For most healthy non-smokers, prolonged use of OCs doesn't appear to have adverse effects, and as a result, is an effective birth control method to use throughout reproductive years. Luckily, current research provides a lot of comprehensive information about the many health benefits of oral contraceptives (OCs) and also dispels a lot of misconceptions about risks associated with long-term use.īirth control pills are a safe long-term contraceptive method for non-smokers. Thanks for doing a little digging around the archives! Weighing the benefits and risks of long-term medication like birth control pills may be a little confusing - there is certainly a lot of information out there.
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