pharmaceutical contraceptive products' side effects

Side effects of the oral contraceptive pill

A few dry facts first

Spotting, nausea, headaches, mood changes, your appetite may increase, and

a few teens feel bloated. Some teens gain weight, some lose weight.

(youngwomenshealth.org) Excess hair growth/loss. While some people have excess

hair growth from using the pills others may develop hair loss. (keratin.com)

The most serious side effect associated with the birth-control pill is a greater chance of blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. Other serious side-effects are worsening of migraine headaches, gall bladder disease, increase in blood pressure, and an extremely rare liver tumor. Some birth-control pills may cause changes in the levels

of fatty substances in the blood. The long-term consequences of these changes are

not known.

Contraceptive Pills Cautions

Women who use contraceptive Pills have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Problems caused by Estrogen component

Nausea

Breast swelling & tenderness

Vaginal discharge

High blood pressure

Decreased libido (sex drive)

Headaches

Mood swings

Fluid retention

Permanent dark patches on face

Drug interaction problems

Eye or vision problems

Gallbladder disease

Embolism (rare)

Heart attack (rare)

Stroke (rare)

Breast tumor growth (rare)

Problems caused by Progestin component

Weight gain

Depression

Fatigue and tiredness

Acne and/or oily skin

Headaches

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

Insulin resistance

Constipation

Bloating

Irregular menstrual bleeding

Breast tenderness

Suppression of immune system

Heart attack (rare)

Breast tumor growth (rare)

Contraceptive Injection (Medroxyprogesterone Acetate)

By a leading brand name manufacturer

Possible Side Effects

Dizziness

Breast tenderness

Acne

Fatigue

Nausea

Bloating and/or weight gain

Headaches

Stomach pain, cramps, or bloating

Weight changes

Depression

Nervousness

Decreased sex drive

Stomach pain, cramps such as missed periods or irregular or

unpredictable bleeding or spotting

Occasional excessive or prolonged periods

Change in hair growth (no hair growth or hair loss)

Bone mineral changes (may increase risk of osteoporosis)

WARNING SIGNS - report to your health care provider IMMEDIATELY if

you experience:

Shortness of breath

Sudden severe headache

Weakness of arms or legs

Dizziness or fainting

Yellowing of skin or eyes

Unusual swelling or pain in the legs

Lump in the breast

Sharp or crushing pain in the chest or coughing up blood

Severe pain or tenderness in the lower abdomen

Blurred vision, double vision, loss of vision

Unusually heavy vaginal bleeding

Hormonal – Non-Hormonal Methods

Intrauterine Devices (IUDs):

Possible Side Effects with the IUD

Progestin-releasing IUDs may cause:

Mood swings

Acne

Headache

Breast tenderness

Nausea

Non-hormonal (Copper T) IUDs may cause:

More cramping

Heavier periods

Increased risk of pelvic infection

Risks/Side Effects of the Vaginal Ring

Vaginal infection or irritation

Vaginal discharge

Spotting between periods

Elevated blood pressure

Darkening of skin color

Acne worsening

Depression

Breast tenderness

Headache

Weight gain or loss

Nausea

The contraceptive vaginal ring may be associated with blood clots in the legs or

lungs, strokes, heart attacks, gallbladder disease, or liver tumors. These conditions

rarely result in death. The risk of heart attack increases for women over 35 who

smoke. To decrease the chance of developing serious problems, go to the Student

Health Service, clinic, or emergency room if you have any of the following symptoms

(note that the first letters of the words spell out the word ACHES):

Abdominal pain (severe)

Chest pain or shortness of breath

Headaches (severe)

Eye problems - blurred vision, flashing lights or blindness

Severe leg pain in the calf or thigh

Surgical Sterilization

Possible Side Effects of Sterilization

Some women may experience pain at the surgical site. Possible risk of ectopic

(tubal) pregnancy. Some men may experience tenderness or swelling of the

testicles.

Psychological reactions are possible, including regret.

What are the possible side effects of the Cervical Cap?

Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a very rare but serious disorder. Risk of TSS may be

decreased by avoiding use of the cervical cap during menstruation. Possible allergic

reaction to the spermicide or to the rubber may occur. Some medical providers fear

that continued contact of the cervix with the rubber and spermicide might cause the

cervix to erode or to become irritated. Women with cervical erosion, laceration, or

an abnormal pap smear should not use these methods until the conditions are

resolved.

Another concern may arise due to the fact that cervical secretions build up in the cap

or shield instead of bathing the vaginal wall. Some medical providers feel that free

flow of cervical secretions is important in preventing infections. A repeat pap test is

recommended 3 months after you start using the cap. If the Pap smear is abnormal,

cap use is discontinued. If the Pap smear is normal, an annual pap test is

recommended.

You may be aware that the side-effects of drug contraceptives do not stop only

with affecting you physically; they go to affect your psychological wellbeing as

well.

Science blog, Indiana University, 2001:

“BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Stephanie Sanders, associate director of the Kinsey

Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University and an

IU faculty member in gender studies, directed the study of 80 women. The research

team included John Bancroft and Jennifer Bass of the Kinsey Institute and Cynthia

Graham of the IU Department of Psychology. The research pointed out that the birth

control pill has a negative effect on sexuality and mood in some women - decrease

in sexual thoughts, less frequent intercourse and negative mood changes.

“Depression as a side effect of the contraceptive pill” by Jayashri Kulkarni,

“Millions of women worldwide use the combined oral contraceptive pill as an

effective form of contraception. However, the focus on its side effects to date has

mainly been on physical aspects, even though the most commonly stated reason for

discontinuation is depression. There are surprisingly few large studies investigating

depression related to oral contraceptive use. A pilot study was conducted showing

that women using the combined oral contraceptive pill were significantly more

depressed than a matched group who were not...”

Abortion Side-Effects

The Information Women Are Denied

The Supreme Court, in 1986, ruled that women do not have to be informed about

these risks before the abortion. As a result, 80% of women who have had abortions

said their counselors gave "...little or no information about the potential health risks

which might follow the surgery." and 68% felt "...the procedure was not described

with any degree of depth of clarity." (Aborted Women: Silent No More by David

Reardon, Crossway Books, 1987)

Abortion is an unnatural process that interrupts one of the primary functions of the

human body. A woman's body naturally resists the abortion, causing physical and

emotional problems.

The Information Women Are Denied...:

"An abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun. It is dangerous to your life

and health." - Planned Parenthood Plan Your Children' pamphlet, 1963.

"I surveyed 486 colleagues: 87% had hospitalized women with complications

with legal abortion, 91% had treated patients with complications from legal

abortions, and 24 doctors reported patients dying from legally induced abortions." -

Anonymous obstetrician.

"The occurrence of either induced or spontaneous abortions independently and

significantly increased the risk of subsequent development of secondary infertility." -

Study of 252 women at Harvard from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community

Health. Feb 1993 issue.

"Uterine bleeding occurred on the second or third day after RU486 intake in

1256 women (88.8 percent), and lasted 11.7 +/- 6.4 (SD) days, range 2-55 days.

One subject had blood transfusions due to excessive bleeding." -Shangchun, W., et

al., Contraception.

"Prolonged bleeding/spotting lasting more than two weeks had been found in

more than 20 percent of women who had complete abortion in this study [of

RU486]." --Shangchun, W., et al., Contraception.

Similar studies have supported this among women of other races, such as "Risk

of Breast Cancer Among Young Women: Relationship to Induced Abortion" by Janet

Darling, et al. in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Common Abortion Side Effects

Infertility, Cervical Laceration, Uncontrollable blood clotting, Severe

hemorrhage, Seizures, Coma, Cancer, Death

Psychological Side Effects

A survey was conducted of 1900 women who had had abortions. The survey

asked "Were there any negative psychological effects... [caused] by your abortion?"

94% answered "Yes." 2% answered "No."

Another study was conducted by Dr. Anne Speckhard at the University of

Minnesota. She concluded, "After 5-10 years 54% of mothers choosing abortion had

nightmares, 81% had preoccupation with their aborted child, 35% had perceived

visitations with their child, and 96% felt they had taken a human life."

Abortion Affects Every One of Us

Our society, and the children who have grown up in the abortion-filled world, have

been negatively affected.

Recent evidence indicates many women harbour strong guilt feelings long after

their abortions. Guilt is one important cause of child battering and infanticide.

Abortion lowers women's self-esteem and there are studies reporting a major loss of

self-esteem in battering parents.

Abortion hasn't helped couples. Researcher Emily Milling studied over 400

couples with women who had made a decision to have an abortion. 70% of the

relationships ended within one month of the abortion.

Abortion hasn't prevented children from being born into poverty. Since Roe v.

Wade, the number of children relying on AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent

Children) has risen from 8.5 per cent (of all children) in 1970 to 11.9 per cent in

1990. The number of children living in poverty has increased, from 15.1 per cent (of

all children) in 1970 to 20.6 per cent in 1990.

Abortion has increased the number of single-parent families. Since Roe v. Wade,

the number of births to unmarried women has increased, from 10.7 per cent (of all

births) in 1970, to 28.0 per cent in 1990.

Abortion has increased the number of unwanted pregnancies. Since Roe v.

Wade, the number of pregnancies ending in abortion has increased, from 12.9 per

cent (of total pregnancies) in 1972, to 24.6 per cent in 1990.

Abortion affects Males

Some people believe that men have no place acting in the abortion debate. They are

affected by abortion in two very different and two very important ways.

Males are affected by abortion because boys can be aborted as easily as girls.

Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of males are aborted every year in the United

States. These are the boys with whom adult males can associate. Men were there

once. They'll protect their pasts to ensure their futures.

The second way is a more political reason. All of the laws in government today are

created through the morals that make the most people happy. If one looks hard

enough, it is possible to find someone who doesn't think murder as a hate crime

should be against the law. But does that mean that hate crimes should be legal to

protect the beliefs of that one person?

Laws, such as drug abuse prevention, are enforced to protect us; however we are

basically free to do what we wish with our own bodies. A pregnant mother has this

same right to do what she wants with her own body. Men and women who aren't

pregnant don't have a say in what she does with herself. The difference between

this and the murder law is that laws generally can't interfere with what people do to

themselves, but they can interfere with how people negatively impact others.

This difference is very important in the abortion issue, because a fetus is its own

being. The mother has a say over her own body, but there is a separate being inside

of her. People other than the mother have a right to protect the fetus because they

are affecting a different person. Non-pregnant females and males have a right and a

responsibility to be involved in the issue.” - AbortionInfo.Net/Facts

Data collected for this post:

Pett Corby