One of the most reliable methods of contraception is deservedly considered taking birth control pills. They really can become a real find with a lot of useful properties for women of different ages. But before resorting to this method of contraception, you should first find out the answers to a number of important questions: when to start using birth control pills, in which cases you need to refuse them and how to do it correctly, as well as what indications and contraindications they have.
The mechanism of action and types
Usually oral contraceptives are available in blisters with 21 or 22 tablets. Some packages contain 24 and 28 pieces. Tablets may have a different color and shape.
Hormonal drugs, as a rule, contain the female hormone estrogen, which controls the process of egg maturation, and progestin, an artificially created progesterone that takes part in the menstrual cycle. Such tablets are called combined.
Features
There is another type of contraceptive - monophasic drugs, which include only progestin. They are also called mini-drank, most often they are recommended to nursing mothers to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Despite its lower efficacy compared with combination drugs, this is the only allowed option for oral contraception during lactation, since estrogen can disrupt the natural mechanism of breastfeeding.
When do they take birth control pills? It is really convenient to use this method of contraception for women, whose intimate life can be called regular, and those who have a regular partner. After all, tablets are not able to protect against sexually transmitted diseases and are completely unsuitable for spontaneous sex.
Indications for use
Why drink birth control pills? It would seem that the answer is obvious - to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, of course, but not so simple. Few people know that birth control pills, in addition to their main function, perform another - they treat various female pathologies. That is why the reception of these medicines is often recommended even to those girls who do not enter into intimate relationships at all.
As for the indications for use, they are almost limitless. Why drink birth control pills? In fact, gynecologists prescribe such drugs to treat a variety of diseases: hormonal disruptions, dysmenorrhea, acne, hirsutism, polycystic ovaries, menopausal symptoms and other serious pathologies.
When do they take birth control pills? They are prescribed to women of any age. Today in pharmacies you can find a huge number of oral contraceptives, which makes them as safe and effective as possible. Although in spite of this, there are some contraindications to such drugs.
How to start
The first thing to do before starting a course is to make sure you are not pregnant. When to start taking birth control pills? Gynecologists consider the presence of menstruation to be the main sign that permits oral contraceptives. That is why it is necessary to start the course on the first day of menstruation, taking the drug, for example, before bedtime.
If for some reason it was not possible to take the drug on the first day, you can do otherwise and start the scheme from another day. But be that as it may, the starting week should be the first week of the cycle. By the way, in this case, a woman should at least a week additionally use barrier contraception.
When can I start using birth control pills? If necessary, you can start taking the drug on any day of the cycle, but at the same time, the woman must be absolutely sure that there is no pregnancy. For this, it is necessary to donate blood for analysis.
In this case, it is very important to observe other instructions described in the instructions for the drug.
How to drink birth control pills
Usually the rules for taking oral contraceptives look about the same and do not differ much.
So, when do you need to drink birth control pills? The drug should be taken one at a time and most importantly - at the same time. As a rule, even the days of the week are indicated on the package, which helps a woman not to miss them.
After the blister comes to an end, the body needs to be given a rest. How many birth control pills are taken? Usually rest should last a week. During this time, the woman should begin menstruation. However, she remains protected from unplanned pregnancy.
Exactly a week later, a new package of the drug should be started, even if the menstruation has still not stopped. It is necessary to take tablets according to the same scheme as before.
What to do when skipping a day
This is one of the most frequently asked questions among women taking oral contraceptives. When do they take birth control pills after a missed day?
- Take the next dose as soon as you think about it. Even if according to the schedule that day you need to drink two tablets.
- Continue the course as usual.
In this case, you will be completely protected from unwanted pregnancy. You do not have to use emergency contraception, even if you had sex on a missed day.
If it comes to skipping a few days, you need to drink another pill and continue the course. However, you should use condoms during the next week. In addition, if you had unprotected sex on the days you missed the drug, you should resort to emergency contraception.
How to stop taking birth control pills
For safe termination of the regimen when using oral contraceptives, the terminated cycle rule should be followed. In other words, if you decide to stop drinking pills, you need to finish the packaging you started until the very end and just not start a new one.
What awaits you if you stop taking the drug on any day of the cycle? The hormonal background will be violated, and its normalization will take much longer than at the end of the regimen for using the contraceptive.
It is especially important to observe this rule for those who plan to conceive a child in the near future. Only following these instructions can you be sure that the endometrium of the uterus is already ready for attachment of a fertilized egg. This is an important condition for the normal course of pregnancy and the prevention of all sorts of complications.
Another advantage of the correct termination of the use of oral contraceptives lies in the fact that natural menstruation can be expected already in a cycle after refusing the drug.
But an emergency interruption of the course in its middle negatively affects the state of the whole organism. After all, the reproductive and endocrine systems in this case are simply forced to adapt to a different rhythm. Against the background of such a withdrawal of the drug, a woman may experience unwanted symptoms: nausea, migraines, pronounced premenstrual syndrome.
Contraindications
No matter how convenient this method of contraception is, it has several limitations for use. Moreover, the reason to refuse to use a hormonal drug may appear not only at the beginning of the course, but even after several years of successful administration.
So, the following contraindications are considered the main contraindications:
- diabetes;
- epilepsy;
- breast cancer
- pancreatitis
- smoking;
- tumors in the reproductive organs;
- otosclerosis;
- thrombosis;
- angiopathy;
- cirrhosis and hepatitis.
When to refuse
Over the years, the health status of any woman gradually changes, and some diseases and even symptoms can cause the abolition of oral contraceptives.
When they take birth control pills, women should very carefully monitor their well-being and pay attention to even the slightest changes. There are several signs, if any, should be examined and, possibly, abandon the drug:
- increased pressure - hypertension;
- persistent vomiting, nausea, diarrhea;
- manifestations of an allergy to the skin - peeling, redness, rash, itching;
- dizziness turning into fainting;
- thyroid malformations;
- visual impairment;
- sharp weight gain;
- voice changes;
- pregnancy onset;
- scheduled operation;
- urolithiasis disease.
Benefits of Oral Contraceptives
When do they take birth control pills? Today, gynecologists often prescribe such drugs to their patients to get rid of various diseases of the endocrine system and reproductive organs. This is due to their high efficiency and a wide spectrum of action.
Compared with other contraceptives, birth control pills have many advantages:
- they reliably protect against unwanted pregnancy, in almost 99% of cases of use;
- quite accessible and suitable for ladies of any age;
- stabilize the hormonal background;
- correct the menstrual cycle;
- reduce the severity of premenstrual syndrome;
- eliminate unpleasant manifestations of menstruation;
- able to stop the symptoms of mastopathy;
- increase the chances of conception after discontinuation of the drug.
Disadvantages of Oral Contraceptives
Before deciding whether to take birth control pills, you should familiarize yourself not only with their advantages, but also with their shortcomings. These include, first of all, a large number of side effects: migraines, increased blood pressure, swelling and tenderness of the chest, bloating. In addition, oral contraceptives have other disadvantages:
- they need to be taken on a specific schedule every day;
- concomitant use of antibiotics can reduce the effect of contraceptives;
- likely spotting in the middle of the cycle;
- these drugs often increase appetite, which leads to weight gain;
- some varieties provoke excessive hair loss;
- after refusing pills, some women break the familiar cycle.
As you already understood, it is impossible to take contraceptives without the appointment of a gynecologist.
The most common types
- Yarina is one of the most popular oral contraceptives. The drug quickly stabilizes the cycle, does not contribute to weight gain and reliably copes with its main function. However, prolonged use of tablets can lead to permanent migraines.
- "Jess" is a combined agent that has an antiandrogenic effect. This drug has a good contraceptive effect, treats acne and relieves PMS. Side effects of the tablets: abnormal bleeding, vomiting, nausea, frequent headaches. This medication should not be used during lactation.
- "Regulon" is a tool used to achieve various effects, among which are protection from unwanted conception, stabilization of the cycle, resorption of cysts in the ovaries, elimination of dysmenorrhea, relief of uterine bleeding dysfunction, treatment of uterine fibroids, pain relief during menstruation. Due to the wide scope of its application, Regulon is considered an excellent medicine that helps women fight various diseases.
- "Lindinet" - pills that prevent conception and stabilize the menstrual cycle. In addition, this drug prevents the development of an ectopic pregnancy, excellently treats acne and reduces the likelihood of tumors in the chest. Contraindications for the use of this tool are: pancreatitis, smoking, thrombosis, hepatitis, cancer, otosclerosis.
It is recommended to use the product only after consulting a specialist.