Many women are wary of hormonal contraceptives because they believe that they can cause & nbsp; irreparable harm to health. Due to such suspicions, most prefer to use more "safe" protection methods. At the same time, it is hormonal contraceptives that are considered the most reliable means of contraception around the world, so they are trusted by millions of women in civilized countries.
Hormonal contraceptives: common misconceptions
Opinion 1: Combined oral contraceptive (COC) use causes facial hair growth
Indeed, in gynecology drugs are used that have an androgenic effect, in which women develop male characteristics. But there is one “but” – they are used only in extreme cases – for the treatment of hormone-dependent oncological diseases, when the patient's life depends on it. Moreover, such drugs have nothing to do with contraceptives.
Some COCs have an antiandrogenic effect and help get rid of excessive body hair, polycystic ovary syndrome and acne.
Opinion 2. After taking hormonal contraceptives, you will not be able to get pregnant
This is an absolutely erroneous opinion. Within a month after stopping the use of COCs, the ability to become pregnant is restored in 75% of women, and the remaining 25% will need 2-3 months for this. In addition, COCs can even be prescribed for the treatment of infertility.
Opinion 3. Taking hormonal contraceptives causes weight gain
Weight gain is due to the ability of the estrogen component of the tablets to affect kidney function. Because of what happens fluid retention in the body (3-4 kg). However, this is only a temporary phenomenon and as soon as the body can adapt to new conditions (5-6 months), the previous weight will be restored.
The estrogen component can provoke an increase in appetite, but here you just need to learn how to control the amount of food you eat.
Opinion 4. There are a huge number of side effects on the instructions for the drug and this is scary
Without exception, all drugs have side effects and this is due to their ability to interact with different structures of the body. It should be borne in mind that a side effect is a fairly rare occurrence, because otherwise the drug simply could not to obtain a license to sell. By the way, the manufacturer must indicate in the instructions for the drug even the side effect that one out of a million users has encountered. Let's take a closer look at the side effects.
Side effects of taking hormonal contraceptives
Combined oral contraceptives increase the content of cholesterol in bile, which increases the likelihood of developing cholecystitis and stone formation in the gallbladder. At the same time, cholestasis when taking hormonal contraceptives occurs with almost the same frequency as during pregnancy, when such a phenomenon occurs due to hormonal changes aimed at bearing the fetus.
Nausea and vomiting may occur during the first cycles of COC use. Often, these reactions gradually decrease as the body gets used to it. If you take the pills before going to bed, they can be significantly reduced.
Some hormonal contraceptives can cause diabetes mellitus. Often this is faced by women with a family history of diabetes, older women and those who are obese.
Taking COCs increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism. At the same time, after the first year of admission, this probability decreases significantly.
Against the background of taking COCs, the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke increases. In this regard, with the appearance of an intense headache that occurs when taking hormonal contraceptives, an urgent examination is required, since this may precede a violation of cerebral circulation. At the same time, such complications – much rarer than during pregnancy or abortion. In particular, women who smoke are susceptible to the development of such diseases, and when smoking more than 10 cigarettes per day, taking COCs is completely contraindicated.
Only a qualified specialist can choose the appropriate type of hormonal contraceptives, based on the characteristics of your body and the diseases present. With the right choice of contraception, the likelihood of side effects is almost minimized, so you should not use COCs without first consulting a doctor.
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