The modern society gives women, and couples, the chance to plan when they will have a baby and how many babies to have. In a world where more and more women become emancipated and want to have a secure financial situation and a career, a better raise and education of their children, birth control methods are much spread. It is no longer a matter of chance when you become pregnant because with birth control methods you will have the privilege to choose that moment yourself, whenever you feel ready. So what is the best birth control method? Are birth control pills safe? These might be some of the questions you might ask when it comes to planning your pregnancy. So let’s talk a bit about this matter and birth pills as well.
The safest birth control method
The topic of birth control methods can be discussed every day for each of you out there. The best method of birth control depends very much on the person and what you are ready to do. If we are talking about it in terms of efficiency, hormonal methods, like birth control pills or shots, are the most efficient. They have an efficiency around 99.1%, so it is pretty safe against unwanted pregnancies. Although, there are some women that experience some side-effects. It is because these pills contain hormones that change the current status of your hormones, in order to prevent ovulation and a pregnancy at the same time. So they are very efficient, but it depends on whether you are sensitive or not to hormonal changes. Gain in weight, headaches, loss of sexual appetite or even bad moods are on the list. Probably seeing a doctor and making some tests will help you decide which birth control pills are best for you because there is quite some diversity in the market.
Other birth control methods
Another efficient birth control method is the condom. It is great if you have several partners in a rather short period, because it saves you from any unwanted STDs (or sexually transmitted diseases), besides doing its job in preventing you from becoming pregnant. But when you have a steady relationship, or you are already married, the condoms are not so fun to use because they do not adequately allow the human touch. They too have a high score of efficiency, about 96-97%. The rest of the percentage is saved for the times the condom breaks and fails to do its job anymore.
There are other options available as well, like diaphragms, IUDs, or spermicides, but they are less efficient and rather uncomfortable. Just think about the IUD, since it is a copper implant in your body. You will have to be periodically checked by a doctor to see if there isn’t the risk of any infections. Not to mention that the body can develop an allergic reaction to the material of the IUD due to its long stay inside the body. Diaphragms are rather uncomfortable to use since you have to place them inside right before the sexual intercourse. And spermicides have only about 60% efficiency, so this isn’t a method to use as the only birth control method.
The natural birth control method
If you want an efficient birth control method, but you’re not very happy about taking hormones, you have the option of naturally planning your pregnancy or avoiding it. Some say this method can be around 99% efficient if you are strict and careful in the planning. An important factor in this method is the body temperature, which may indicate whether you are ovulating or not. It must be taken right after you wake up, with no exceptions. Some say the method is great, some say it’s ancient and some are afraid to use it because they are not convinced it will work out. Anyhow, you still need to make some substantial researches if you want to try this option out. It is all about anatomy.
Differences between birth control pills
So, you have decided that the birth control pill is the most plausible birth control method in your case. That’s great, but it’s not like you can walk into a pharmacy and ask for a box of birth control pills. First of all, you should know that birth control pills can be split into two categories. There are the combined pills, containing estrogen and progestin hormones, and the mini-pill, which contains only one hormone.
There is also a difference between these pills regarding how they work. Combined pills are much more efficient, because they suppress the ovulation and thickens the mucus in the cervix and thins the lining of the uterus, in order to create obstacles in the sperm’s way to the egg. Mini-pills have the effect of thickening the mucus and thinning the lining of the uterus, but seldom have they prevented ovulation. It is because they only contain one hormone, instead of two as in the case of the combined pill. So they may be efficient, but you still need a doctor’s advice in order to make sure you are making the right choice.
Health benefits or health problems
Because it is still a drug, and it contains hormones, the birth control pill has two faces. It can do you good, but it can do you bad as well. What are the best benefits? Well, besides the obvious avoidance of pregnancy, birth control pills can help you avoid cancers of the ovaries and reproductive system. It can help you solve acne problems. Don’t worry, we will talk about this matter in more details in the following. If you have severe cramps during the cycle, caused by dysmenorrhea, the pills will calm them down. You will barely feel any pains and all this without the need of taking additional pain killers. It helps poly-cystic ovaries to remain cysts free, and it is often used as a treatment for making the decision of surgically removing an ovarian cyst. Any massive bleedings will be stopped. The periods will be shorter, lighter, and incredibly easy to predict.
But, as stated before, these are drugs and they do have a negative side as well. Probably the worse negative aspect of birth control pills is that they do not offer protection against sexually transmitted diseases, like HIV. So if you don’t have a trusty relationship with a partner you know safe, then it is risky to take these pills and have passenger relationships.
They are known to increase the risks associated with heart attacks and strokes. So if you know, you have these problems within your family, these risks for you to develop them as well is rather high if you do not take the proper measurements. Blood clots are another risk that can be developed by birth control pills. But this issue is given only by certain types of progestin hormone in the pill, so check this information with your doctor. Other unpleasant side-effects can be irregular and seldom bleedings, headaches, bloating, nausea, breast tenderness, weight gaining, even depression.
Also, it is worth to note that there are a lot of interactions with other drug treatments. Some might enhance the effect of birth control pills, and some might cancel it. Antibiotics, for instance, diminish in a great deal the pregnancy prevention effect of the medicine. So if you are on an antibiotic treatment, it is highly advisable to use an alternative birth control method, until the treatment is over, to avoid any unwanted pregnancies. Also, always tell your doctor that you are on birth control pill treatment. So that he can prescribe something suitable for you. As well, you can find any needed information about interactions, adverse reactions and advices on the pill’s package description.
Safest birth control pill
The safest birth control pill, from the point of view of protecting you from unwanted pregnancies is the combined pill. Why? Because it sort of mimics the same hormonal levels of your body when it is pregnant. And you can’t get pregnant if your body believes you are pregnant already, right? The monthly bleedings will still be triggered, but no ovules will be produces by your ovaries. So there isn’t any chance of becoming pregnant. Also, each pill has a certain amount of hormones, not too much or too less, to still be protected and without unbalancing your body. Still, you should read the precautions and get checked by a gynecologist, because he will prescribe the best type of combined pills for you.
Safest birth control pills for acne treatment
We all tend to associate acne with the teenage years, which is partially true due to the massive changes in the hormonal balance. But adult women and men can also suffer from acne in their adult years as well. In the case of adult women, hormones cause acne problems as well. Mainly, the androgens, which are male hormones, including testosterone, make your skin produce more sebum. The effect will lead to clogged pores and infected areas that cause acne, in the case these androgens are secreted in a higher quantity than normal. It is normal for a woman to produce male hormones as well, so don’t worry about being weird. But problems appear when there is an imbalance between the male hormones and female hormones in the same body.
It is the reason some birth control pills can adjust the situation. Because they contain exclusively female hormones, they will rebalance the situation between the previously mentioned hormones, making female hormones more predominant. The result will be to diminish of acne spots and marks. Although, you must be careful that only some of the available birth pills are used and approved for acne treatment. It appears that the pills which contain combined hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, are more efficient than the ones that contain only one hormone. In fact, if they contain only progesterone it will make the acne worse.
But in order to start treating acne with birth control pills you need to be at least 14 or 15 years old, your menstruation must have already begun, and you need a form of contraception. If you’re looking for a birth control method and an acne treatment, tell these aspects to your specialist doctor. He will help you find the best solution to manage both issues.
Other facts about birth control pills
Other things that may be useful to know about birth control pills is the fact that they must be taken on an everyday basis, approximately at the same hour, with no exceptions. If you miss one pill, they might not be as efficient as they stated to be. So if this is something new to you, make sure to set a reminder, in the evening or the morning, at the hour you think it’s appropriate to take them. Also, if you want to stop the treatment, you must be aware that you cannot stop in the middle of it. They are not like any other pill that can be stopped whenever you wish. Because they contain hormones, it is highly advisable to finish an entire month’s treatment before you quite. If you don’t do this, you might severely unbalance the hormonal system within your body.
In the case of long-term treatments with birth control pills, doctors might recommend making a break, for two or three months, in order to allow your body to refresh itself and resume the natural processes. These breaks can be recommended to be made every year or every two years, so you best ask your doctor about how often to take a break. Also, if you suffer from dysmenorrhea and know to experience severe abdominal pain and sickness because of your menstruation, you should be prepared during these breaks for the symptoms to return. The birth control pills ameliorate these unwanted issues, but the effect goes away when you will stop taking the pills, even if for just a few months.
The birth control pill can be very efficient when it comes to preventing a pregnancy and solve other health related issues, like bad dysmenorrhea or acne, and can work as a prevention for other types of severe illnesses. But they also have negative aspects that need to be taken into consideration when thinking about starting such treatment. Anyone should study the pros and cons of the treatment to see if this is something suitable for the current state of health and body. The best choice though, is always taken together with a doctor, after a set of tests, and in conformity with your needs.