every day at relatively the same time every day ; slight but low association in the increase of breast cancer among pill users ; at initiation related symptoms of headache , nausea , vomiting , breast tenderness however , these symptoms disappear with continued use ; irregular bleeding in the first month or two ; and it offers no protection from STI ’ s .
21 days and then breaks for a period of seven days after which they start the cycle again on the 8th day or 1st day of next cycle . Newer pills have 28 pills but the 7 pills that usually have a different color are usually just iron supplements and don ’ t have any active ingredient in them . During the break or use of the 7 ( brown / red ) pills periods are expected to come . If you have taken the pill correctly and you do not suspect a pregnancy the next cycle should be started as recommended . In this way women using the pill will usually have regular cycles .
For those of us who don ’ t want periods you can omit the pill and take the 21 pills continuously or omit the 7 inactive pills .
There are newer 4th and 5th generation pills such as yaz and dronis that may have a different sequence e . g . 24 + 4 i . e . 24 pills and 4 pill free days but your provider will explain how to use them .
What are the benefits of using the combined oral contraceptive pill ?
For starters the most obvious benefit is that is an effective form of contraception so if taken correctly the likelihood of a pregnancy is negligible . However we all know that with normal use i . e . we
occasionally forget to take the pill the likelihood of a pregnancy increases especially in young overly fertile women . This pill is normally 92 % effective . This means 8 in 100 people will get pregnant each year . It can be 99 % effective if it ’ s taken correctly and continuously .
Unlike the progestin only methods when on the pill the menstrual cyle is very likely to be regular in a cyclic pattern that mimics the normal period . This benefit is actually utilized by gynaecologists to treat women and young girls with menstrual disturbances .
Relatively cheap method : most pills even in pharmacies will go for around Ksh 200 /= for a packet and this usually has enough for 3 months . However in long term it can be more expensive than other long term methods .
Other benefits include the fact that it reduces your risk of ovarian and endometrial ( lining of the uterus ) cancer by 50 %; Some pills can help with pimples / acne ; and well counseled women are generally very happy with the method and will tend to continue using it .
What are the disadvantages of using the pill ?
Disadvantages include : It has to be used
Are there any side effects ?
Serious side effects are rare . If you take the pill and you smoke , you will be more at risk of stroke or heart attack . If you don ’ t smoke you are unlikely to have these problems . Some pills can increase the risk of blood clots in the legs from 2 in 10,000 women per year to 6 times that rate . It ’ s very important that if you notice any of these symptoms , you should get help from a doctor or Family Planning straight away , because it could be a sign of serious problem : sudden chest pain ; cough up blood ; find it hard to breathe ; have pain in the lower leg ; or have a very bad headache . Some short term risk factors when using the pill include : plane flights ; high altitude ; surgery ; and temporary immobility ( not being able to walk or move ).
Who can use the pill ?
If you are healthy and do not smoke you can keep taking the pill safely for many years .
You should not use this pill if you have had a heart attack , stroke or blood clot in your legs or lungs ; you or a family member has had a blood clot in their legs or lungs ; you are over 35 and smoke ; you are overweight ; you have migraines ( very bad headaches ); you have high blood pressure ; you use some types of medications or herbal remedies ; and if you have your leg in plaster or you use a wheelchair .
I hope this article has been useful and we ’ ll discuss other methods in the future .
Dr . Maureen Owiti is a practicing Obstetrician Gynaecologist and fertility consultant based in Nairobi . You can commune with her on this or related matters via email at : Drmaureenowiti @ gmail . com .