7 Tricky Questions About Oral Contraceptives: Expert Answers

No, they do not slow down the menstrual cycle, but only smooth out the monthly fluctuations in hormones. This is what it looks like in the diagram:

The picture of the hormonal background when taking oral contraceptives (COCs) is similar to what we see during pregnancy: “It is impossible to imagine a more natural state for the female body”, says our expert Irina Gennadievna Shestakova . – If we digress and go into the depths of the centuries, we will see: a woman gave birth to her first child at 16 and the last at 40. Most of her life she has been pregnant or breastfed. What does this mean hormonally? That the level of sex hormones was always the same, without cyclical fluctuations and ovulation. The body perceives the reception of contraceptives in the same way. That is, it is not a hormonal failure, but simply a particular state of the body.

The effect lasts exactly as long as you take birth control. In 97% of women, ovulation is restored within a month of stopping the pill (but of course we are talking about the latest generation of estetrol drugs here).

Properly selected oral contraceptives can be taken as long as you want: at least 5, at least 10 years. “First, drinking contraceptives, then not drinking for two months, then drinking again is an additional training of all body systems, and first of all the blood coagulation system,” our expert believes. “If a girl is worried and wants to ‘check’ all the time how her body is functioning without COCs, then it is better for her to choose another method of contraception: a spiral, condoms, uterine caps.”

Another myth associated with long-term use of COCs is that they cause ovarian hyperinhibition syndrome. This term comes from the 1980s when there was a hypothesis that long-term use of COCs put the ovaries into hibernation. In modern Western and Russian clinical guidelines, there is no concept of “ovarian hyperinhibition”.

Absolutely not: this is a drug that is not prescribed by a friend, not by a “doctor” from Yandex, but by a specialist. In most cases, women are screened in three stages:

1. Control.

2. Survey: the specialist will ask questions about the history, lifestyle, illnesses of relatives.

3. Blood pressure measurement.

All! You don’t need to donate a liter of blood for testing. After three months, you should return to the appointment and discuss with a specialist whether the contraceptive is exactly the right one. Further – visits once a year or in case of complaints.

This side effect is possible when taking drugs of the previous generation, which leads to water retention in the body and an increase in the volume of fat cells (be careful, not in quantity). The latest generation of drugs containing estetrol and drospirenone, on the contrary, can help reduce weight by 2-3 kg! First of all, it happens due to the removal of excess fluid from the body.

COCs are known to reduce the risk of endometrial, ovarian and rectal cancer. The percentage reduction is high – from 15 to 50%, and the effect continues for decades after drug withdrawal.

We often hear that contraceptives increase the risk of breast cancer, but this fear is exaggerated: it all depends on age, time of administration, heredity and, above all, the active substance of the drug. The latest generation of COCs contain estetrol, which is currently being studied as a potential way to prevent and treat breast cancer. In any case, it is best to discuss the individual risks with your doctor.

Hormones contained in oral contraceptives do not accumulate in the body and stop their action immediately after withdrawal. Even if you accidentally become pregnant while taking them (for example, because you forgot a pill), it will not harm the health of the unborn child. And of course, oral contraceptives cannot cause genetic abnormalities in the development of the fetus, because they do not affect the quality of the eggs.

Some of the most common side effects of any contraceptive are breast engorgement, weight gain, spotting, and headaches. They should pass within three months, and if this does not happen, you need to contact a specialist.

Among the serious complications, it is worth noting the risk of thrombosis due to the fact that COCs affect the blood coagulation system. However, the latest generation of contraceptives containing estetrol have a reduced risk of developing blood clots and cardiovascular complications.

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The article is for reference only. Like any medicine, oral contraceptives have contraindications and can only be prescribed by a specialist after consultation. Remember the mantra: sex should be fun, children should be desirable, and birth control should be safe.