Birth Conctrol Pills: Are You Ready?

Posted on: 25 Apr 2011 | Comments: 0

Author: Caroline Stackly

Many millions women worldwide use oral birth control medication. These contraceptives serve as a convenient, inexpensive, very efficient and safe way to control and prevent pregnancy. Nevertheless, these drugs require a prescription from health providers or gynecologists. Therefore, with a great choices of birth control pills available in the market women should chose ones that are recommended by their trusted doctors.

Birth control pills provide several beneficial effects. Not only are they cheaper and more convenient form of contraception but they are also effective at treating other types of medical conditions associated with menstruation.

Below is a list of conditions that may be improved by using oral contraceptives:

   1. Dysmenorrhea - a condition when extreme abdominal pain is experienced during the first few days of menstruation.
   2. Hirsutism - an abnormal hair growth that occur on the face and neck areas. Contraceptive when taken regularly may significantly reduce and prevent abnormal hair growth.
   3. Irregular periods.
   4. Amenorrhea.
   5. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding - an abnormal bleeding in the vagina triggered during a menstrual cycle.
   6. Acne.
   7. Hypernorrhea - an abnormal and sometimes heavy flow of menstruation.
   8. Cystic ovarian syndrome - formation of tiny ovarian cysts that may result in infertility.

Lifestyle considerations when using birth control pills

It takes time for birth control pills to start working. When you consider switching to an oral birth control medication you should continue with other forms of contraception at least for the first pill pack. Taking oral contraception demands organization and discipline otherwise the protection cannot be guaranteed. Pills usually must be taken once daily and if one pill is missed chances of getting pregnant increase dramatically. Consider keeping an extra one month supply of pills in case of emergency or when traveling.

When you start taking birth control pills, you will have to see your gynecologist at least once a year for a check up, consultation and a pill prescription for the next year. These checkups will usually include breast and pelvic exams, blood work and pressure measurements as well as pap smear. It may be necessary for some women to see their gynecologist more than once a year depending on individual conditions.

If your doctor suspects that you are pregnant he will require you to stop taking the contraceptive, to ensure no complications or harm are done to the unborn baby.

Those women, who gave birth, may resume their birth control regimen a few weeks after their baby was born. However you should consult with your doctor whether to start taking the pills since some of them, especially ones that contain estrogen, may reduce the quality of the breast milk. In this case progestin-only pills are usually recommended. Always consult with your doctor or gynecologist when planning on going on an oral contraceptive.

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