Birth control pills: myths and realities

Although  so many women take the "pill", as it is commonly called birth control pills, we still having doubts about how they work, how effective they are, and how to use them correctly. With so much information circulating about the pill, it is normal to have a big confusion.

Myth: All birth control pills are equal:

Reality: No. Birth control pills for 28 day cycles are most common, with 21 days of active pills and 7 days of rest or inactive pills are called "placebo". But there are others such as the extended cycle for 91 days (84 days of active pills and 7 days of placebo) as Seasonale and Seasonique, and the other which last an entire year as Lybrel. And the “mini-pills” which do not contain estrogen as the others, but only progesterone. Also, each brand of birth control pills has a different composition, which means, different doses of each hormone. And just like a composition can work for you, some women need other combination pills or doses higher or lower. Ask your gynecologist about birth control pills which are most suitable for you.

Myth: All women can or should take birth control pills:

Reality: No. Although a large majority of women can take them from beginning their sexual life until menopause, are not recommended for women over 35 who smoke, or women who have had blood clots, heart disease or liver disease, breast or cervical cancer.

Myth: They are 100% effective in preventing pregnancy:

Reality: No, but close. When birth control pills are taken correctly, are effective in 99.9%. But you can be at risk of becoming pregnant if you take less than a month taking them, if you forget to take them for two days straight, or if you take any medications that reduce their effects, as with the antibiotic rifampin used as one of the treatment of tuberculosis.

Myth: When we stop taking the pills in the bye week, ovulation occurs:

Reality:  Not immediately. Birth control pills help prevent pregnancy by hormones: estrogen and progesterone. These imitate the menstrual cycle making that our body naturally produces hormones that make us ovulate or menstruate. So is not true that when we stop taking them during the 7 days between a package and another, we ovulate and menstruate immediately. What we have is vaginal bleeding in response to the lack of hormones. But actually your body needs about two weeks to re-produce the hormones and return to ovulate naturally.

Myth: If I forget to take it for a few days, I can take them back easily.

Reality: It depends. If you forget to take the pill for a day or two, you can continue taking two pills a day to catch up. But if you forget to take it for more than two days, it is best you start a new package. There is no problem will only alter your cycle, but will not affect your health. However, if you decide to have sex right in those days, you should protect yourself with some other method for a couple of days because your body probably started to react as if you were not taking hormones.

To find out more, learn about side effects and risks of birth control pills. And of course, feel free to consult your doctor.

>> Source: Vida y Salud