What are the pros and cons of birth control?
They can lessen the pain of menstrual cramps, keep acne under control, and protect against certain cancers. As with all medications, they do have some potential risks and side effects. These include an increased risk of blood clots and a small increase in breast cancer risk.
What are disadvantages of birth control?
The most common side effects are spotting or bleeding between periods (this is more common with progestin-only pills), sore breasts, nausea, or headaches. But these usually go away after 2 or 3 months, and they don't happen to everyone who takes the pill. Birth control shouldn't make you feel sick or uncomfortable.
Is it healthy to be on birth control?
Even though birth control pills are very safe, using the combination pill can slightly increase your risk of health problems. Complications are rare, but they can be serious. These include heart attack, stroke, blood clots, and liver tumors. In very rare cases, they can lead to death.
Does birth control make you thick?
It's rare, but some women do gain a little bit of weight when they start taking birth control pills. It's often a temporary side effect that's due to fluid retention, not extra fat. A review of 44 studies showed no evidence that birth control pills caused weight gain in most women.
How does birth control change your body?
Hormonal birth control (birth control that contains estrogen and/or progesterone) can cause changes in the body, such as changes in body fat distribution, bloating/fluid retention, and reduced muscle mass.
When should u start birth control?
You can start taking birth control pills as soon as you get them — any day of the week, and anytime during your menstrual cycle.
At what age should I stop taking birth control?
Stopping contraception All women can stop using contraception at the age of 55 as getting pregnant naturally after this is very rare. For safety reasons, women are advised to stop the combined pill at 50 and change to a progestogen-only pill or other method of contraception.
What birth control is safest?
Abstinence. Abstinence is the only birth control that is 100 percent effective and is also the best way to protect you against STDs.
Is birth control good for acne?
The hormones in combination birth control pills can help reduce acne. The pills decrease the circulation of androgens, which decreases the production of sebum. The pills must contain both estrogen and progestin to be effective against acne.
Does birth control make your hips wider?
The pill could be exerting subtle influences on fat – particularly where it is stored in the body. At puberty, oestrogen and progesterone are responsible for the development of typically 'female' characteristics, such as wider hips and larger breasts, largely by changing the way fat is distributed.
Does birth control make you infertile?
What's the short answer? When it comes to birth control and fertility, there can be a lot of confusion. But hormonal contraceptives don't cause infertility , no matter which method you use or how long you've been using it. What they're designed to do, however, is temporarily delay your fertility and prevent pregnancy.
Does birth control make you look younger?
The longer a woman takes birth control pills or hormone-replacement therapy, and the higher the dose, the more likely she is to look younger. That's partly because estrogen can increase water retention, helping to smooth out the skin.