Even schoolchildren know about the need and importance of contraception in our time. After all, the same condoms protect not only from unwanted pregnancy, but also from possible sexually transmitted diseases. But in this article we will not talk about them.
Let's talk about such a thing as oral contraceptives: classification, side effects, contraindications for use and the names of the most famous drugs in this area will be considered by us. In addition, we will determine the main advantages and disadvantages of these funds.
What are oral contraceptives?
This is a birth control pill that contains female hormones.
The remedy helps to avoid unwanted pregnancy by suppressing the process of ovulation. Its effectiveness is quite high, despite the fact that taking oral contraceptives does not provide a 100% guarantee of protection.
Types of oral contraceptives
There are several classifications of birth control pills.
Depending on the active substance, they are divided into conventional progestogenic and combined oral contraceptives, which combine the hormones progestogen and estrogen.
Based on the level of the content of the active substance, drugs are monophasic and multiphasic. In the first case, the number of hormones does not change throughout the entire intake, and in the second case it can vary several times per cycle. At the same time, multi-phase tablets must be taken in strict order.
In addition, oral hormonal contraceptives may differ from each other in the amount of estrogen in them. As a rule, preparations with a small dosage of this substance are prescribed to young, he althy and nulliparous women. This is due to the fact that in most cases they do not need additional hormonal adjustment. Women of mature age, especially before the onset of menopause, it is preferable to take drugs with an increased amount of estrogen in them. This will help improve overall well-being and women's he alth in general.
Choice of birth control
The question of which oral contraceptive to choose should be decided exclusively by a gynecologist.
In this case, you should not listen to reviews on the Internet or the advice of friends taking hormonal pills. The fact is that the choice of oral contraceptives is a purely individual matter. During this process, it is important to take into account absolutely all the nuances, starting with the state of he alth of the woman andending with her lifestyle. In addition, you should not hide any information from the doctor, whether it be bad habits, past abortions, menstrual irregularities, and so on. Only in this way it will be possible to choose the best oral contraceptives that are ideal for a woman and will minimize the risk of complications or side effects.
Pay special attention
Oral contraceptive in the form of hormonal tablets should be prescribed and taken with extreme caution in the presence of the following diseases and body characteristics:
- prolonged immobility;
- preparation for a surgical operation or the rehabilitation period after it;
- presence of bleeding from the genitals;
- thrombosis, thromboembolism;
- high blood pressure;
- problems with cerebral vessels;
- presence of malignant tumors.
Contraindications for use
The oral contraceptive is not a unique method of contraception that absolutely all women can use. There are a number of contraindications, in the presence of which it is worth refusing to take the drug in favor of another method of protection against unwanted pregnancy. Or choose the safest option for hormonal pills with your doctor.
Relative contraindications include:
- highly obese;
- lactation;
- epilepsy;
- sickle anemia;
- availabilitydiabetes mellitus;
- smoking (if the woman is over 35);
- presence of diseases of the genital tract (thrush, vaginosis, and so on).
It is strictly forbidden to use hormonal drugs during pregnancy, liver failure, hemorrhagic stroke, as well as if you suspect the presence of estrogen-dependent neoplasms (liver adenoma, cancer of the body of the uterus or breast, and so on).
The most popular hormonal pills and their uses
How many manufacturers produce oral contraceptives? The list can be very long, so as an example, we recall only a few products that are currently most popular with women.
These include the following drugs: "Novinet", "Yarina", "Janine", "Marvelon", "Jess", "Diana-35", "Logest", "Regulon", "Chloe", Lindinet-20, Qlaira, Median, Silest.
Each of the funds is accompanied by an instruction that indicates the exact dose and frequency of taking the funds. Most often, you need to use one tablet daily. The only exceptions are the days of menstruation, during which hormonal drugs are contraindicated.
Side effects
When taking an oral contraceptive in the form of hormonal pills, you should be prepared for the possible occurrence of side effects. As practice shows,they meet quite often. Therefore, the doctor at the time of prescribing the drug must necessarily warn the woman about them. Especially considering that some of them can even pose a threat to life.
The most common side effects are weight gain or loss, nausea, vomiting, and intermenstrual bleeding. In this case, the latter can be observed for 3 months. If they last longer, you should consult a gynecologist to choose another drug.
Now let's talk about severe side effects.
Studies have shown that if a woman takes an oral contraceptive, the likelihood of pulmonary embolism (PE) increases by about 3-6 times, depending on the dose of the drug.
Changes in blood pressure levels have also been seen. In most women, while taking hormonal drugs, its slight increase is observed. Therefore, in the presence of hypertension in combination with smoking and the use of oral contraceptives, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases. After discontinuation of the drug, amenorrhea may occur.
In addition, there are suggestions that oral contraceptives may increase the risk of cervical cancer and dysplasia. Although this issue is still controversial, since other disease-provoking factors, such as early onset of sexual activity, were not taken into account during the studies, a largenumber of partners, smoking and so on. But still, while taking hormonal drugs, it is important to conduct an annual cytological examination of a smear from the vagina.
Benefits of hormone pills
All the advantages of the oral contraceptive, it will be more convenient to consider in the form of a list.
- Elimination of skin problems. And to be more precise, estrogen preparations are excellent helpers in the fight against acne. This happens due to the fact that hormones reduce the secretion of sebum.
- Treatment of polycystic ovaries. If the disease was detected early, there is a high probability of getting rid of it with the help of hormonal contraceptives alone.
- Beneficial effect on the body during menopause. Hormonal drugs have a positive effect on the work of the cardiovascular, endocrine and nervous systems.
Effective contraceptive. Actually, this is the main purpose of hormonal oral contraceptives.
Disadvantages of birth control pills
The disadvantages of oral medications are not so many, but still this does not make them less important.
It's worth starting with the fact that hormonal contraceptives do not guarantee one hundred percent protection. Although in this regard, everything may depend on the woman herself, since she takes on a great responsibility. It is important to take such drugs with the utmost responsibility, since one missed tablet can jeopardize the safety of everything.loop.
The second important point is the side effects. Even a properly selected drug can cause unpredictable and negative reactions of the body. As mentioned above, they can manifest themselves in any form, from individual intolerance to the development of serious diseases.
Application reviews
What do women who use birth control pills say? There are completely different reviews, which once again confirms the fact that this type of contraceptive must be selected purely individually.
There are those who note only positive things: improved well-being and appearance, as well as the complete absence of any negative consequences.
Others complain of weight gain, persistent headaches and nausea while taking drugs or immediately after taking them off. Perhaps the matter is in the wrong remedy, or there are other reasons.
