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HEALTH
What do you really know about oral contraceptives? BREAKING DOWN THE PILL
ILLUSTRATION/CATHERINE COQUILLETTE
A POLL OF ABOUT 75 STUDENTS AT KU SHOWS THAT:
86% Use a birth control method during sex
55% Of women who forgot to take the pill on schedule took double the dosage at a different time
63% Of those who use birth control,use the pill
10% Of women using the pill have used the pill as emergency contraception
85% Women using the birth control pill have taken it in a manner that would be considered less effective
20% Of women using the pill have used a pill that interfered with other medications
by Rachel Parker
Susie Santee, Lawrence sophomore, had been taking the birth control pill for about a year and a half before the unexpected conception of her son. She was taking Ortho-35, what she knew as the most average dosage among women."Everyone was basically on the same thing,"she says. When she asked the doctor about the surprising pregnancy, he simply replied,"it happens."
The birth control pill is the most common method of contraceptive used among women ages 15-29 in the U.S., according to statistics from the National Center for Health. Most women choose the pill because it's a method that is 98-99 percent effective in preventing pregnancy.
Unfortunately, the accuracy rate is only true with the "perfect use" of the pill—taking the pill consistently every day of the week, every week, at the same time each day. With typical use of the pill for a year, its effectiveness rate falls to 92 percent, according to the Mayo Clinic, a not-for-profit foundation for medical research. This means that, on average, instead of the one or two persons in 100 getting pregnant, eight out of 100 women will get pregnant.
Contraceptive consistency
It's important to take the pill at the same time every day to assure its 99 percent efficiency, says Carolyn Johnson, gynecologist at Watkins Memorial Health Center, 1200 Schwegler Drive. Forgetting to take the pill and then taking a higher dose later can affect hormone
levels, increasing the possibility of pregnancy. "If you let your hormone levels drop way down, your ovaries will start working again," she says.
Women can also use the pill as emergency contraception by taking more pills at a time within 72 hours after intercourse.Using
UNFORTUNATELY, THE 98-99 PERCENT ACCURACY RATE IS ONLY TRUE WITH REGARD TO "PERFECT USE" OF THE PILL.
How it works
pills stop the ovaries from producing and releasing new eggs, basically stopping ovulation completely.
this method, seven out of eight women who would normally conceive during a sexual encounter wouldn't, Johnson says. However, this method usually requires the usage of four pills that aren't supposed to be used during those days. If using the pill as an emergency contraceptive, contact a pharmacist to get more pills and resume taking pills on schedule.
36 birth control pill brands from $21.50-$108 per month
16 birth control pill brands
(mostly generic) costing
$13-$19 per month
There are two basic birth control pills on the market. The combination pill is the most common form of the pill and releases both estrogen and progestin into the bloodstream. The "mini pill," contains only progestin. Both of these
There is also a seasonal oral contraceptive that is similar to the combination pill, but it is taken in three-month cycles to give women a menstrual period only four times a year. The failure rates for all three pills are between 1 and 2 percent, which accounts for the percentage effectiveness on the package for the pill, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
4 low cost birth control pill brands, costing $7-$8 per month
Side effects
While are associated with the pill, they are not as common as women claim they are. "If you take 1,000 women and put them on the pill and take another 1,000 off the pill, the same amount of women will gain weight." Johnson says.
WATKINS MEMORIAL HEALTH CENTER CURRENTLY PROVIDES:
Along with an imposing a risk of pregnancy, birth control pill usage includes possible side effects that might affect the consistency of taking the pill. Many women blame the pill for weight gain, nausea, breast tenderness and mood changes.
Finding the right pill for you is important.It may take a while to match the right pill to the right woman.
If a woman decides to switch pills because of side effects, she needs to
"It's verytrial and error." Johnson says."Everyone has prescribing habits, but we generally start with the low-cost pills unless they have special needs."
switch without skipping a pill and make sure the new pill doesn't conflict with other medications to ensure efficiency.
Watkins pharmacy alone carries almost 60 different types of birth control pills.
There have been many research studies done to find out if men can take some type of birth control pill, relieving women of some responsibility for pregnancy. No conclusive pill has been created — yet. This is because a contraceptive pill for men would have to stop sperm production rather than just the release of hormones as it does in women.
Can men take the pill?
"It would have to work in a transient way to stop sperm production, but reducing testosterone in men is not good." Johnson says.
11. 02.2006 JAYPLAY <05