Some of the most popular forms of contraception have both advantages and risks to the mother. What do women need to know about birth control pills and how they can affect both a woman's short and long-term health?
Oral Contraception - The Pill
Oral contraceptives, otherwise known as "the pill," are the most popular form of reversible birth control in the United States, Canada and Europe today. Approximately 30% of women in their childbearing years use oral contraception as the preferred method of birth control. Birth control pills are convenient and easy to obtain with a prescription from a health care provider or health care clinic.
Advantages of Oral Contraception
For some women, the convenience of using oral contraception far outweighs any of the risks or side-effects. Some of the most common reasons women may prefer taking birth control pills over other forms of contraception include:
- Low-cost - Birth control pills cost about $15-50 per month and may be covered by insurance.
- Reduction of menstrual discomfort - Oral contraceptives generally make a woman's period lighter and less painful so they are sometimes prescribed to women who have especially difficult or painful menstrual cycles.
- Less acne - Because it affects a woman's production of hormones known as androgens, birth control pills may help to clear up acne.
One of the best long-term health benefits of oral contraception is that it may reduce the risk of ovarian cysts and even ovarian cancer. Birth control pills suppress ovulation, so they can help reduce the formation of functional or "non-cancerous" ovarian cysts. Some studies also show a reduction in the risk of ovarian cancer in women who have used oral contraceptives.
Disadvantages of Oral Contraception
One downside of taking birth control pills is that they are not recommended for women over the age of 35. Birth control pills are also not appropriate for women with certain health conditions such as women who smoke, have migraines, diabetes, hypertension or other health conditions such as heart or liver disease. Some of the other disadvantages or limitations of oral contraceptives include:
- Not effective unless taken every day - If a woman forgets to take birth control pills two or more days in a row, she can become pregnant.
- Increase in risk of blood clots and strokes - Although rare, the use of oral contraception does increase the woman's risk of having blood clots and strokes.
- May increase risk of breast cancer - Research shows that if birth control pills were started prior to the age of 18, they increased the risk of triple negative breast cancers in women ages 45-64.
- May increase risk of cervical cancer - Researchers observe an increase in the woman's risk of cervical cancer when taken for five years or more.
Becoming pregnant while taking birth control pills may also result in pregnancy complications. A Canadian study shows a link between mothers who got pregnant within a few weeks of taking birth control pills and an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.
Like any type of medication, oral contraceptives can have unwanted short-term side effects. Some of the mild and primarily temporary side effects of birth control pills include:
- bleeding between periods
- nausea
- breast tenderness
Are Birth Control Pills for You?
Consumers today know more about the risks of birth control pills than they did years ago. Before using oral contraceptives, be sure to investigate the most current research. In some cases, birth control pills may not be the best method of birth control based on a woman's own health needs. It is always a good idea to talk to a health care provider to see what method of birth control is best for you.
References:
Planned Parenthood
Guttmacher Institute
National Cancer Institute
Ma, H., "Use of four biomarkers to evaluate the risk of breast cancer subtypes in the women's contraceptive and reproductive study," Cancer Research Jan 2010.
Brenda Lane - Brenda Lane is a published author, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA certified birth doula and approved birth doula trainer.
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