by Dr Heather McNamee
The contraceptive “pill” has undergone a second revolution since the sexual revolution it helped create in the 1960s. There have been enormous changes to its composition and our knowledge of its effects. Several old wives tales have recently been dispelled.
Myth 1: You should take a “break” from the pill.
All that happens is you may fall pregnant! Modern pills are sufficiently low dose (about one seventh of their strength in the 1960s) that the ovaries wake up from their pill-induced snooze very quickly. Therefore there is no need to take a break.
Myth 2: The pill stuffs up your periods.
While you are on the pill your body can still develop eg a hormone imbalance that can affect your periods but you will only discover this when you stop the pill. Effectively the pill is controlling your condition – certainly not causing it.
Myth 3: The pill can make you infertile.
In fact the opposite is true. Studies of women who have taken the pill for long periods have shown that when they stop it overall these women are MORE fertile than women who have not taken the pill. The pill actually helps protect you from problems such as ovarian cysts or endometriosis, which can reduce your fertility.
Myth 4: You have to stop the pill at 40.
As long as you are a non-smoker and in good health you can keep taking the pill until you are 50. In fact it is a rather cruisey way to get through menopause. However if you smoke it is considered too dangerous to take the pill after 35 (the risk of blood clotting rockets).
Myth 5: You must have a period each month on the pill.
Although Australian pills have a period built into them (during the sugar pill week) there is no reason to stick to this rather old fashioned way of taking it. It is perfectly safe to only have a period every 3 months on the pill (by ignoring the sugar pills). I hope this clears the air and I may send a copy of this to my mother who used to phone me up at Uni and say, “Don’t take the pill for too long or you’ll be infertile!” For once, mother was actually wrong!
Source: Cairns Newspaper
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