Auto-SummaryThe post clarifies misconceptions about birth control pills, emphasizing their effectiveness (99.7%) and safety, especially for women over 35 who smoke or have other risk factors. The pill works by preventing ovulation and regulating menstrual cycles. While some risks exist, such as cardiovascular issues for certain groups, the low-dose oral contraceptives are generally safe for nonsmokers. Nonoxynol-9, a spermicide, is generally safe but can cause allergic reactions. Male contraceptives are being developed but are more complex to create. The post also addresses myths about the pill, such as stunted growth in young teens and birth defects, and suggests consulting healthcare professionals for personalized advice.
Oh jesus christ!!!! I'm very Glad that Wiccan_Seeker posted some sound and logical information. I was getting worried that my absence this weekend would be bad for you int he context of this thread.
Lemme clarify and reieterate a few things, be nitpicky and provide some background information.
If there were proven safe contraceptives that were herbals they'd be probably the best selling, but they're not (nope, no mega huge drug company conspiracy here, please look else where Rx cmopany bashers) (side, note i don't like drug cmopanies either, but definitely there is no case with herbal remedies here, cause if there were, the drug cmopanies would have extracted the compounds and started producing drugs).
The most common preparations of birth control and the morning after pill are combinations of progestin and a synthetic estrogen. The Morning After Pill is just a massive dose of a general oral contraceptive containing the Proges/Estro ratio. The reason for synthetic is that natural hormones are destroyed by the liver immediately, but synthetics are chemically modified so that they can be absorbed and effectively metabolized slowly. In a typical regimen, a woman takes one pill each day for about three weeks. Then for one week she takes a sugar pill that allows menstruation to occur because of the withdrawal of the hormones. Essentially it's not needed to take this sugar pill, it is only included to keep the woman in the habit of taking a pill daily. The taking/or not taking of the pill allows menstruation to occur because of the withdrawal of the hormones. When taken correctly, these pills are about 99.7% effective.
How it works:
The pill work sby preventing ovulation. When postovulatory levels of ovarian hormones are maintained in the blood, the body is "tricked" (for lack of a better word) into responding as though conception has occured. The pituitary gland is inhibited and does not produce the surge of a hormone abbreviated LH (luteinizing hormone) that stimulates ovulation. The biggest advantage is that oral contraceptives have a high rate of effectiveness. They're also beneficial in regulating menstrual cycles and decreasing menstrual flow. Birth control is also prescribed to control painful periods known as dysmennorhea. It can be quite painful and debihiltating 3 days usually. Birth control gets that pain under control.
Studies suggest that women over the age of 35 who smoke or have other risk factors, such as untreated high blood pressure, should not take the pill. Women in this category who take the pill have an increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases such as a stroke or an M.I.
Some good news, the new low-dose oral contraceptive pills appear to be safe for nonsmokers up to the time of menopause. Oral contraceptives are linked to deaths in about 3 per 100,000 users. This compares favorable with the death rate of about 9 per 100,000 pregnancies.
There are other options such as injections, implants, and IUDs (intra uterin devices). They have essentially the same hormones in them.
A word about Nonoxynyl-9, Nonoxynyl-9 is actually a detergent. It is used in some shaving creams and was before Sodium Lauryl and Sodium Laureth Sulfate were used due to how cheap it is. However both SLS's are much harsher than Nonoxynol-9, that's why you'll still find Nonoxynol-9 used in sensitive skin formulas of shaving creams and soaps.
The biggest problems with nonoxynol nine are a woman's sensitivity to it, even though it's used in sensitive skin applications. Many woman who are sensitive to N-9 get pain and burning and have little to no other recourse because all other chemical spermacides are illegal in the US while they are legal in the European Union.
About N-9 and mutations. A woman has all the egg cells she'll ever have, and they're all pretty much formed, some aren't mature, but the process of meiosis for nearly every single egg cell has completed long before puberty. The biggest dangers with egg cell mutations occur with Old Egg cells (cause literally the DNA is old) and the DNA becomes damaged, it literally does just flap around inside the cytoplasm. The other danger of mutations occurs during the process of egg formation that has already happened by the time you're born.
The dangers i think most people are concerned with are what's called Terratogenic effects. A terratogen is something that causes birth defects. We saw this happen when the process for synthesizing Thalidomide (an anti nausea angent given to pregnant women) was changed for mass-production. The created optical isomers that weren't created in the original small scale synthesis. One of the optical isomers of Thalidomide was a terratogen and specifically worked on inhibiting arm and leg bud maturation of an early fetus, having mostly children that were born without arms or legs or had flippers.
The view of medical community and laboratory and longitudinal studies,, and here is where i'll differ with Wiccan_Seeker, is that Nonoxynol-9 aside from allergic reaction is safe. If pregnancy does occur (use of spermacides alone produces about 21 out of a 100 chance of conception) does not cause terratogenic effects or cause mutation of gonadal sex cells in eithe male or female. If i were to be worried about cell mutations of a sex cell, the one i'd be most worried about is my sperm as they're made over and over and over again throughout a man's life, and contact with some things could call germ cell/sex cell mutations. So when you walk through an x-ray cover up your junk 
About the male contraceptive/pill. Male contraceptives are much harder to make, the biggest and first stumbling block that had to be tackled was cell specific entrance. When you take hormones/drugs/whatever, for the most of them they go everywhere in your body, your feet, your liver, your lungs, intestings, brain, etc.. And at the time and perhaps still now targetting only Nurse and or Germ cells int he testes was hard and the methods they used to stop the production, since it would go everywhere in the body, made other things not function right. As i'm not up to date with the research i can't tell you if they've been able to target enter only germ/nurse cells of the male testes. But it's in the works, and i'd guess perhaps another 5 - 8 years off before it's marketted.
About Morning After Pillls.
The most common Morning After Pill is just a high dose of normal oral birth control. The high dose changes the lining of the uterus (endometrium), so that the embryo cannot implant in the uterine wall. Often enough fertilization occurs and even without drugs/pills/abortions the zygote/fetus cannot implant in the uterus. Many women have been "pregnant" but never new it since the embryo/zygote didn't implant in the endometrium. Taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex, they are about 75% effective in preventing pregnancy.
The other pill that's been so demonized as of late is the RU-486. The chemical in it is called Mifepristone, and it binds competitively with progesterone receptors in the uterus, but does not activate them. Because the normal actions of progesterone are blocked, the endometrium breaks down (as it would if it were going to be shed in menstruation), and uterine contractions occur. These conditions prevent implanation of an embryo. It can also be used to abort an already implanted embryo.
I'm sure we all know of the rhythm method, if you'd like a good explanation of that, perhaps just look it up on the web.
Some myths about birth control.
I. Taking a "Rest" from the Pill
- No evidence suggests that taking a rest from the pill is medically necessary or beneficial. On the other hand, taking a rest from the pill may lead to unintended pregnancy and induced abortion. Studies have found that a woman who stops taking the pill may not use another form of birth control or may switch to a less effective method, thus increasing her risk of unintended pregnancy.
In addition, taking a rest from the pill can cause compliance problems. Side effects such as breakthrough bleeding, bloating, and nausea can result in early discontinuation of the pill.
I. Birth Defects
-Many women are concerned about the possibility of birth defects with oral contraceptive use. For example, 11% of teens seen in an adolescent clinic were concerned that the pill would cause birth defects. Two review articles and a recent meta-analysis found no association between oral contraceptives and birth defects.
-I'll provide citations for this one (Wilson JG, Brent RL. Are female sex hormones teratogenic? Am J Obstet Gynecol 1981;141:567-580.
Simpson JL, Phillips OP. Spermicides, hormonal contraception and congenital malformations. Adv Contracept 1990;6:141-167.
Bracken MB. Oral contraception and congenital malformations in offspring: a review and meta-analysis of the prospective studies. Obstet Gynecol 1990;76:552-557.)
III Post-Pill Bleeding.
Little evidence exists to suggest that oral contraceptives cause "post-pill amenorrhea."Reports of post-pill amenorrhea, or irregular menstruation and anovulation, began appearing in the 1960s. Estimates of its frequency ranged from 0.2% to 3%.3 Researchers found that post-pill amenorrhea was more likely to occur in women who had never given birth. The condition was unrelated to duration of use.
Later reviews suggested that about half of post-pill amenorrhea cases were unrelated to OC use, and noted that OC use likely had masked an earlier condition. By 1981, estimates concerning post-pill amenorrhea indicated its occurrence to be less than 1 in 1,000.
Because OCs are commonly used to treat menstrual cycle disorders, when OCs are discontinued, menstrual irregularity, including amenorrhea, often returns to its prior pattern.5 Amenorrhea after discontinuation of OCs should be investigated to determine its cause; however, OC use likely masked the condition, rather than caused it.
IV Stunted Growth Among Young Teens
Some young teens or their parents may be concerned about whether taking oral contraceptives will stunt a young woman's growth. The origin of this myth may stem from the known effect of estrogen on bone growth plate growth. Young women predicted to have excessively tall stature are sometimes treated with high doses of estrogen for several years in order to accelerate bone maturation and limit final height. This practice may explain why an association has been suggested between the pill and incomplete growth.
The prescription of most OCs is given after full maturation of long bones in young women. This is because the cessation of long both growth for young women occurs before the onset of regular periods.
That's pretty much all i can think of for now. Final thought is this, most of the new drugs we have are untested longitudinally. The Pill is perhaps one of the oldest new influx of medications (that is you could consider it part of the Rx boom that includes viagra and paxil) that, thus far has shown no real dangers or warranties that suggest removal from the market. We simply don't have that kind of assurance with most of the newer medications that are prescribed like candy. Take home message is, many generations of women have been on the pill since it's inception and the oldest women are still alive now and in good health (for the most part, but not due to birth control [i.e. diseases like Alzheimer's, etc..]) It is safe. It works, and in most cases it's VERY cheap. Go to planned parent hood, talk to some counselors, and Doctors, have her discuss this with her own doctor too. The information presented here by me or by anyone else should NOT be a subsitute for a Doctor's consultation.
And for God's sakes please don't use any herbal alternatives. Especially the Pennyroyal Oil.
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