5 Important Facts That You Need to Know - side effects mentioned

bethers · 05-31-2005, 03:26 PM

Contraception: Five Important Facts That You Need to Know

By Dr. Joseph Mercola
with Rachael Droege

Close to 39 million U.S. women use some form of contraception with female sterilization, the birth control pill and the condom being the most widely used methods in the United States. Other methods include hormonal injections, implants, intrauterine devices (IUDs) and the birth control patch.

The different contraception methods act in very different ways and can be broken down as follows:

Barrier Methods: This method works by physically preventing the sperm from reaching the egg. It includes condoms (and female condoms), the diaphragm, the cervical cap and the sponge, which is not currently on the market.

Hormonal Methods: Typically, hormonal birth control methods work by releasing estrogen and progestin into the body, preventing the ovaries from releasing eggs. They also thicken cervical mucus, making it harder for sperm to enter the uterus. There are a wide variety of hormonal methods on the market including oral birth control pills, implants (Norplant), hormone shots like Depo-Provera, a vaginal ring called NuvaRing, and a contraceptive hormone patch worn on the skin.

Spermicides: This method involves a chemical that kills or disables sperm so that it cannot cause pregnancy. It comes in many different forms: foam, jelly, cream, film, and suppositories.

Intrauterine Devices (IUDs): This is a small, plastic, T-shaped stick with a string attached to the end. The IUD is placed inside the uterus and prevents sperm from joining with an egg. It does this by making the sperm unable to go into the egg and by changing the lining of the uterus.

Natural Family Planning: In this method, a woman uses various techniques to determine when she is fertile during the month. By avoiding sexual intimacy, or using a backup method, during the window of fertility, pregnancy can be avoided. Techniques include the ovulation method, the symptothermal method, which is a combination of the ovulation method and monitoring of body temperature, and monitoring saliva with the Ovu-Tech magnification lens.

If you use contraception, the decision of which method to use can be overwhelming and it seems that most women are not adequately informed of their options. For instance, most doctors who see women about contraceptive concerns underestimate the effectiveness of natural family planning options and rarely or never mention them . Many women--more than 16 million U.S. women choose birth control pills as their preferred method--turn to birth control pills as a result because they are not aware that there are safer options available.

Below I’ve included five important facts that you can use to make an informed contraception decision for yourself.

1. Hormonal contraceptives are SYNTHETIC hormones.

The body is not designed to be exposed to these synthetic hormones, and long-term use will invariably increase the user's risk of developing serious chronic illness. In my view, there is no medical justification for using birth control pills or other hormonal methods. The benefits simply do not outweigh the tremendous risks.

Side effects of the pill:
Increased risk of breast cancer
Increased risk of cervical cancer
Increased risk of endometrial cancer
Increased risk of ovarian cancer
Liver tumors
Blood clots
High blood pressure
Cycle irregularities
Miscarriages
Headaches
Migraines
Cramps
Bloating
Nausea
Vaginal infections
Gall bladder disease
Mental depression
Loss of sexual drive

Side effects of the patch:
Raised risk of heart attack and stroke
Irregular bleeding
Problems wearing contact lenses
Fluid retention or raised blood pressure
Nausea
Headache
Breast tenderness
Mood changes
Menstrual cramps
Abdominal pain
Skin irritation or rashes at site of patch

2. Birth control pills can deplete important nutrients.

Aside from the long list of potential side effects, birth control pills can deplete your body of nutrients. These nutrients include:
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Folic Acid
Vitamin C
Magnesium
Zinc

3. There are much safer options to using hormonal contraceptives.

Barrier methods and natural family planning (NFP) offer much safer, albeit less convenient, options than hormonal contraceptives. With NFP, there are no side effects and no toxic substances to put in your body and women often feel empowered as they become aware of their fertility cycle. I do recommend that you learn the method from a reliable source and if preventing pregnancy is an absolute must you may want to use a backup barrier method. Because these other safer options exist, I ask ALL of my patients to stop hormonal contraceptives like birth control pills as soon as possible.

4. Depo-Provera hormone shots are fraught with complications.

A study in the May 2004 issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found that Depo-Provera users had declines in bone mineral density averaging 3 percent each year. Those on the shot for two years had losses in bone mineral density of roughly 6 percent, compared with a loss of 2.6 percent among women on birth control pills. Comparatively, women using no hormonal contraceptives had, on average, a 2 percent increase in bone density during the same period.

Aside from bone loss, the Depo-Provera shot is associated with a long list of additional side effects.
Side effects of the Depo-Provera:
Weight gain
Headaches
Breast swelling and tenderness
Decreased sexual desire
Depression
Bloating
Swelling of the hands and feet
Nervousness
Abdominal cramps
Dizziness
Weakness of fatigue
Leg cramps
Nausea
Vaginal discharge or irritation
Backache
Insomnia
Acne
Pelvic pain
Lack of hair growth or excessive hair loss
Rashes
Hot flashes
Joint pain
Convulsions
Jaundice
Urinary tract infections
Allergic reactions
Fainting
Paralysis
Osteoporosis
Lack of return to fertility
Deep vein thrombosis
Pulmonary embolus
Breast and cervical cancers
Abnormal menstrual bleeding
Unexpected breast milk production
Changes in speech, coordination, or vision
Swelling of face, ankles or feet
Mood changes
Unusual fatigue

5. Spermicides can promote urinary tract and yeast infections.

Spermicides are essentially chemicals (usually nonoxynol-9 (N-9)) that kill sperm by dissolving their outer membrane. However, they also kill beneficial bacteria and skin cells. Disrupting the beneficial bacteria in the vagina can leave women more susceptible to urinary tract infections and yeast infections.

Further, according to a 2001 report from the World Health Organization, there is no evidence that condoms lubricated with nonoxynol-9 are any more effective in preventing pregnancy or infection than condoms lubricated with silicone, and such condoms should no longer be promoted.

http://www.mercola.com/2004/jun/12/contraception_facts.htm

Juliekaboolie · 06-01-2005, 11:51 AM

That's an interesting article. I've heard of this dr. I know that for some women the bcp is necessary to control bleeding. I personally do not feel well on the pill. Metformin has been my saving grace and I am able to have periods every 30 days or so and it controls my acne as well. Anyway, an article that is 'food for thought'. Thanks for posting it!

Stacie M · 10-19-2006, 03:03 PM

Interesting article, although I am always skeptical about this sort of thing. When you look at side effects of ANYTHING, you will come up with long lists of sometimes contradicting side effects.

For example, one medication that I take says it can cause weight loss or weight gain.

Also, the list of side effects of BCP's is a little stretched, IMO. Any changes in hormones can cause gallbladder disease. This includes pregnancy. Also, sudden weight loss can cause gallbladder disease. I wouldn't say, "Don't lose weight because it causes gallbladder disease." Or, "Avoid pregnancy because it may raise your risk of gallbladder disease."

I also think it is irresponsible for this doctor to say that he recommends all of his patients stop hormonal birth control. For me, it has been a blessing! I have endometriosis and I feel a million times better on BCP's. It makes my period bearable, as opposed to me missing work and lying in bed with a heating pad for days. And, I am willing to take the supposed "increased risk for endometrial cancer" because we all know that those with PCOS who have irregular cycles are at risk for endometrial cancer. If I have to choose horrible periods every 3 months with PCOS, or light periods every 28 days with BCP's, considering they both may cause endometrial cancer, I will take the BCP's.

Anyway, I do think the article is food for thought, although it seems irresponsible of a doctor to tell his patients to stop BCP's and stears them towards NFP.

mandi78 · 10-20-2006, 09:57 PM

Just wanted to comment that I did not have PCOS problems, weight issues, depression/anxiety, etc until I took the Depo shot. All of these problems came on within 3 months of taking it and I only took 1 time but it looks like I will be paying for it for the rest of my life.

But, I do agree with Stacie too. I think Dr Mercola has a lot of good ideas and has done lots of great research but his bottom line is selling his book. He has never had PCOS and does not know what it's like. If I go off BCP, in less than a month, I get the most horrible, disgusting and painful cystic acne, extremely oily skin, a lot hair all over my face. He doesn't know what it's like to be a woman and deal with these issues. I have tried natural alternative medicine and it did not really help. I think I'll take my chances for now.

Stacie M · 10-20-2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mandi78

Just wanted to comment that I did not have PCOS problems, weight issues, depression/anxiety, etc until I took the Depo shot. All of these problems came on within 3 months of taking it and I only took 1 time but it looks like I will be paying for it for the rest of my life.

But, I do agree with Stacie too. I think Dr Mercola has a lot of good ideas and has done lots of great research but his bottom line is selling his book. He has never had PCOS and does not know what it's like. If I go off BCP, in less than a month, I get the most horrible, disgusting and painful cystic acne, extremely oily skin, a lot hair all over my face. He doesn't know what it's like to be a woman and deal with these issues. I have tried natural alternative medicine and it did not really help. I think I'll take my chances for now.

I think you said better than I did

However much I do like BCP's, I agree that Depo is EVIL. I don't know if it is the specific combination or the levels of hormones (I am guessing super high) that screw women up, but I know many women complain of it. My SIL never had any trouble with the shot either, and now has PCOS.

Stacie