What are the side effects of female oral contraceptives?

When young men and women fall in love, passion is inevitable, but if they don't want to have children in the near future, they have to take some contraceptive measures. Oral contraceptives are very convenient for contraception, so many people now use this method for contraception. However, taking birth control pills for a long time is not good because the drug contains hormones and long-term use can cause great harm to the body.

Weight gain

Certain ingredients in contraceptives can cause weight gain, and androgens can cause increased appetite or acne, especially in the first three months of taking oral contraceptives. Increased estrogen levels cause water and sodium retention, thus leading to weight gain in the second half of the menstrual cycle.

oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea

Contraceptive pills can cause endometrial hypoplasia and insufficient glandular secretion. Therefore, the endometrium cannot grow normally and becomes thinner, resulting in a decrease in menstrual volume. Some women experience amenorrhea due to excessive inhibitory effects of contraceptive pills, and no withdrawal bleeding occurs after stopping the pills.

Early pregnancy reaction

Pregnancy-like reactions are common, accounting for about 50% of the number of people taking the medicine. Symptoms are usually severe at first, then become mild and gradually disappear, which may be related to the body's gradual adaptation. Symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and even fatigue, dizziness and other reactions similar to early pregnancy, which usually occur within the first 1-2 weeks of taking the medicine. This reaction is related to the estrogen in the contraceptive pill stimulating the gastric mucosa.

Vaginal bleeding

Many women will experience persistent spotting or breakthrough bleeding similar to menstrual volume while taking the pill. This is related to missed doses, late doses of birth control pills, or insufficient efficacy of birth control pills.

Abnormal vaginal discharge

Taking birth control pills will increase the estrogen content in the human body, because too much estrogen will affect the secretory cells of the cervical endometrium, causing them to secrete vigorously. If it stays in the vagina for too long, the leucorrhea will appear slightly yellow, and it will increase before menstruation, during ovulation, and during pregnancy.

Frequent use of birth control pills may lead to the above-mentioned adverse reactions, and in severe cases may even cause female infertility. Therefore, it is okay to take birth control pills once or twice occasionally, but never take them for a long time. If you want to prevent pregnancy, the best way is for men to wear condoms, which can not only prevent pregnancy but also be very hygienic.