Is the contraceptive pill really safe for our he alth? We asked Dr. n. med. Grzegorz Południewski, gynecologist, author of many books on contraception.
Contraception methods - surprising facts
Is it true that hormone pills cause infertility?
Studies on huge groups of women takinghormonal pillshave not confirmed this by any means. After all, about 200 million people swallow them every day! Doctors even believe that the pill protects a woman's future fertility. The one who uses thismethod of contraceptionis not ovulating. As a consequence, it does not lose eggs, of which it has a limited number. And since women rarely give birth at the age of 20 today, more often ten years later, these spared eggs may be useful to them.
Are hormone pills harmful?
The moderncontraceptive pillcontains about a tenth of the hormone dose of its original from the 1960s. In the entire developed world, it is now considered a completely safe preparation.
Does this mean that hormonal pills can be recommended to every woman without exception?
No. Some women are not allowed to use it. And the doctor has to choose a pill for a specific woman and her hormonal needs. It is not that simple, sometimes it is done by trial and error.
However, there are doctors and associations that discourage women from taking hormone pills
The European Family Planning Association (IPPF), of which the Society for Family Development is also a member, is doing everything possible to make sex education and safe and effective contraception as widely available as possible. And where hormonal contraception is available and supported by solid sex education in schools, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, there are fewest unwanted pregnancies and abortions. If, as a physician, I recommended ineffective contraceptive methods to my patients, I would feel responsible for their unwanted pregnancies, their illegal abortions, their unwanted children. I will not take this sin on my conscience.