When the birth control pill was first introduced, it was hailed as the great female liberator, however over time, many birth control pill side effects came to be associated with it, some deserved, some less so.
Since birth control pills work by delivering a regular dose of hormones to prevent pregnancy, there are some side effects noted – however there is no uniformity of side effects experienced. While some women report significant side effects, others report none at all.
Some studies have demonstrated that a majority of women suffer no side effects and those that do, don’t report serious side effects. The medical community seems to speak in one voice that the possible health risks of using birth control pills are lower than those of pregnancy and birth. The negative birth control pill side effects are:
The most common side effect of using birth control pills is thought to be breakthrough bleeding, which is spotting between periods, which many women can find to be very inconvenient and a nuisance.- Reduced menstrual bleeding is another one of the common birth control pill side effects.
- Some women also report absence of menstrual bleeding.
- Some women report feelings of bloating and of weight gain as side effect of the pill. Weight gain is one of the more commonly reported side effects of the pill.
- Sore breasts are also reported by some women.
- Nausea is one of the side effects reported.
- Some women experience headaches as well.
- In some cases women report a decreased sex drive or interest in sexual intimacy as a result of taking the pill.
- Mood changes or depression may one among the more serious side effects.
- Also serious side effects such as a triggering impact on heart disease and blood pressure is reported as a result of using birth control pills.
- Combined oral contraceptive pills are thought to have the effect of increasing risk of venous thromboembolism, however this is a very low risk.
- For some time, use of the pill has been implicated in increased breast cancer risk and studies have found that long term users of birth control pills do have a slightly elevated risk of breast cancer.
There are also some positive birth control pill side effects that many women report as a result of using birth control pills.
- Significantly reduced menstrual pain is one of the common and welcome side effects of using birth control pills; in fact the pill is prescribed as a solution for some girls and women who have very painful periods.
- The pill can also regularize irregular periods and regularize profuse bleeding.
- Birth control pills are known to help control acne on the face, back and other areas.
- Symptoms of gynecological conditions such as premenstrual syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease can also be contained.
- Risk of certain cancers relating to ovarian or endometrial cancer and certain non cancerous ovarian cysts may reduce as a result of taking the pill.
- Control of Iron deficiency anemia may also be one of the positive birth control pill side effects.
