Thursday, April 3, 2008

THE PILL: PROS AND CONS

To help you decide whether oral contraception is for you, here's a brief overview of its pluses and minuses:
Advantages:

Highly effective
Does not interrupt sex
Safe for most women
Protects against ovarian and endometrial cancer
Decreases menstrual cramps and pain
Reduces menstrual blood flow, thereby reducing anemia
Is easily reversible
Is easy to use and discontinue
Has been well researched
Disadvantages:

Offers no protection from sexually transmitted diseases
Can be expensive
Produces rare but dangerous complications
May cause mood changes
May give rise to nuisance side effects such as headaches, weight gain, and breakthrough bleeding
Must be taken every day
Taking OCs for many years poses no increased risk of infertility, as was believed by 45 percent of the respondents. Experts say women don't need to take a break from the Pill, even after using it for long periods of time.

Forty­three percent of those interviewed said that women over age 35 shouldn't take OCs. However, the truth is that healthy nonsmoking women can use OCs all the way through menopause without any detriment to health.

More importantly, very few women interviewed for this poll knew that the Pill can actually protect women from certain health problems, including some types of cancer. Although it is clearly stated on the Pill package insert, less than 20 percent of women polled knew that the Pill helps reduce the incidence of ovarian and endometrial cancer, ovarian cysts, and benign cysts of the breast.

The Pill is not right for all women because, despite its beneficial effects, it is also associated with some risks. Doctors usually advise women likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes, or blood clots—especially those who smoke—to choose some other type of contraception. Several other conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, or sickle cell disease, also make Pill­taking risky.

The following information should help you improve your “Pill I.Q.”

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