Birth Control Pills: Advantages And Disadvantages Explained

One of your friends tells you to be ‘on the pill’ while the other says it’s a complete no-no. Your mother has to say something about it and your doctor too. Birth control pills are the least invasive and easiest way of contraception available. Many women across the globe continue to use it on a regular basis until they want to conceive. Yet contraceptive pills have earned a bad reputation due to the fact that they have certain side effects too. Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of birth control pills to evaluate their usage.

Advantages Of The Birth Control Pills

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• If taken on a timely basis, they are a pretty safe method of birth control
• They are pretty convenient to take
• Studies show that birth control pills can protect you to an extent against pelvic inflammatory disease
• They may help you with problems of heavy and irregular periods
• Say bye bye to menstrual cramps
• There’s no planning or preparation required for sex
• A combo of pills can help change the timing and frequency of your periods or skip them if required
• Birth control pills also help to an extent against osteoporosis, acne, hirsutism, ovarian cysts, vaginal dryness, non-cancerous breast growths and more

Read More: These Skin Care Tips Must Be Followed By Every Pregnant Woman

Disadvantages Of The Birth Control Pills

• Problem of nausea and sometimes vomiting
• Breast tenderness
• Headache
• Bleeding or spotting in between periods
• Combination birth control pills can also cause depression, changes in sexual desire
• The pill may fail to work if you are overweight
• There’s a possibility of developing blood clots in essential organs like brain and heart
• Women who smoke/are older than 35/have high cholesterol, high BP, diabetes etc. are at a greater risk of suffering from side effects of birth control pills
• Certain medications/supplements can lower the effectiveness of birth control pills

Not every pill is meant for you and pills are not meant for everybody so it is wise to have a proper consultation with your gynaecologist to weigh these advantages and disadvantages of birth control pills to start taking the one that’s meant for you or to avoid taking them altogether if your health doesn’t allow it. A certain brand or a certain concentration of hormones may work out for you but not for someone you know. So it is better to consider your case objectively rather than comparing notes with every woman you know to take a decision.

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