Common Side Effects of Using Birth Control Pills

Centuries ago, women really did not have a say about whether they want to have a baby or not. Nowadays, however, women have the capacity to plan their lives, careers and family with the help of contraceptives, particularly birth control pills -- which is considered as a contraceptive that is around 92% to 99.75% effective. Statistics show that this oral contraceptive is still the number one choice of women. However, birth control pills do not work to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive tract infections and AIDS/HIV.

Although The Pill can be considered as an effective way to control birth, a lot of women are still afraid to use it because of perceived side effects. Moreover, oral contraceptives are not for everyone. Women who are above 35 years old, smokers, and have liver diseases, heart problems, inexplicable vaginal bleeding, history of stroke or heart disease and cancer should not take pills. And of course, women who think that they are pregnant should absolutely not take contraceptive pills.

Side Effects Of Taking Birth Control Pills

As mentioned earlier, there are quite a number of women who are afraid to take oral contraceptives because of side effects. They feel that their protection against unwanted pregnancy does not outweigh possible adverse effects that may be brought about by using The Pill.

Here are some of the side effects that women believe can be caused by taking oral contraceptives:

Increase Risk Of Certain Types of Cancer

If there is one thing that really prevents a lot of ladies out there to try taking pills, it is the fear of increasing their risk of having cancer, particularly in the breasts, ovaries and other reproductive organs. Some decades ago, it is believed that contraceptive pills increase the likelihood of women getting gynecological cancers for about 40%. In reality, however, the oral contraceptives that are available nowadays actually help in preventing cancer, particularly those related to the female reproductive system. To be on the safe side, it would be better for you to seek medical advice before using oral contraception, especially if you have a family history of cancer.

Unwanted Weight Gain

According to studies, the average weight increase of women who are taking oral contraceptives is about 3 kilograms in a period of one year. However, this slight weight gain can also be due to normal aging process, slow metabolism and even lack of exercise. Although the weight gain caused by pills is only minimal, there are women, especially those that are in their 20s, who do not want to take the risk of ingesting something that may contribute unwanted pounds. Probably, this is due to the popularity of being skinny.

Bloating And Fluid Retention

Women who are using contraception will attest that there is a link between The Pill and water retention. It seems that high doses of estrogen in birth control pills can really cause weight gain due to retention of fluid. If the contraceptive that you are using has a high dose of estrogen, you might want to try one that has a lower dosage.

If you are experiencing swelling of the arms and legs, as well as abdominal cramping, chest pains, extreme headaches, and eye problems, then it may be wise to visit your doctor immediately because what you are experiencing might be extreme side effects from contraceptive pills.

For women who are experiencing water retention due to menopause, monthly period, or normal use of birth control pills, one way of getting rid of the swelling is taking natural supplements such as Expelis, which is designed to eliminate excess fluid in the body safely. For more details, visit