The Pros And Cons Of Birth Control

Although selling birth control over the counter has major and long-term benefits, it can also be harmful. Without the need for a prescription, women lose the ability to properly learn how the usage of birth control can affect their body. There are many women that have little to no knowledge when it comes to the side effects of taking birth control and that the side effects vary with every body. For instance, taking birth control can increase the chances of developing blood clots by three to four times. With that being said, there are side effects to just about every

Although it is less effective, many women enjoy having significantly fewer side effects. “They're safer for smokers, diabetics, and heart disease patients, as well as those at risk for blood clots” (12 Types of Birth Control.) The only downside about this type of birth control is that you have to remember to take it the everyday at the same time or else they are rendered useless.

Birth control pills can have some slight side effects like weight gain, nausea, and headaches. Planned Parenthood reports, “Chances are the pill will be totally safe for you — most people can take it with no problems. It’s been

Not many of us know this, but birth control can be very risky when you don’t know much about your body. What most of us do know are the general benefits which include acne reduction, period regulation, and easing menstrual cramps. A review on U.S. News & World Report on August 7, 2006, featuring Christine Larson, 31 trials and 12,579 women, looked at the the effect of birth control and facial acne and found that some oral contraceptives were effective in reducing acne. It was also was established that 750,000-800,000 teenage women in the U.S. experience pregnancy and that over 200,000 are

As a result, the cervical mucus makes it challenging for sperm to enter the uterus. Estrogen and progesterone are distributed in excess amounts and deceive the body into thinking it is pregnant. These contraceptives also cause the uterus lining to thin, in effect; a fertilized egg is less likely to attach itself to the uterus. (Oral Contraceptives and Cancer Risks) Birth control pills are chemicals and hormones that women are ingesting religiously on a daily basis. It is of the utmost importance to examine the effects of birth control pills in women’s body.

Prescription birth control pills are the most popular form of contraceptive in the United States. The pill is a medication that women can take daily to prevent pregnancy. They are made up of hormones; some are made up of two hormones, estrogen and progestin, while others only contain progestin. The hormones prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs, and make the woman’s cervical mucus thicker, making it more difficult for the sperm to reach the eggs. According to Planned Parenthood, less than 1 in 100 women will get pregnant in each year if they always take the pill each day as directed, and approximately 9 out of 100 women will get pregnant each year if they don’t always take the pill as directed. Some additional benefits of taking birth control are reduced menstrual cramps, lighter periods, protection against pelvic inflammatory disease, reduced acne, and protection against bone thinning, heavy and/or irregular cramps, serious infections in the ovaries, tubes, and uterus, and more. A few common side effects are

With that being said, for women who have a medical history of being allergic to the active ingredients contained in the pill, intake of the pill should be avoided. Some of the other side effects may include the following:

Over the years, access to birth control has remained quite regulated. These harsh regulations make the process for teens, who are using the pill for their own health, uncomfortable and socially awkward. Many teens use the pill to regulate natural female occurrences and are looked down upon due to the social stigma behind the pill. Although some say that allowing teens more access to birth control can teach them that certain behaviors are okay, easier access to the pill would allow young women to take more control of their lives and have the ability to function the entire month without complications.

According to Professor Janet E. Smith, “98% of all women ages 15-44 have used some type of birth control.” Birth control is not something most women think hard about taking. In today’s society, many people rather take the easy way out of most situations. Instead of dealing with short term pain they rather seize it immediately without paying attention to the long-term effects. Birth Control is used for many different reasons such as preventing pregnancy, clearing acne and stopping heavy blood flow. Once women see what good it does for them they do not even pay attention to the bad, which is where those long-term effects come in. Some harmful side effects of birth control are weight gain, heavy bleeding, and Osteoporosis. Just like any other medication it can be helpful and harmful but in this case birth control is more harmful to a woman’s body than it is helpful.

Ever thought birth control pills are highly recommended and no one really tells women about the effects. The dangerous effects of birth control can be critical. Women have not been informed, well enough of contraceptives, especially when looking back on birth control with women's health and choices.

According to some researchers, birth control pills should not be used by women who have a history of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, undiagnosed vaginal bleeding, liver tumors or disease, increased clotting or stroke risk, or if pregnant. Smoking increases the risk of serious heart side effects when using a combined estrogen and progestin birth control, including the ring or the patch. Combination estrogen and progestin birth control should not be used in women over 35 years of age who smoke due to an increased risk of rare but serious side effects, such as heart attack, blood clots, and stroke. Women of any age should avoid combination hormonal birth control if they have a history of uncontrolled high blood pressure, chest pain, diabetes,

Kassi, I completely agree with your entire post. I also stated how there are a variety of methods for birth control. It is important to talk about each method because we need to find out which method is right for our patient. When talking with a patient, be sure to use simple words, so they can understand exactly what we are telling them. Lastly, we should tell the patient that birth control can help with any irregular periods and even acne.

One of the most common misconceptions circling society for years is how the use of contraceptives (birth control) can affect women’s fertility. Birth control is a mixture of hormones that thicken the cervical mucus to prevent the ovaries from ovulating eggs, as well as changing the lining of the uterus to make reproduction difficult. For this reason, women use multiple contraceptive methods to help with hormonal issues, menstrual problems, ovarian disorders, but the most common use is for the prevention of pregnancy. So how does a medication that prevents one from getting pregnant not affect fertility, especially for those who utilize it for years? Ever since the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved contraceptives in 1960, it has become one of the most thoroughly tested medications. “With a few notable exceptions, immediately after you stop using birth control, your fertility will go right back to what it was destined to be,” says Dr. Paul Blumenthal, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins University Medical School. By this he means that problems conceiving may be attributed to age, disorders, and other factors that can lead to infertility, but the contraceptive itself does not affect it once you stop utilizing it. In fact, studies show that birth control improves fertility by helping cure ovarian disorders that lead to infertility, as well as an infertility treatment to patients that cannot conceive. Contrary to

Going along with health benefits, their are many side effects to using a form of birth control. The commonly known side effects include headache, dizziness, weight gain, mood swings, breast tenderness, nausea, etc. Their are also side effects

Many women complain about birth control because they don’t want to get fat. That to me sounds ridiculous because either you gain a little weight by taking birth control or you gain a lot when you actually become pregnant. So if you don’t want to put your life on hold then I suggest you think of methods to avoid becoming pregnant. I’m not saying it’s bad to be pregnant but it all comes at its own time and you don’t want to be surprised one day and find out you’re going to be a young or single parent. Birth control has its benefits and you should explore your options before it’s too late.