What You Should Know About The ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILL

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• Safe
• Effective
• Cheap
• Quick reversibility

What you should know about oral contraceptive pills

• Oral pills are an effective contraceptive method.
• It contains the two female sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone).
• Each packet contains 21 active hormonal tablets (yellow) and 7 placebo (brown) tablets (non hormonal, usually containing iron).

How do Oral Contraceptive pills work?

• It prevents the release of eggs (ova) from the ovary.
• Thickens the cervical mucus making the sperm migration difficult within the female reproductive tract.

How to use the pill

• Start with the first yellow (hormonal) tablet within the first 5 days of your period. (preferably 1st day).
• Take one tablet each day at the same time preferably at night.
• Follow the arrows indicated at the back of the pack.
• Bleeding will usually occur when one reaches the brown tablets. Even if you start bleeding when taking these brown tablets you must continue.
• Start a new pack as soon as you come to the last brown tablet.
• Pills should be taken even if you do not have regular sexual intercourse.

What are the advantages?

• Very effective. Failure rate is 8/100 women on the pill.
• Affordability and availability. It is available in any pharmacy, Family Planning clinics & with PHM's.
• Menstrual cycles will be regular
• Less bleeding and less abdominal pain
• No effect on sexual intercourse

Are there any disadvantages?

Pills should be taken every day irrespective of daily intercourse.

Side effects

• Most women have no side effects. Some may experience nausea, vomiting, headache, breast tenderness and spotting. Side effects usually disappear within first 2-3 cycles. Nausea and vomiting can be minimized by taking the pill after dinner.
• Spotting (light bleeds in between your cycles) may occur during the first few cycles, but it is not serious unless it is continuous. Consult a doctor if the bleeding is heavy.

Who are the best candidates for oral pills?

Combined Oral Contraceptive pills are a perfect method of contraception for couples who want to postpone their first pregnancy and for those who want to space their pregnancies.

Great in an emergency!

If 4 tablets taken 12 hours apart within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse, the pills provide over 90% protection against pregnancy

 

Myths about the pills

1. Oral pill causes birth defects.

- NO. It does not cause birth defects or affect the health of future children.

2. Oral pills will increase your acne NO

- It will help stop/reduce the incidence of acne.

3. Oral pills will increase pre menstrual tension

- NO. Oral pills will decrease the pre menstrual tension.

4. Oral pills will increase abdominal pain during periods

- NO. Pills will reduce the abdominal pain during cycles.

5. Oral pills make the menstrual cycles irregular

- NO. It makes the cycles regular

6. Oral pills will increase the chance of cancers

- NO. It will protect you from Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers.

7. Oral pills makes you fat

- NO. The progesterone in the pill may increase your appetite, which may lead you to eat more. But the weight gain can be easily managed with proper dietary care and regular exercise