2008 Woodie Awards
Women disapointed in downfalls of birth control pill
Bessie King
Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: Sex
Five years ago Rob Cabral's girlfriend told him she was pregnant. She had conceived even with the use of condoms and birth control.
Cabral's little girl is four years old now. The computer engineering junior is a proud father but said he thinks more information about the effectiveness of the pill should be available.
The pill, which contains synthetic hormones of estrogen and progestogin, was introduced to women in the 1960s. Today there are more than 50 varieties on the market, and it has become one of the most popular methods of contraception. However, many women have been increasingly wary of it but for two very different reasons: some pills contain a high percentage of hormones that cause adverse side effects and some pills contain too low of a percentage of hormones and are therefore less effective. The strength of the medication has thus decreased, and more women are becoming pregnant.
According to Dr. Phillip Hindelang, from Louisiana State University (LSU) Women's Clinic, 30 percent of women are getting pregnant unexpectedly despite the use of this contraception. Dr. Hindelang said in an article by the Louisiana State University (LSU) Daily Reveille that new pills contain about 35 micrograms of estrogen and progestogin, compared to the 180 micrograms they once had.
This decrease results in less adverse side effects, like blood clots, depression and irregular bleeding, but complete protection for women who rely on the pill to avoid pregnancy is not guaranteed. Still, some medical professionals are not as concerned about these lower amounts.
"The strength of the pill has decreased but there is a balance between the adverse side effect and the effectiveness," said Todd Brown, professor, clinical specialist and Vice Chair of Pharmacy Practice at Northeastern.
Although this decrease in strength may lead to more pregnancies, if a woman knows how to take the medication accurately it is as effective as it was 40 years ago, Brown said.
Cabral's little girl is four years old now. The computer engineering junior is a proud father but said he thinks more information about the effectiveness of the pill should be available.
The pill, which contains synthetic hormones of estrogen and progestogin, was introduced to women in the 1960s. Today there are more than 50 varieties on the market, and it has become one of the most popular methods of contraception. However, many women have been increasingly wary of it but for two very different reasons: some pills contain a high percentage of hormones that cause adverse side effects and some pills contain too low of a percentage of hormones and are therefore less effective. The strength of the medication has thus decreased, and more women are becoming pregnant.
According to Dr. Phillip Hindelang, from Louisiana State University (LSU) Women's Clinic, 30 percent of women are getting pregnant unexpectedly despite the use of this contraception. Dr. Hindelang said in an article by the Louisiana State University (LSU) Daily Reveille that new pills contain about 35 micrograms of estrogen and progestogin, compared to the 180 micrograms they once had.
This decrease results in less adverse side effects, like blood clots, depression and irregular bleeding, but complete protection for women who rely on the pill to avoid pregnancy is not guaranteed. Still, some medical professionals are not as concerned about these lower amounts.
"The strength of the pill has decreased but there is a balance between the adverse side effect and the effectiveness," said Todd Brown, professor, clinical specialist and Vice Chair of Pharmacy Practice at Northeastern.
Although this decrease in strength may lead to more pregnancies, if a woman knows how to take the medication accurately it is as effective as it was 40 years ago, Brown said.
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