Disadvantages of the Contraceptive Pill

Although the contraceptive pill is highly effective at preventing pregnancy, it does have some disadvantages. It has a 99% effective rate but its protection against sexually transmitted diseases is zero. It will not protect you from any infection, as it does not provide a barrier between you and the bodily fluids in which the infection is carried. It will help to reduce pelvic inflammatory disease but will not reduce the risk of STIs so it is important that you wear a condom – the only contraceptive method that will protect you from infection.

The pill has been linked to causing high blood pressure in women as one of the hormones used called progestogen can have an effect on you blood pressure and cause it to rise. This can be a mild range or it can potentially be quite serious and high blood pressure can lead to heart problems. Therefore, if you have high blood pressure, have a family history of the condition or have heart problems, it is not recommended that you use the contraceptive pill as a method of contraception.

The pill has also been linked to a few diseases and there have been a number of health scares since its release in 1961. Ongoing research has concluded that there are not significant health risks as long as you are of a certain age and are healthy. However, there is the chance that the pill may increase your risk of having a rare form of liver cancer or potentially cervical cancer. There is also a slightly higher risk of some breast cancers but this risk returns to normal ten years after stopping the pill.

The pill controls your menstrual cycle so you know when your withdrawal bleed will occur. So it’s scary when you see blood during the 21 days of taking the pill. This is one disadvantage of the pill as sometimes it can cause spotting or bleeding outside of your period. This is nothing to worry about and is perfectly normal.  Most women usually experience this bleeding either in the first few months of using the pill or if they have skipped a withdrawal bleed.

The pill is a hormonal drug and therefore there is the potential risk of side effects. These do not affect many women but there are cases where the pill causes nausea vomiting and headaches. It is important that you mention any side effects that are effecting you quite badly especially if you get an increase in headaches since starting the pill.

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