By choice, not by chance; how to make a pill choice?
With the choice of pills as with the choice of partner you have to seriously consider. In matters of the heart, we make our own decision, the gynecologist always chooses an oral contraceptive. However, it is worth getting ready for this conversation and have basic information about the pill. Both decisions should be taken by choice, not by chance.
At Polish pharmacies, you can buy about several dozen types of birth control pills today.
They all, like the first pill from the sixties, consist of two hormones: estrogen and progestagen. These are the same hormones that a woman's body naturally produces in the second half of the monthly cycle. In one package (the so-called leaflet) there are 21 tablets.
In the case of classic pills, all tablets contain the same amount of hormones.
This type of tablets are called single-phase pills.
Different types of pills differ in the amount of hormone contained in the tablet and the type of hormonal substance.
Competing pill manufacturers are trying to create tablets with the lowest hormone content to reduce the side effects of oral contraception. For the same reason, they are looking for new hormonal substances. Previously used pills containing older types of hormones could be blamed for such unpleasant symptoms as weight gain, skin problems, and even the appearance of male hair. Newer pills containing so-called Third generation hormones, not only do not cause such symptoms, but even they can reduce already existing defects.
We have already written that the smaller the dose of hormones, the lower the side effects.
At the same time, however, hormones must be enough to effectively prevent pregnancy. Pharmaceutical companies have therefore begun to produce such sets of tablets in which the amount of hormones changes over a month, mimicking the natural phases of the cycle.
Pills imitating a variable amount of hormonesnatural phase of the cycle
We refer to these pills as: a two-phase contraceptive pill or a three-phase contraceptive pill, depending on whether there are two or three types of tablets in the pack. Accordingly, we are talking - single-phase contraceptive preparations, two-phase contraceptives, three-phase contraceptive preparations or multi-phase contraceptives.
In multiphase contraceptives, the first tablets in the pack contain the lowest doses of hormones, and the next - bigger.
As a result, within a month, the woman's body gets less hormones than in single-phase tablets. However, this means that a woman taking a multiphase preparation must be very careful not to confuse tablets for different phases of the cycle.
These preparations were created according to the principle that the less hormones, the fewer contraindications and fewer side effects.
The principle is seemingly right, but in medicine it does not always give the same results as in mathematics. Therefore, these minimal doses of hormones are not necessarily good for all women. Low-hormonal contraceptives turn out to be very useful primarily for the youngest women, especially those who are slim and have not yet given birth, and for women just before menopause. In other women, the use of these agents may cause long-term spotting and worse (albeit only temporarily) well-being. We would like to emphasize on this occasion that there are no perfect pills (or ideal methods of contraception). An excellent measure for one woman, the other will prove unacceptable.
Table of contents of the entire Guide:
CHAPTER III; NATURAL METHODS IN ANTICONCEPTION
CHAPTER IV; PREZERVATIVES AND OTHER MECHANICAL ANTICONE METHODS
CHAPTER V; PLEMNIKOBÓJCZE - SPERMICYDY
CHAPTER VI; ANTICONCEPTIVE HORMONAL PILL
CHAPTER VII; INTERNAL WASHER - "SPIRALA"
CHAPTER VIII; ANTICONCEPTION AFTER RELATIONSHIP
CHAPTER IX; ANTICONCEPTION FROM THE PARTY PARTY
CHAPTER IX ANTICONE AND CHILD PLANNED
New hormonal substances appear on the market - synthetic sex hormones, more and more safe and with more selective action.
They can even correct certain hormonal disorders such as hypertrichosis. These latest preparations are used to produce two-ingredient pills. The introduction of these hormones, however, does not have a great impact on the already very high effectiveness or convenience of use. As a rule, however, new products prove to be a very good solution for a group of women. There is also a mini-pin.
As you can see, there are many different contraceptive pills.
Unfortunately, none of them is the best for all women. That which is good for one will prove unsuitable for the other. Therefore, the doctor should choose a preparation that will provide the woman with comfort and well-being. A woman should require reliable advice from her doctor.
A little practice in contraception
The packaging of an oral contraceptive usually contains 21 pellets. Every day, at the same time, one pellet is swallowed. After taking all 21 you should take a 7-day break. Taking pills is much easier when they are small and have a fox cap that makes it easier to swallow. Each dragee is marked with the name of the day of the week in which it should be accepted. Thanks to this, one glance is enough to check if the dragees are taken regularly.
A bit of theory
The pills are constantly being improved. Today's pills contain lower doses of active substances than those used a few years ago. The modern lowest-dose hormone tablet contains about 95 micrograms of steroids in each dragee. For comparison, the first pill contained a daily dose of 150 micrograms! (So more than 100 times more!) Active substances used in today's pills are very similar to natural hormones. Thanks to this, some unfavorable actions have been reduced. Finally, most modern pills contain active ingredients in an active form. They do not have to undergo transformations in the body to work effectively. All preparations presented below contain active substances.
Author dr. n med. Grzegorz Południewski, Olena Skwiecińska
Excerpt from the book - "How to avoid pregnancy - A contraceptive guide"
Table of contents of the entire Guide:
CHAPTER III; NATURAL METHODS IN ANTICONCEPTION
CHAPTER IV; PREZERVATIVES AND OTHER MECHANICAL ANTICONE METHODS
CHAPTER V; PLEMNIKOBÓJCZE - SPERMICYDY
CHAPTER VI; ANTICONCEPTIVE HORMONAL PILL
CHAPTER VII; INTERNAL WASHER - "SPIRALA"
CHAPTER VIII; ANTICONCEPTION AFTER RELATIONSHIP
CHAPTER IX; ANTICONCEPTION FROM THE PARTY PARTY
CHAPTER IX ANTICONE AND CHILD PLANNED
