Contraception Misconceptions!
Hi ladies! So contraception is one of my favorite topics! The Liletta IUD which is a hormone containing IUD just was FDA approved from 5 to 6 years earlier this week. So this got me thinking about contraception in general and things that I find are common misconceptions for patients.
Let's test your contraception IQ and let me know what your score is in the comments. 1 point for every misconception you know is false!!
Antibiotics decreases the efficacy oral contraceptives. It depends. Unless you are on Rifampin for tuberculosis which I doubt then yes. But do not be concerned that your pills aren't working while you are on an antibiotic for an ear or bladder infection! Enough said.
You can only get an IUD If you’ve had children. Not true! I actually put IUDs in women who have not had kids or even virgins. It is safe and there’s no contraindication. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends the use of IUDs as the most effective and safe forms of reversible contraception.
You have to get off pills a few months before you get pregnant to get them out of your system. No! They are out of your system within 6-14 hours so by the time you have your 2 to 7 days of placebo pills you will be good. Even if you get pregnant while on the pill it’s not the end of the world. It happens more often than you think. So don’t forget to take it everyday and if you forget use a back up method for a few days or consider another method.
Being on pills for a long time will make you infertile. That’s what Mexican moms think! Well, indirectly if you are on pills and are not using protection against STIs then yes, maybe. If the infection moves to your tubes then it could cause infertility, but there is definitely not a direct cause to link infertility and contraceptive use. Also, you may have had another cause for infertility that could have been masked by the pills, but the pills did not make you infertile.
You have to have a period or it is not healthy. Not true! That is the beauty of any hormonal contraceptive, because they let you take charge of your body and help minimize your bleeding if it is a medical necessity or even help you not get a period when it is your wedding or on vakay! Yay! The hormones help to keep your lining nice and thin so there is nothing to shed. And no the blood does not back up into your body. It just never grows. Think of it like this, the lining in your uterus is a lawn. Every month the grass grows and at the end of the month the lawn is mowed. But while on hormonal contraceptives the lawn goes into a winter mode and doesn't grow so it doesn't need to be mowed; your pills, IUD, etc are like a lawnmower that is always working!
Two condoms are not, I repeat not better than one. All that extra material could actually make them more likely to tear or break so that's defeating the purpose. Only one condom and learn how to use it correctly. Remember there are male and female condoms!
Birth control pills can make your periods heavier and more painful after you stop them. Nope! It's because the pills can actually be the treatment for those symptoms and that's why you felt better or had less symptoms on the pill!
Birth control pills cause breast cancer. This one is not true. Studies have actually shown that pills have little if any effect on developing breast cancer. Also, the risk for breast cancer in a women with a strong family history of breast cancer does not further increase your risk by using birth control pills. Over 50 studies and 50 years of research has shown this. There has also been a 25% reduction in all benign breast disease while using pills. They can also decrease your risk of ovarian or endometrial cancers.
IUDs cause PID or pelvic inflammatory disease. Not true again! PID is an infection involving any or all of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries caused most commonly by Gonorrhea or Chlamydia 85% of the time and other organisms the remaining 15%. Still, the studies show that IUDs cause little, if any, increased risk for PID. Also, the studies show that your IUD does not need to be removed in the setting of PID unless the patient is not improving as expected within a few days.
Birth control pills make you gain weight. I know so many women believe this but it is not true!!! There was a recent analysis of 49 trials and a causal relationship can not be found. Sometimes hormones can make you feel bloated or swollen, but they are not directly making you gain weight. We just have to remember to eat as healthy as possible and stay active!
Well ladies let me know your score!! Hope you learned a little something today!!
Love,
Dr. E
#contraception #birthcontrolpills