Precautions for oral contraceptives

Oral contraceptives are one of the commonly used methods for women of childbearing age in my country. However, if you choose the wrong medication or use it improperly or don't understand its side effects, not only will you fail to achieve the purpose of contraception, but you may also bring on some diseases, which is not worth the cost. For this reason, we would like to introduce some precautions for the use of oral contraceptives to warn women of childbearing age.

1. You must see a doctor for a health check before choosing

Before choosing this method of contraception, you should see a doctor for a health check. People with acute or chronic liver disease, heart disease, kidney disease, hypertension, breast hyperplasia, breast cancer, uterine tumors, blood diseases and thrombotic diseases should not use it or use it with caution according to the doctor's advice.

2. Medication must be prescribed

The medication must be taken as prescribed by the doctor. The time and dosage must not be changed at will and doses must not be missed. If a dose is missed, take an additional dose the next morning.

3. Choose the medicine that suits you

According to your own situation, ask your doctor to help you choose an oral contraceptive that suits your characteristics. Generally, do not change it casually.

4. Have regular health checks after taking the medicine

You should have regular health checks, paying special attention to changes in liver function. If you miss your period for three consecutive months, you should stop taking the medication immediately and consult a doctor.

5. When contraceptive effect is not good, other contraceptive methods should be used instead

When you are sick and need to use guanethidine, insulin, barbiturate, or phenobarbital, these drugs may affect the contraceptive effect and you should use other methods of contraception.

6. Pay attention to taking medicine under special circumstances

Irregular bleeding that occurs during medication is called breakthrough bleeding. Most of the time, it occurs after missing a dose, but a few people may also experience it even if they have not missed a dose. If bleeding occurs in the first half of the menstrual period, it is mostly due to estrogen deficiency. You can take 0.005-0.015 mg of ethinyl estradiol every night and stop taking it on the 22nd day.

If bleeding occurs in the second half of the menstrual period, it is mostly due to progesterone deficiency. You can take 4 mg of medroxyprogesterone every night until the 22nd day and then stop taking it. If the amount of bleeding is similar to that of menstruation, stop taking the medicine and start taking the next cycle of medicine from the 5th day of bleeding.

7. If you want to get pregnant, you should stop taking the medicine for 5 months.

If you want to get pregnant, the best time to conceive is 5-6 months after stopping the medication. During this period, it is best to use condoms for contraception.

8. You must take transitional medicine when you stop using long-acting contraceptives

Oral long-acting contraceptives should not be stopped suddenly. If you want to stop taking them, you should take short-acting contraceptives starting from the 5th day of the menstrual cycle for 3 consecutive months as a transition to stopping long-acting contraceptives.

9. Keep the medicine in a safe place to prevent accidental ingestion

Keep medicine drawers or wardrobes locked to prevent children from accidentally taking them while they are eating candy. Do not mix it with other medicines to avoid taking it by mistake.

10. It is not advisable to take contraceptive pills within six months after giving birth.

It should not be taken during breastfeeding as it may inhibit milk secretion. It should not be taken within six months after delivery or before menstruation.