Harm of birth control pills. Contraception - how to be?

Harm to the pill - is it there? What methods of contraception exist? Why can the harm of birth control pills be more harmful than other methods of contraception? Why are birth control pills the most reliable and most dangerous method of contraception? Which contraceptive method is the most unreliable?

Harm of birth control pills. What methods are available?

Which method of contraception is best: calendar method (counting days before ovulation), combined oral contraceptives (oral contraceptive pills), spermicides (suppositories, creams), barrier methods (condom, uterine cap), intrauterine contraception (intrauterine device)? What is more convenient and less harmful? This question worries almost every woman. However, 100% of reliable and universal means are not available now. You have to choose, weighing all the pros and cons well, because with improper selection and use, the harm of both mechanical means and the harm of birth control pills can be very palpable.

Victoria (23 years) uses the "calendar" method (counting days before ovulation) for two years. As she assures, he has not let her down yet. "I know that the guarantee of this method is quite low," the girl agrees. "However, I do not want to take hormonal medications, because the harm of birth control pills can be too great, and my boy refuses to use the condom." "In general, using the calendar method is rather risky," the gynecologist explains to us. "After all, its reliability is generally scanty - only 30%."

As the doctor told us, the time factor plays a role. So-called "local" contraception - spermicides (candles, creams) and vaginal contraceptive pills (for example, Erotex suppositories, suppositories and Pharmatex tablets) - are as simple as possible in application. However, their effectiveness is not high. A weighty "minus" of such drugs is a factor of time. They should be injected into the vagina for 10-15 minutes before intimacy. With "local" contraception in general, one must be very careful: "chemical" contraceptives are sensitive to detergents. The best guarantee is provided by "barrier" methods of protection: the uterine cap and the condom. They are good because the harm of birth control pills in comparison with them is much greater.

Of all the methods of contraception, the condom is the most "democratic" in price. It protects against dangerous sexually transmitted infections, in particular syphilis, gonorrhea, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, this method has one significant "minus" - it can break at the height of a love game.

Harm of birth control pills. Maybe a spiral is better?

As for the intrauterine device (IUD), compared with the condom, its guarantee is much higher - up to 80%. The spiral, as a rule, is injected into the uterus for no longer than three years. Subsequently, the helix must be replaced. Otherwise - do not do without problems. "Overexposed" spiral can lead to complications: pain and bleeding during sexual intercourse, increased amount of discharge during menstruation. Therefore, despite the fact that the harm of the contraceptive tablets is much larger compared to the spiral, from the point of view of the effect of chemistry on the body, the spiral, if not properly applied, can also cause significant harm.

After the birth of the second child, the doctor installed Helen (29 years old) a spiral. No harm or discomfort such a method of protection for a woman does not yet cause. "Last year, when I had a delay in menstruation, I assumed that I was pregnant," says Elena, "but the reason was different: an unregulated schedule and" work-at-work "at work, constant fatigue and lack of sleep, which led to malfunctions of the menstrual cycle." "The helix was not taken out by Elena until the birth." The spiral is, so to say, a foreign body in the uterus, "says the gynecologist." The spiral opens the cervix, and some infection can get there and cause serious harm. "The chronic inflammatory process is often extends to the fallopian tubes, can subsequently cause even infertility. "

Another danger for a woman is an ectopic pregnancy. "From the pregnancy, the spiral also does not always protect," explains the doctor. "So, incidentally, two of my patients became pregnant: one gave birth to a boy, the other to twin girls." One of these patients wore an intrauterine device for two years. "The woman raised a five-year-old son and she did not plan to become pregnant again at that time. "When she began delaying her periods, she did a pregnancy test, and her result was positive." Ultrasound diagnosis confirmed the woman's suspicion that she was in the tenth week pregnant We did not remove the spiral before delivery, in general, in order not to disrupt pregnancy, it is not possible to remove the spiral in the early stages, in some women the spiral is removed during late pregnancy, and sometimes it is expected immediately before delivery. "Everything is very individual here - depending on what the ultrasound will show."

Why the "failed" spiral, it is difficult to determine. Perhaps, the term of its use has expired or the woman has lifted "outrageous" cargoes. "If a woman has a deformity or ruptures of the cervix, the spiral can fall into the cervix and then" stop. "She does not have her own action," explains the gynecologist. "The intrauterine device as a contraceptive method does not suit everyone, and especially those women who have not yet given birth, as well as inflammatory processes, tumors of the ovaries and uterus, erosions and deep ruptures of the cervix. "

There are also combined spirals with a hormonal drug inside. This is a kind of "two in one": they help prevent unwanted pregnancies and normalize the menstrual cycle. First, you need to consult a doctor.

What exactly is the harm of contraceptive pills?

The most reliable method of contraception, but at the same time the most risky with respect to the entire hormonal system is the intake of oral contraceptives, simply oral contraceptive pills. They give almost 100% guarantee, but it is necessary to approach them with extreme caution, otherwise the harm of the contraceptive tablets can be very strong. There is even a myth that taking birth control pills leads to fatness. In fact, everything depends on the individual susceptibility of the organism.

The main thing in oral contraception is the correct selection and dosage of the contraceptive, as well as a strict adherence to the regimen. Contraceptive pills should, as they say, "fit" the body of a woman and not cause side effects. Otherwise, the harm of birth control pills can have far-reaching consequences. Therefore, before taking birth control pills, you should always consult with your doctor. "One of my patients incorrectly dosed the tablets and arbitrarily drank instead of one two a day," recalls a case from a gynecologist. "This caused abundant uterine bleeding."

"In fact, contraceptive pills are not suitable for everyone, and there are more contraindications than spirals.For example, if a woman underwent surgery on the kidney or liver, has diabetes, has problems with the liver, heart, blood vessels - use this method It's not worth it, the doctor continues, the alternative to the pill is injections, which allow you to protect yourself from pregnancy mostly for six months. "The ampoule with a hormonal drug is injected with a syringe under the skin," the doctor explains. ring hormone content. It is introduced into the vagina once a month (24-26 days).

There is another type of oral contraception - "emergency". This is when the drug does not take place before sexual intercourse, but immediately after it. "Emergency" contraception can be used only in emergency cases, and no more than twice a year. Otherwise, you can very badly "burn yourself". The harm of birth control pills in the "emergency" case can be incredibly strong. Such contraception can lead to extremely serious violations in the work of the liver, a violation of the menstrual cycle from stopping menstruation to severe bleeding, as well as severe malfunctions in the hormonal regulation system. "It is better to entrust the method of emergency contraception to the gynecologist," the doctor advises, "because this procedure is very dangerous and has a huge number of contraindications, in particular, this method is not recommended for those women who have metabolic disorders, endocrine diseases and gynecological problems" .

"Usually, the immediate progestin" Postinor "is used for immediate protection," says the gynecologist. "One tablet of Postinor should be taken as soon as possible after sexual intercourse and 12 hours later, the second." The sooner the woman takes the contraceptive pill, the less likely a pregnancy is "Emergency" hormonal contraceptive pills are used for emergency protection, which many women drink daily, but their dose then becomes much larger. "She is assigned only by a doctor." Emergency " "It can be used at most twice a year," says the gynecologist, "It's an incredibly powerful hormonal shock for the body." In addition, a woman may have spotting, abdominal pain and many other serious disorders. "

Reliability of contraceptive methods

• Oral birth control pills - 99%
• Intrauterine device - 80%
• Condom - 60%
• Spermicides - 50%
• Interrupted sexual intercourse - 35%
• The calendar method is 30%