Today it is the most reliable and common method of contraception. Hormonal contraceptives appeared only about fifty years ago, well, they have already come a rather long way of evolution and in our time not only do not threaten the health of the body, but also help to cope with many female problems. The first birth control pills appeared in the 60s of the last century. It was a strong hormonal drug, which was intended to get rid of unwanted effects during menstruation.
Of course, any medication requires lengthy tests and during this time, side effects when using birth control pills have been identified and eliminated. However, most myths about their application have survived to this day. But you need to know that modern birth control pills contain a minimum amount of hormones and provide 100% protection against unwanted pregnancy with virtually no risk to health. In various combinations and dosages, hormones estrogen and progestogen are present. Combined tablets have a threefold effect: they prevent ovulation, make it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus through modulation of secretion and do not allow the fertilized egg to attach to the walls of the uterus.
There are monophasic birth control pills that have the same composition, regardless of the day of the cycle. But three-phase tablets have different hormone levels, taking into account different days of the cycle. This approach makes it possible to apply the least amount of hormones. Such tablets in the package are painted in three different colors for ease of use. If you forgot to take a pill some day, you should take it as soon as you remember. If you remembered about it after intercourse, do not worry, you can take birth control pills after the act, just take the missed pill. But be careful, if you missed more than one day, then the pills can no longer guarantee protection against unwanted pregnancy. It will be necessary to apply additional safety measures.
If you are taking any other medications, especially antibiotics, be sure to consult a doctor, as the effectiveness of your contraceptives may decrease. And one more important warning: doctors do not recommend taking birth control pills to smoking women over the age of 35, since in this case the risk of blood clots sharply increases. There is another type of pill that does not contain estrogen, it is called mini-drank. These pills do not prevent ovulation and therefore are less effective. They have one more drawback: menstrual flow intensifies and there is the possibility of cycle disruption. The action of these funds is based on the use of only one hormone - progestogen.
A new generation of tablets has already been developed in which drospirenone is present. This substance is able to protect against the accumulation of fluid in soft tissues, eliminate many cosmetic skin problems and prevent the appearance of premenstrual syndrome. And now, scientists have come close to developing a new generation of contraception. These will be non-hormonal birth control pills. The effect of this new drug is based on the ability to prevent the sperm from connecting to the egg. Scientists have identified a substance (Catsper) that regulates the reaction of sperm to the "calls" of the egg and it is this substance that new pills can act on. Many women care about the question: will there be birth control pills for men? Research on this topic has been ongoing for many years, but there is no success in this direction yet. In order to reduce sperm activity, it is necessary to reduce the level of testosterone in the blood, and this immediately affects the decrease in male libido.