Taking oral contraceptive pills is a very safe way to avoid pregnancies, though not 100% fail proof(1 in a thousand can get pregnant after using the pills in the correct manner) it still is one of the most effective ways to avoid pregnancy. Women nowadays are very well informed but unfortunately there still exists a lot of misconceptions about the pill, which lead a lot of them to not use this method of contraception.
Here are a few of the most common myths related to the Pill.
1. The pill will lead to weight gain:
This by far is the most common myth about the pill. This is not true, infact the pill has no calories and the weight gain one may experience is due to their eating habits more than anything else, there may be some water retention but it is so small that it is hardly noticeable.
2. Prolonged use will cause infertility:
Long term use of the pill has no bearing on your fertility. Women become fertile almost immediately after the discontinuance of the pill.
3. You need to take break from the pill:
If you are healthy then there is no medical reason to take a break from the pill, infact 8% of women who get pregnant while on the pill do so because they were not regular with the taking of the pill.
4. The pill may cause cancer:
Infact the pill reduces the chances of women getting ovarian and uterine cancer. So it is an added incentive to use the pill.
5. The pill causes birth defects:
As with any medication there a few health risks associated with the use of pills but serious side effects are very rare, infact it is safer to use the pill than driving daily in your car.
So as you can see there are a lot of misconceptions about the pill and its side effects etc, you need to be aware that in the last 50 years it has been one of the most highly researched and prescribed medicines in the world. It is one of the safest and effective ways to practice birth control.
But this does not mean that it is okay to have unprotected sex as you are still prone to sexually transmitted diseases, and always consult with your doctor before starting on the pills to know which type or combination of the pill you need to use.