SIDE EFFECTS OF THE ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS.

The following  side- effects have been associated with the use of the oral contraceptive pills.
1. Ache- This  increases in some women who take the pill.
2. Blood pressure- About one woman in every 20 taking the pill experiences a small rise  in blood pressure.
3. Depression/ mood changes.
4. Headaches/ migraine.

5. Heart attacks/ strokes;- Women who are aged 35 or more, who are overweight, who smoke cigarettes and who choose the pill have five times the  chance of  having a heart attack or a stroke than similar women using other kinds of contraception. The risk is low, but women who are  overweight, over 35 and smoke should either stop smoking or choose some other method of contraception.
6. Menstruation;- The amount is reduced and often, the  colour changes from red to dirty brown.
7. Nausea/ vomiting;- This is fairly common in the first and second cycles of using the pill.
8. Thrombosis ;-  There is evidence from investigations conducted that women taking the pill are more likely to develop clots in deep leg veins than women using other methods.
9. Vaginal discharge;- The vagina is normally  kept moist by secretions from the cervix. Women taking the pill experience increased  vaginal moisture, and some discharge.
10. Weight gain;-  Some women  taking the pill gain weight after a few months of use.
11. Because of the reported side- effects which are due to complicated biochemical  changes in the body, some women are not supposed to take the pill. These include women  who have infrequent menstruation, women  who previously had a clot  in a  deep vein, women who have liver disease,  women who have severe migraine,  women with  certain blood disorders, women with high blood pressure and women with severe diabetes.
The side-effects  of the pill prevent it from being the perfect  birth control method. A  woman should weigh  the advantages and disadvantages of the pill, as wells as  how efficient the various birth control methods  are in protecting her against unwanted pregnancy.
The  use of the pill does  have  some advantages. The obvious one  is that they enable women to control their fertility with ease. A woman taking the pill is unlikely to have dysmenorrhoea, her menstrual flow will be  reduced and she is likely to have a reduced amount of premenstrual tension. In addition,  women taking the pill  have a lesser chance of developing ovarian cysts.But  if you believe that the pill  is causing a particular side effect which distresses you,  you  should consult a doctor and if necessary change to another method of birth control.