Women's health topic Birth Control Pill

How Does the Pill Work?
The Pill contains estrogen and progesterone hormones similar to those produced naturally by the ovaries. Taking the Pill containing these two hormones on a daily basis suppresses the ovaries’ usual production of estrogen and progesterone, thus preventing an egg from being released. Without the egg, pregnancy cannot occur.

Is the Pill Safe?

The pill is safe for the majority of nonsmoking, healthy young women. In this group, there are fewer health risks associated with the Pill than the health risks of a normal pregnancy. Although

The Pill is safe for most women, it is not appropriate for every woman. Your health care provider will guide you in this decision.

The Pill does not protect you against sexually transmitted infections or HIV. Use latex condoms along with the Pill for protection against infection.

How Do I Start the Pill?
Take the first pill from the pack on the Sunday that follows the first day of your menstrual period whether or not you are still bleeding. If your period starts on Sunday, you take your first pill that very same day. You then take one pill daily for 21 or 28 days in a row as directed. The Pill should be taken at approximately the same time every day. The Pill is more effective when taken at the same time every day and lessens the risk of spotting or bleeding between your periods.

When you first start the Pill, you are not protected against pregnancy until you have taken pills for seven consecutive days. If you are sexually active during those first seven days, you must use condoms for birth control.

Are there any benefits to taking the Pill?

In addition to the Pill being 97% to 99% effective against pregnancy, the Pill does have a number of other health benefits. These include:

Lighter menstrual flow
Less menstrual cramping
Improved menstrual regularity
Decreased risk of anemia
Decreased risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer (up to 50% decreased risk)
Decreased ovarian cysts
Decreased risk of fallopian tube infection (pelvic inflammatory disease)

What are the side effects of taking the Pill?

As with all medications, there are potential side effects to the Pill. However, many women have no side effects at all. It takes your body about three months to adjust to the hormones in the pill. During those first three months, minor side effects can occur. By the end of three cycles, these side effects should have resolved. If they have not, contact your health care provider. A change to a different pill can often eliminate the side effects. If these side effects do occur during the first three months, they are annoying but not harmful. These side effects include:

Spotting or bleeding between periods
Nausea
Breast tenderness
Mood changes, especially depression
Intermittent minor weight changes due to fluid retention at times in your menstrual cycle. Studies show the pill does NOT cause overall weight gain.

Occasionally spotting or bleeding between your periods can be caused by infection or other problems. If you have any concerns about your bleeding or your risks, schedule an appointment to be seen at the Student Health Center.

What Are the Risks of taking the Pill?
As with all medications, there are certain risks are associated with the Pill. Serious problems are rare. Although rare, the most serious risk of the Pill is the formation of blood clots. A woman who takes the pill has about twice the risk of a blood clot as a woman who has not taken the pill but still only half of the risk of a woman with a normal pregnancy. For example, women who have never taken the Pill have a 15 out of 100,000 risk of a blood clot. A woman who takes the Pill has a 30 out of 100,000 risk. A woman with a normal pregnancy has a 60 out of 100,000 risk.

There is a 1 to 5% risk of high blood pressure in women who take the pill. This is more likely if there is a family history of high blood pressure.

Cigarette smoking increases the risk of blood clots and other serious side effects. You should not smoke if you are going to take the Pill.

Notify your health care provider if you experience any of the following:

Severe calf or thigh pain
Severe chest pain or shortness of breath
Headaches (severe)
Eye problems, blurred vision
Abdominal pain (severe and persistent)

Myths and Misperceptions and the Pill

The Pill has significant health risks
The Pill has more health risks than pregnancy
Women should periodically take a break from being on the Pill
The pill causes problems getting pregnancy or problems with future pregnancies
If you want to get pregnant, you must wait for three months after stopping the Pill
The Pill causes cancer.
The Pill has no health benefits

How do I get Started on the Pill?

There are several ways to get started on the Pill through the Student Health Center. These options are:

Make an appointment for an initial exam. An initial exam allows more time to discuss options for birth control and the method you prefer. If you are already on birth control pills, want to continue the same pill and have had previous pelvic exams, you can schedule an annual exam.
Have an original written prescription from your private health care provider for one of the birth control products we carry. We cannot accept phoned-in prescriptions or pharmacy labels. Your health care provider can fax the prescription to us at (608) 785-8746. Ask them to include your birth data on the prescription.
Complete a medical release form for the transfer of your contraceptive prescription records from an outside provider where you have obtained your health care. Come to the Student Health Center with your picture ID to complete a medical records release form.

Written/modified By Dr. Eilers Student Health Center Physician