Gaudium IVF Centre in Delhi

Birth Control Pills - All you need to know

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Birth Control Pills: All you need to know

The common issues related to women’s reproduc-tive health not only pertain to female infertility but also extend to managing measures related to contraception too. The reason is that birth control is as important for maternal health as treatment of the fertility problems faced by women. Amongst various measures used for contraception, birth con-trol pills happen to be most widely used one. Things may sound as simple as taking these pills on daily basis, yet there are lots of things that women need to know and understand about this contraceptive measure.

Birth Control Pills: All you need to know

There are different brands and types of birth control pills available in the market and doctors prescribe the right one according to the individual constitu-tion and requirements of women. The effectiveness of oral pills is as high as 99.9% if taken in the cor-rect manner. The only downside, however, is that these birth control pills do not safeguard a woman against sexually transmitted infections. There are a number of other facts that women should be aware of so that they can get the best advantage of the pill.

Birth Control Pills: How do they work?

Pregnancy takes place when the egg released by a woman’s ovary is fertilized by a sperm and the em-bryo so formed gets implanted in the uterine lining. The entire process, from ovulation to implantation, is governed by hormones. Birth control pills prevent pregnancy by managing these hormones in such a manner that pregnancy does not take place. This is the reason that these pills are also known as hor-monal contraceptives.

Birth Control Pills: How do they work?

Birth control pills are available in 21/28 day packs and have to be taken daily at the same time, to give effective results. Those in the 28 day pack contain 21 active pills while the remaining seven are no-hormone pills, serving only the purpose of regular-ity. These combination pills bring together the key reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone. These hormones work together to curb pregnancy- they inhibit the natural ovulation cycle, cause the thickening of cervical mucus so that the sperm can-not travel though it to reach the egg and or thin the uterine lining to reduce the chances of implantation.

Birth Control Pills: How do they work?

For the women who cannot be given estrogen due to some reason (as those who are breastfeeding or suffer from side effects such as nausea), they are prescribed a low-dose progesterone only pill, which is referred to as “mini pill”. Such a pill acts by altering the consistency of the cervical mucus as well as making the uterine lining thinner. It may be comparatively less effective than the combination pills, though taking it every day at the same time, without miss-ing a dose, increases its efficacy. Another type of combina-tion birth pill is the one which reduces the number of peri-ods for a woman to only four a year; these pills consist of 12 week hormonal contraceptives followed by a 7 day dose of inactive pills (when the woman gets her period).

Effectiveness of birth control pills

When a woman wants to begin with birth control pills as a contraceptive measure, she should consult a doctor. Regularity and timing ensure the effectiveness of the pill, which can be as good as 99%. These pills start working as soon as the first month of taking them, though doctors suggest using an additional form of con-traception in the initial period. If a woman, however, skips a pill in between, it is advisable to take one as soon as she remembers. She can take two pills the next day, in case she is not able to remember the entire day. If she misses two days in a row, she must see a doctor to make sure that pregnancy does not take place.

Effectiveness of birth control pills

Taking the pill along with some other medications such as supplements and antibiotics can influence its efficacy. For this reason, it is important for a woman to let her doctor know when she starts tak-ing any such medication while being on the pill. Similarly, diarrhea and vomiting can also result in failure of the oral contraceptive. Using a backup contraceptive measure is a good idea when a woman is in doubt. On missing her period despite being on birth control pills, she should go for a pregnancy test so that the risk of unwanted preg-nancy is covered. On the other hand, there are some pills which can cause absence of periods. The doctor can guide a woman about them and let her know what to expect.

Side effects of birth control pills

Like any medication, birth control pills do have side effects too, but these tend to affect the woman ini-tially and subside with regular intake. The most common side effects that a woman using these pills can come across are• Nausea• Breast tenderness• Unprecedented weight gain• Spotting between period• Lighter menstrual bleeding• Mood swings

Side effects of birth control pills

If a woman experiences more serious side effects as abdominal pain, severe headaches, blurred vision, swelling of legs and thighs and a lump in the breast, she should see her doctor immediately. These symptoms indicate serious issues as the pills can elevate the risk of heart disease, liver disease, hy-pertension, breast cancer and formation of blood clots on the lungs, arms and legs. Women who are aged over 35 years and those who smoke are con-sidered in the high risk groups as far as oral contra-ception is concerned.

Side effects of birth control pills

On the other hand, there are also some positive in-fluences of the birth control pills. Those combating female infertility can benefit from hormonal contra-ception as it can be used to treat fertility issues such as endometriosis, anemia and PCOD. The pill is also seen effective for treating severe form of acne. Moreover, it can be discontinued anytime a woman wants to and her natural cycle will be back to nor-mal with a short span of time.

Best IVF clinics in Delhi

Gaudium IVF is one of the best IVF clinics in Delhi and is trusted for bringing world class treatment for female infertility and other gy-necological problems. It also guides and edu-cates its patients on effective contraceptive

measures, including birth control pills.

For a free second opinion and expert advice from the leading infertility specialist Dr.

Manika Khanna, contact today.

Gaudium IVF Centre in Delhi

Address:A-41, Chander Nagar,Janakpuri West(Near Janakpuri West Metro Station)New Delhi – 110 058 (India)

Phone:+91-11-69418485, +91-11-43528485+91-11-84854359, +91-8527858585+91-9899953963, +91-9810739199

Email: info@gaudiumivfcentre.comWebsite: http://www.gaudiumivfcentre.com/

Founder and CEO:Dr. Manika KhannaM.B.B.S., M.D., D.A.G.E. (Germany)

Centre Incharge:Dr. Ambika VaidM.B.B.S., M.D. (Gynaecology)

Dr. Deepali KaushikB.A.M.S (Gynaecology)