Oral Contraceptives

What is Oral Contraceptives?

Oral contraceptives is birth-control using pills, this drug is used to prevent pregnancy. Estrogen and progestin are two female sex hormones. Combinations of estrogen and progestin work by preventing ovulation. They also change the lining of the uterus to prevent pregnancy from developing and change the mucus at the cervix to prevent sperm from entering to the uterus. Oral contraceptives are a very effective method of birth control, but they do not prevent the spread of human immunodeficiency virus such as HIV, the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Among the available birth control methods that require some medical care are oral contraceptives, intrauterine device, diaphragms, and the rhythm method.

Since 1960, when the Food and Drug Administration first approved oral contraceptives for use with a doctor's prescription, millions of prescriptions for them have been written in the United States alone. Most forms of the Pill introduce into the body certain synthetic equivalents of the natural sex hormones, in such a way that the hormone cycle that leads the woman's body to ovulate is altered and ovulation is prevented.

Through the years, investigation has shown that ovulation can be effectively prevented with much smaller doses of hormones than were originally used, which is fortunate because side effects are directly related to the amount of hormone in the Pill. Most brand on the market today are combination pills, that is, each tablet contains both progestin ( a synthetic progesteron derivative) and estrogen. The mini-pill, not widely used, contains no estrogen.

Risk and benefits:
The Pill does have many serious side effects, including: blood clots, which can impair circulation; increased risk of heart attack, and for users between the ages of fifteen and thirty four, about 8 times greater risk (about 1 in 12,000) of death due to circulatory disorders compared to those who do not use the Pill. At these risk factor are greatly increased if the women smokes.

Pill user also run a greater risk of gall bladder disease requiring surgery, benign, liver tumors, which can be fatal if they rupture, and high blood pressure. And if woman takes oral contraceptive by mistake when she is pregnant, her baby may have birth defects involving the heart and the limits. On the higher side, some recent studies suggest that pill users have a decreased risk of cancer of the ovaries and uterus.

Whatever the risks and benefits of oral contraceptives, they are the most effective method of birth control other than surgical sterilization, and the overall risk of death is low - below that of pregnancy and childbirth. Itself except for women who smoke. With all oral contraceptives, containing medical supervision is necessary in order to minimize these risks and to prescribe the appropriate pill for each woman.

Contraception Methods Requiring No Medical Care

Of the various contraception and birth control methods available, those that do not require medical prescription or supervision are; withdrawal, condoms, spermicidal jellies, creams, and foams, vaginal suppositories and sponges, and douching.

Withdrawal
Withdrawal or coitus interruptus, is an ancient method. As the name implies, the man withdraws his penis from the woman's vagina before he ejaculates. The idea is to prevent pregnancy by ejaculating outside the woman's body. The advantage method is that it is readily available and costs nothing. The disadvantage is that a few sperm are usually present in the lubricating fluids emitted from the penis during sexual arousal prior to ejaculation. One of these may accomplish fertilization. One sperm is all it takes!

Condoms
A condom is a thin rubber or natural skin sheath that is placed over the erect penis just before intercourse. It capture and holds the man's seminal fluid, so that sperm will not be deposited in the vagina.

The condom has been widely used throughout the world for centuries. Condoms cause no harmful physical side effects, and they are the only form of contraception that definitely helps prevents the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. With the present epidemic of these diseases, this is an important consideration for sexually active men and women.

The condom is the leading mechanical method of birth control in the world. The importance of its easy accessibility and great effectiveness, especially when used in combination with vaginal foam, should not be underestimated; when used with foam. it is as effective as the IUD.

Foams, Cream, and Jellies
The nonprescription foam, creams and jellies are vaginal spermicides that the woman inserts in her vagina, against the cervix, with a plastic applicator; they act by destroying sperm. Like the condom, vaginal foams is especially useful for individuals who require a portable, simple, inexpensive, nonmedical method, that can be used as often or as seldom as intercourse takes place. There are no harmful side effects with this method, with the possible exception of rare allergic reaction that can usually be avoided by changing brands.

Other Products
In addition to vaginal foams, creams, and jellies, drugstores carry vaginal suppositories and tablets containing spermicides. However, these are considerably less effective than the foams, creams, and jellies, and they have been found to irritate and cause infection of the vagina in some women with continual use.

A new contraceptive method is the sponge, containing a spermicidal chemical, that the women place against her cervix. It can be inserted up to twenty four hours before intercourse and must be left in place for at least six hours before it is remove and discarded. The sponge is so easy to use that some researcher are calling it the woman's condom. It was approved by the FDA in April 1863 for over the counter sale.

Among the available birth control methods that required some medical care are oral contraceptives, intrauterine device, diaphragm, and the rhythm method.

Sterilization and Contraception

Millions of men and women have undergone surgical sterilization. How does this method work? In the man the standard technique is vasectomy – cutting and tying off vas deferens – a minor surgical procedure that can be performed in a doctor’s office. In a woman, a standard technique is tubal ligation – dividing or tying off the fallopian tubes – an abdominal procedure often requiring hospitalization.

A new technique, laparoscopy, is now being used to divide the woman’s Fallopian tubes with a small electrode; this method requires only a small incision in the woman’s abdomen, and it is sometime done under local anesthesia as an outpatient procedure. Another new technique utilizes a small plastic lip placed around each Fallopian tube.

For individuals who are certain that they no longer with to conceive, voluntary sterilization provide the closest thing to an ideal alternative available today. It is virtually 100 percent effective. (The only failures are those due to improper technique or failure to use alternate means of contraception for six weeks following surgery). Sterilization seems to have few side effects. The popularity among, in particular, is growing, especially among educated professional families.

The effect of sterilization are usually permanent, so its crucial for the individual to think it over carefully before deciding on the procedure. In recent years physicians have devised new technique that makes sterilization reversible in some cases. In tubal ligation, the new plastic clip technique is fairly reversible and in vasectomy, new microsurgical techniques are sometimes able to restore fertility. But generally, physicians recommend that anyone undergoing sterilization consider it a permanent procedure.

Contraceptive Method of the Future
Scientist continue to research for better and safer methods of contraception.

Method for Women
For women, some researcher are looking at implants of long lasting contraceptive substances known as progesterone. Such implants might last five years, unless they were removed to restore fertility. Other researcher are working on the prostaglandins, which could be used to induce the woman menstruation of each month.

Another new device is a thimble shaped rubber “cap” that fits snugly around the cervix and requires no spermicidal. It can be left in place continuously until the woman wishes to become pregnant; a one-way valve lets menstrual blood and cervical mucus pass through. The cap is currently being tested, and may be available around 1985.

A more controversial method, currently under debate, is the use of injected drugs such as Depo Provera, a contraceptive substance containing a synthetic hormone that prevents ovulation for at least ninety days. Depo Provera, a contraceptive substance containing a synthetic hormone that prevents ovulation for at least ninety days. Depo Provera has serious side effects, including weight gain, headaches, heavy bleeding and depression. It may even cause a permanent loss of fertility. The FDA has forbidden its distribution in the United States for contraceptive purpose.

Method For Men
Research is also under way on chemical contraceptive for men. There are many substances known to suppress sperm production but also to have unacceptable side effects. For example, gossypol (a cottonseed derivative) has had some success in China, but it has serous side effects, including difficult in restoring fertility when a user stops taking the drug. Some male chemical contraceptives tend to reduce potency and sexual desire and some are incompatible with alcohol. Nevertheless, some progress is being made. Various combinations of male and female sex hormones and other compounds are being tested in human volunteer, and a male Pill may be on the market within the next several years.