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Combined hormonal contraception
Myths & Facts About Hormonal Contraception
A woman should take breaks from taking hormonal contraceptives so her body can ‘get back to normal.’
Hormonal contraception disrupts the normal cycle of a woman’s body.
FACT:
Allowing your hormones to stabilize is a good reason to use hormonal contraception
- Long term, continuous use of hormonal contraception has distinct benefit1
- Effective, continuous pregnancy prevention
- Decreased risk of ovarian cancer, even after cessation of using hormonal contraception
- Side effects of hormonal contraceptives are transient and for most women improve in 3 cycles
- One study showed that the side effects actually increase during a ‘break’ in use2
1 Guillebaud J. Contraception: Your Questions Answered. 5ed. London, England: Churchill Livingstone; 2009
2 Sulak PJ, Scow RD, Preece C, Riggs MW, Kuehl TJ. Hormone withdrawal symptoms in oral contraceptive users. Obstet Gynec. 200:95(2);261-266.
An abortion is safer than taking hormones every day
FACT:
Hormonal contraceptives are safer than an abortion
- Hormonal contraceptives are the most extensively studied medicine in the history of medicine
- 1 in 4 abortions are unsafe, resulting in temporary or permanent disability due to complications1
- Unsafe abortions account for1:
- 3% of maternal deaths, and
- 20% of the overall burden of maternal death and long term disability
1 Hatcher RA, Trussel J, Nelson AL, Cates W Jr., Stewart F, Kowal D. Contraceptive Technology. 19th ed. New York, NY: Ardent Media; 2007
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