License to pop the pill

In addition to being a time-tested contraceptive, the combined oral pill relieves period pains, regularises the menses and prevents pelvic infections, writes DR BRIGID MONDA

The use of the Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill started in the late 1950s and for the first time, women had a reversible method of contraception completely separated from sex which also permitted the woman herself to decide whether and how to control her own fertility.

Fertility

But despite the pill being around this long and with all the improvements to it, our relationship with the pill is complicated, with many of the women using it with mixed feelings; relief that they do not have to worry about an unwanted pregnancy but also anxiety about the hormones contained in the pill because there are still so many misconceptions about its safety.

Its risks are wildly over estimated and its considerable health benefits vastly underestimated.

True, a woman may get breast fullness, tenderness and gain some weight, but the pill is an extremely safe and effective method of birth control because it is one of the most extensively studied medications ever taken by human beings. It is constantly being improved and the modern day pill has the most effective minimum dose of these synthetic hormones which has greatly reduced the side effects of the pill.

Some people believe that being on the pill is unnatural but this is not true. The pill mimics pregnancy and women were designed by nature to be either pregnant or breast-feeding during their reproductive lives.

This means a woman’s hormonal state while on the pill is similar to that of a natural state: — pregnancy

How the Pill works

The ovaries release an egg every month in anticipation of pregnancy and also secrete the female sex hormones Estrogen and Progesterone, which prepare the lining of the uterus for pregnancy, determine when a woman will ovulate and when she will get her periods if pregnancy does not occur. They also prepare the breasts for breastfeeding among many other functions.

A hormone is a substance secreted by a gland in the body that acts as a chemical messenger between the gland producing it and the target organ the gland wants to act on.

The combined oral contraceptive pill contains synthetic forms of both Estrogen and Progesterone; that is why it is called the Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill. These synthetic hormones prevent pregnancy mainly by stopping ovulation and with no egg for the sperm to fertilise, pregnancy will not occur. The cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that protrudes into the vagina, has a mucus plug which these synthetic hormones make thick and impenetrable to sperm. They also make the lining of the uterus thin which hampers implantation of the egg if it did get fertilised.

Advantages Of the pill

It provides excellent protection against unwanted pregnancies being 99.9 per cent effective when taken correctly.

It is easy to use and is safe for most women. It is a reversible method of contraception and has no effect on one’s fertility.

It relieves period pains and ovulation pain and prevents anemia by decreasing the number of days of bleeding and the amount of blood lost during a period.

It makes the menstrual cycle more regular and reduces premenstrual syndrome because the hormone levels in the blood remain constant.

The pill protects against Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, a major cause of infertility and ectopic pregnancies because it thickens the cervical mucus plug making it difficult for bacteria to get to the uterus and fallopian tubes and cause infection.

It improves acne and increases enjoyment of sex because the fear of pregnancy is removed. It can also be used to postpone one’s period when a woman, for example, is traveling or on their honeymoon.

The pill in certain doses can also be used for emergency contraception after unprotected sex including burst condoms and sexual assault.

It can also be used to control abnormal uterine bleeding in women on other hormonal types of contraception like Depo Provera, Norplant.

The pill does not cause cancer; it actually protects against ovarian cancer because it suppresses ovulation and prevents cancer of the uterus.