Pill 08
What is a pill?
The Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill (COCP) is also known as the birth-control pill, or simply "the Pill". It consists of a combination of two female hormones: estrogen (oestrogen) and progestin (progestogen). These hormones will stop (if used correctly, this goes without saying!) the female user from ovulating (producing an egg each month)and since no egg will be produced, fertilization by the contact of sperm will not happen, and there will be no risk of pregnancy.
How do you take it?
The pill is taken by mouth in the form of a tablet. A pack of Pills usually contains 21-22 Pills. Some also contain an extra 7 placebo pills, this will be explained further on. (cf. section on When to take the Pill)
Do different sorts of pill exist?
Yes! Three different sorts of pills exist: the Combination Pill, the Progestin-only Pill (POP) and the Emergency Contraceptive Pill (ECP).
Let's begin with the combination pill, which, as it's name indicates, consists of an oral contraceptive containing a combination of two female hormones: estrogen and progestin. The term Birth control pill often refers to this type of pill. The advantages and disadvantages of this type of pill will be spoken of later on.
The second type of pill is the progestin-only pill, or mini-pill. This different sort of pill contains no estrogen. This makes it milder and reduces it's side-effects, but it also makes it less effective. The progestin-only pill is ideal for women who are breastfeeding, because estrogen reduces milk production, and the mini-pill is estrogen-free. This type of pill is also the best choice for women who cannot take estrogen. It is also known that as the years go by, the safest choice for ageing women is to switch to the mini-pill. This is due to the fact that the risk factors increase (ex: thrombosis, we will speak about this situation in the advantages/disadvantages of the Pill) with age, and the regular combination pill can become riskier to take. This pill can also be taken by women smoking, because the cigarette causes a breakdown of estrogen, so it is unuseful to take a combination pill containing estrogen.But smoking is dangerous anyway!
The third type of pill is the emergency contraceptive pill. The important fact to know about this sort of pill is that it is not intended to be used as a regular contraceptive method. They are designed for emergency situations, like the prevention of pregnancy after unprotected sex.
Who should or shouldn't use it?
The pill is for the women who want an excellent protection from pregnancy or who experience painful vaginal bleeding . Unfortunately, not every women can — or should — use the Pill. In some cases, medical or other conditions make the use of the Pill less effective or more risky. For example, it is not recommended for women who have certain types of cancers, or certain types of migraine headaches.
(The type of contraception that women use varies according to their age. Women aged under 30 years were more likely to use the pill or the male condom as a method of contraception. The use of both methods peaked at 55 per cent and 38 per cent respectively among 18 and 19 year olds. In contrast, just under a third of women aged 30 to 34 used the contraceptive pill and just over a fifth the male condom. Reliance on sterilisation as a method of contraception was highest among those aged 30 or over.
)
How does the pill function?
Most birth control pills are "combination pills" containing a combination of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation. When you take the Pill, the artificial hormones contained in it will trick your body into thinking it is already pregnant. Ovulation usually occurs at mid-cycle, but if you are using the Pill as a contraceptive method, nothing will happen. No egg will be released from the ovaries, so no fertilization will be able to occur. No fertilization means no risk of pregnancy. When a woman takes the Pill, her menstrual cycle will not function as it would naturally. The natural menstrual cycle will stop but hormone withdrawl bleeds will still take place. This means that during the week when the woman takes a break from the Pill, the input of artificial hormones will stop, and this resulting in the shedding of the uterine's lining. A shorter and lighter period will then take place. The pill also works by thickening the mucus around the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus and reach any eggs that may have been released. The hormones in the Pill can also sometimes affect the lining of the uterus, making it thinner and beacuse of this, it is more difficult for an egg to attach to the wall of the uterus.
When and how do you have to take it?
When you ask for the Pill, you are given pack of 21 or 22 Pills, and one of them must be taken every day for three weeks. At the end of those three weeks, you take a one-week break and stop taking it. It is during those seven days that your period will happen. This is due to the fact that you have stopped taken the Pill. After those seven days, you can start the whole process again with a different pack.
Some packs of pills exist with 28 pills, 21 regular pills containing the two female hormones, and 7 placebo pills. These placebo pills, sometimes containing iron, are useful if you are afraid of forgetting to start taking the Pill again, after the seven-day break. They permit the woman to take a pill everyday, reducing the chances of forgetting pills and skipping days, which is the main reason why the Pill is sometimes not completly effective.
Where can you get it?
You can find all types of pill in a pharmacy if you have a doctor agreement. It's refund by the insurence and the mini-pill is cheaper than a combination one! If you need to take an emergency pill, you have to be 16 years old, or coming with your parents. You can get a pill without telling to your parents if you go to the familial planing.
Advantages?
The Pill is known to have the following health advantages:
- It reduces considerably (even abolishes) period pains.
- It makes periods shorter and lighter.
- These two advantages result in smaller chance of becoming anaemic.
- The Pill also improves acne.
- The pill also permits women to avoid having their periods at inconvinient times. (this is due to the fact that with the Pill, they can plan when they will have their period.)
Disadvantages?
Along with the advantages, several disadvantages, or side-effects also accompagny the use of the Pill as a contraceptive method. The side-effects that are stated below usually occur during the first few packs of pills, and then disappear. If not, an easy solution to get rid of these side effects is to switch to another brand of pills.
- headaches
- nausea
- breast tenderness
- slight weight gain
- light spotting of blood between the periods.
Serious side effects are more rare, but they can occasionally happen, and knowing about them is already a way of preventing them...here is a list of the more serious side-effects:
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or clotting. This is a rare condition, and when it occurs, it is usually within more mature women. This is due to the fact that the risk factors that can lead to this problem increase with age.
- heart attacks
- strokes
The good news is that these events are very rare. But a woman is more likely to have one of these problems if she has some of the following risk factors:
- being a smoker
- having a past family history of thrombosis, heart attacks, or similar illnesses
- being diabetic
- having high blood pressure
- having a high cholesterol level
Pill and STD's
The pill only prevents women from pregnancy, but it doesn't have any effect against Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
See STDs_08
Pill ethics
link with Contraception_Ethics_08
References
http://www.thewomens.org.au/ThePill http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/contraceptivepills.htm http://www.healthywomen.org/healthtopics/birthcontrolpills http://www.birth-control-comparison.info/thepill.htm http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23068708/ - 47k
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