At all times it was believed that the lot of a woman is the birth of children and taking care of them. But today everything has changed. The fair sex run companies, serve in the army, and actively participate in the public life of the country. At the same time, they remain wives and mothers. And this becomes possible thanks to a competent approach to family planning and the use of modern drugs for contraception. There are so many of them today that it's just dizzying. Today we will talk about how to choose birth control pills.
He althy
Of course, every woman thinks about him. Today, there is enough awareness to understand well the consequences of hormonal imbalance. Accordingly, it is necessary to choose contraceptives very carefully so that theyperfect for you, complementing what is missing. But this is ideal. It is clear that pills are not made to order, so it will still be an average formula that will work for some and not for others.
It is not uncommon for women to come to the pharmacy with the question of how to choose birth control pills. In this case, the pharmacist offers them drugs according to a rather simple scheme:
- Microdosed - for young girls who don't have children.
- Drugs with an average content of hormones. For women over 30.
- Hormone-rich pills for women over 30 who have given birth.
This is an approximate diagram and may not take into account individual differences. In each of these categories, there may be a woman with painful periods, oily hair, acne, excessive or scanty periods. Properly selected drugs can solve these problems, and acquired at random, on the contrary, increase undesirable effects. Therefore, today we decided to talk about how to choose birth control pills. This is an actual issue.
Going to the doctor
It would seem that there is a long time to think. We are going to the clinic and have a consultation with a gynecologist. The specialist will definitely choose what suits you best. But not everything is so simple. How does this consultation usually take place? A woman comes to the appointment and says that she wants to start taking birth control. The doctor agrees, performs a routine examination, takes a smear and prescribes 2-3 drugs, of which he offers the womanchoose for yourself what to take. Usually these are the most popular pills that he will offer to drink to the next patient. Jeanine, Jess, Logest and several others.
Everything seems to be correct, but the thought remains that the doctor did not take into account something. And indeed, how to choose birth control pills, if you do not know the hormonal background. In fact, this is the work of an endocrinologist, who should also be a gynecologist. It saves that modern drugs are mostly low-dose drugs that do not affect the body's work too much. A delayed effect is not ruled out, but it will all be later, not now.
Why pills?
There are so many things on the market today. These are condoms and rings, spirals and creams, patches, wipes, injections. Of course, only the absence of sex gives a 100% guarantee, but still. Why do most women prefer to use pills? Because they have the highest percentage of protection against unwanted pregnancy. But that is not all. It is very convenient to take one tablet at a certain time of the day, and that's it, nothing more is required of you. Unlike creams and suppositories, which need to be injected not at your convenience, but 10 minutes before sexual intercourse.
What else can be said in favor of modern oral contraceptives?
- There are no age restrictions. Both young girls and mature women can take them.
- Reduces pain during menstruation.
- Improves skin condition.
And yet, how to choose birth control pills yourself? What should I pay attention to?
A bit of theory
You need to be guided by what they are. There are two main types of birth control:
- Combined oral contraceptives. Monophasic, two-phase and three-phase. They contain two types of female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone.
- Contraceptives containing only progesterone. They are called mini-pills. Most often they are prescribed to nursing mothers to reduce the percentage of excretion into breast milk.
This is the roughest division as there are many more subclasses. Therefore, speaking about how to choose birth control pills on your own, I would like to note the need to visit the clinic and undergo an examination. Of course, this is necessary if you want the drug to suit you perfectly and not lead to disastrous changes in a few years.
History taking
And now let's briefly talk about what data you need to have on hand to prescribe a contraceptive. First of all, the patient should be examined on a gynecological chair. In parallel, the doctor collects anamnesis, including family history. Everything matters, so try to remember as many details as possible. The presence of chronic diseases, recent viral infections, bad habits, physiology and lifestyle - all this should find its place in the overall picture.
That is, only with complete information, even an experienced doctor can write the correct prescription. It turns out that most local gynecologists do not know how to choose the right birth control pills. Or does not have enough time to see one patient.
Required examination
In the consultation at the place of residence, admission is usually free, but the number of procedures that you can have is also limited. In order to correctly select the drug, you need:
- Get a gynecological exam and Pap test.
- Pass a biochemical blood test.
- Get a pelvic ultrasound.
- Breast ultrasound and consultation with a mammologist.
- The doctor must take into account the condition of the skin and the constitutional features of the woman.
And how does a doctor select birth control pills in practice? For the most part, approx. If the drug does not work, it will be possible to adjust the prescription and choose another one, focusing on the patient's complaints. There is a reasonable explanation for this. Examination is always long and expensive. And patients need an appointment today, because tomorrow, from the first day of the cycle, they need to start drinking. And the cost is such that many will refuse, especially since the likelihood of side symptoms is quite low.
Laboratory examination
The ultrasounds and examinations listed above are very important. But still, blood tests say much more about the state of internal homeostasis. Soit is important to discuss with the doctor the need for their delivery. For the full picture, it is recommended to do the following:
- Take at least two hormonal tests, which will allow you to more correctly judge the body's hormonal surges.
- Have a blood clotting test.
- Donate blood for sugar to determine predisposition to diabetes.
This is the question of what tests to take in order to choose birth control pills. It is, of course, quite expensive, but your he alth is worth it. Therefore, feel free to shift the material costs onto the shoulders of your partner.
Three female phenotypes
There is a summary table that tells you how to choose birth control pills without a doctor. This does not eliminate the need to attend a consultation, but gives women additional information. Today it is customary to distinguish three female phenotypes, each of which has its own group of oral contraceptives:
- Estrogen type. These are women of short stature, with pronounced mammary glands, very feminine. Hair and skin are usually dry. For them, drugs like Minisiston, Regividon are recommended.
- Balanced type. The physique is normal, of average height, hair and skin are normal. Can be assigned to Logest, Novinet, Marvelon, Tri-Regol.
- Progesterone type. Usually these are tall women with a physique, like that of boys. Oily skin and hair. Assigned "Jess", "Yarina", "Midiana", "Janine".
If you want to know how to choose the right birth control pills yourself, then you need to carefully study this table. But again we are faced with the fact that drugs containing different amounts of hormones fall into one group. For example, "Jess", "Yarina" and "Diana-35" differ from each other very much. If the patient chooses based on his intuition, he is likely to make a mistake.
What threatens the wrong choice
You need to understand that incoming hormones will disrupt the natural hormonal background. And how significant these changes will be depends on the state of your he alth, as well as the ability to reproduce offspring in the future. Usually doctors allocate a period of adaptation to the drug. It lasts from a couple of weeks to several months.
At this time, the patient may be tormented by a headache, smearing discharge throughout the cycle. But if one package is over, and there are still no positive changes, then the drug needs to be changed. Since it is quite difficult to choose birth control pills yourself, women often experience such symptoms.
The price of a mistake
If the drug taken seriously shakes the hormonal background of a woman, then this threatens with problems in the future.
- Infertility may develop. Since the ovaries are informed that they do not need to produce an egg, they stop doing so after a while.
- Difficult childbirth. Doctors confirm thatwomen who take birth control pills for a long time often move, experience placental abruption.
- Disruption of the circulatory system.
- Birth of children with disabilities.
Not in vain, even if we assume that the contraceptive is chosen correctly, it is recommended to cancel it about 6 months before the planned pregnancy. During this time it is recommended to protect yourself with condoms or other means.
Contraindications
As with all drugs, there are also oral contraceptives. These are not vitamins at all, as is commonly believed. Therefore, if you are looking for information on how to independently choose birth control pills without a doctor, you must also assess the degree of risk. If at least one point matches, then you should think about it or, even better, visit a doctor:
- If you had a bout of depression or severe stress less than three months ago.
- For a woman who smokes, taking birth control pills becomes a risk factor for thromboembolic complications.
- Increased pressure while taking hormonal contraceptives can become regular, so another reason to think is hypertension.
- Severe morning sickness during previous pregnancy.
- No period for several cycles.
Instead of a conclusion
The choice of hormonal contraceptives, many today do it myself, after consultingwith a pharmacist. Whether this is right or not is up to you. Today we examined the main points on which the choice should be based, and also what the use of improperly selected contraceptives can threaten. The experience of your girlfriends is one thing, but your he alth is another matter entirely. Therefore, take the time to consult a doctor and pass the necessary tests. This is the only way to make the right choice.
