Nowadays, even schoolchildren know about the necessity and importance of contraception. After all, the same condoms protect not only from an unwanted pregnancy, but also from possible sexually transmitted diseases. But this article is not about them.
Let's talk about such a concept as oral contraceptives: classification, side effects, contraindications and the names of the most famous drugs in this field 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 contraceptive in the form of tablets that contain female hormones.
The tool helps to avoid an unwanted pregnancy by suppressing the ovulation process. Its effectiveness is quite high, despite the fact that taking oral contraceptives does not give a one hundred percent 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 progestogen and combined oral contraceptives, which combine the hormones gestagen and estrogen.
Based on the level of active substance content, the preparations are monophasic and multiphase. In the first case, the number of hormones does not change throughout the entire intake, and in the second it can vary several times per cycle. In this case, multiphase tablets must be taken, strictly observing the order.
In addition, oral hormonal contraceptives may differ from each other in the amount of estrogen in them. As a rule, drugs with a small dosage of this substance are prescribed for young, healthy and nulliparous women. This is due to the fact that in most cases they do not need additional hormonal adjustment. Mature women, especially before menopause, it is preferable to take drugs with an increased amount of estrogen in them. This will help improve overall well-being and overall women's health.
Choice of contraceptives
The question of how to choose an oral contraceptive should be decided exclusively by a gynecologist.
In this case, do 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 issue. During this process, it is important to take into account absolutely all the nuances, starting with a woman’s state of health and ending with her lifestyle. In addition, you should not hide any information from the doctor, be it bad habits, past abortions, malfunctions of the menstrual cycle, and so on. Only in this way will it 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;
- the presence of bleeding from the genitals;
- thrombosis, thromboembolism;
- high blood pressure;
- problems with the vessels of the brain;
- the presence of malignant tumors.
Contraindications
Oral contraception is not a unique contraceptive 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 hormone pills with your doctor.
Relative contraindications include:
- high obesity;
- lactation period;
- epilepsy;
- sickle anemia;
- the presence of diabetes;
- smoking (if a woman is more than 35 years old);
- the presence of diseases of the genital tract (thrush, vaginosis, and so on).
It is strictly forbidden to use hormonal drugs during pregnancy, liver failure, with hemorrhagic stroke, as well as with suspected presence of estrogen-dependent neoplasms (liver adenoma, cancer of the uterus or breast, and so on).
The most popular hormone pills and their use
How many manufacturers produce oral contraceptives? The list can be very long, therefore, as an example, we recall only a few tools that today are most popular among women.
These include the following drugs: Novinet, Yarina, Zhanin, Marvelon, Jes, Diane-35, Logest, Regulon, Chloe, Lindinet-20 , "Klayra", "Median", "Silest".
Instructions are attached to each of the funds, in which the exact dose and frequency of taking the drug are indicated. Most often, you need to use the tablets daily, one at a time. The only exceptions are the days of menstruation, during which hormonal drugs are contraindicated.
Side effects
Taking an oral contraceptive in the form of hormonal tablets, you should be prepared for the possible occurrence of side effects. As practice shows, they are quite common. Therefore, the doctor must prescribe a woman about them during the appointment of the drug. Especially considering the fact that some of them may even pose a threat to life.
The most common side effects are manifested in the form of an increase or loss of weight, the appearance of nausea, vomiting, intermenstrual bleeding. Moreover, 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.
The results of the studies showed that if a woman takes an oral contraceptive, the likelihood of pulmonary embolism (pulmonary embolism) increases by about 3-6 times, depending on the dose of the drug.
Changes in blood pressure were also observed. Most women have a slight increase while taking hormonal drugs. 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 contraception may increase the risk of cervical cancer and dysplasia. Although this issue is still controversial, since during the research, other factors provoking diseases, such as early onset of sexual activity, a large number of partners, smoking, and so on, were not taken into account. But still, while taking hormonal drugs, it is important to conduct an annual cytological examination of a smear from the vagina.
The benefits of hormone pills
All the advantages that oral contraceptive has, it will be more convenient to consider in the form of a list.
- Resolving skin problems. And to be more precise, drugs with estrogen are excellent helpers in the fight against acne. This is due to the fact that hormones reduce the release of sebum.
- Treatment of polycystic ovary. If the disease was detected early, there is a high probability of getting rid of it with the help of hormonal contraceptives alone.
- Favorable effects on the body during menopause. Hormonal drugs have a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular, endocrine and nervous systems.
An effective contraceptive. Actually, this is the main purpose of hormonal oral contraceptives.
Disadvantages of birth control pills
The disadvantages of oral agents are not so many, but still this does not make them less important.
It is worth starting with the fact that hormonal contraceptives do not guarantee 100% protection. Although in this regard, everything can depend on the woman herself, since she assumes great responsibility. It is important to take such drugs with maximum responsibility, since one missed tablet can jeopardize the safety of the entire cycle.
The second important point is the side effects. Even a correctly selected drug can cause unpredictable and negative reactions of the body. As mentioned above, they can manifest in any form, starting with individual intolerance and ending with the development of serious diseases.
Application Reviews
What do women who use birth control pills say? Reviews exist completely different, which once again confirms the fact that this type of contraceptives must be selected purely individually.
There are those who note extremely positive points: improving health and appearance, as well as the complete absence of any negative consequences.
Others complain of weight gain, persistent headaches and nausea during the use of drugs or immediately after their withdrawal. Perhaps the matter is in the wrong tool, or there are other reasons.