Does Birth Control Pills Cause Acne

Causes of Acne

The following are the lead causes of pimples and acne:

Puberty and related changes (activation of sebaceous glands or the oil glands) Hormonal imbalance Dirt Skin types (oily skin is more prone to acne) Highly stressful lifestyle Vitamin and mineral deficiency Rare cases of heredity Cosmetics

Link between Birth Control Pills and Acne Demystified

Birth control pills are effective for acne treatment only in the cases where the main cause for acne is hormone related. Sometimes, an excess secretion of androgen from the ovaries is the leading cause of stubborn pimples and acne. Androgen has the property of activating the oil glands that leads to and increased occurrence of acne. Certain combination of birth control pills help by suppressing the level of androgen in the body. Testosterone (male hormone) is also associated with the increase in the activity of oil glands, thereby promoting acne. Oral contraceptives, especially those containing Estrogen and Progestin, reduce Testosterone in the body. Not all types of oral contraceptives are flatly effective on everyone. You need to decide upon the right combination suitable to your physiology. Of course, this has to be done under the guidance of a medical practitioner. In addition, other acne specific drugs, including antibiotics should be used as supplements to enhance the efficacy of the medication, for instance, benzoyl peroxide, alpha hydroxyl acids, and retinoids.

Preferred Combination and Commercially Available Products

Medicinal formulations containing the hormones Estrogen and Progestin (synthetically manufactured Progesterone) are usually beneficial in the therapy. Estrogen helps in maintaining the hormonal balance and regulates the level of Testosterone. Progestin is added to prevent any side effects caused by excess Estrogen. Lower Estrogen drugs such as Alesse should be preferred, as they do not have lesser repercussions related to the hormone. Ensure that the progestins in the medicine are anti-androgenic and not androgenic. Some of the commonly available brands are:

YAZ Ortho Tri-Cyclen Estrostep Yasmin

Birth Control Pills: Last Resort!

Oral contraceptives are resorted to only after exhausting all the other options, due to the reactions of hormone replacement therapy. If you do not intent to go in for contraception, use of birth control pills for acne treatment is a bad choice. The known side effects of oral contraceptive pills are:

Nausea Irregular menstrual cycles Cyst in the bust area Tendering of breasts Heart ailments Clotting of blood Cancer

While taking the risk of above side effects, you should be aware of the fact that oral contraceptive pills do not necessarily treat acne. Therefore, exercise a lot of prudence in adopting birth control pills for acne cure and try to keep it as last choice, rather than a preferred option.

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Precision Trials offer physician research based birth control clinical trials and HPV Research.

New Partnership to Provide Research Options to Thousands of Arizona Women in Need

Precision Trials to Provide Services to Clinical Trial Participants at Planned Parenthood Arizona Locations.

For_Immediate_Release:

United States of America (Press Release) May 1, 2009 --
Phoenix, AZ, February 24, 2009 – Improved healthcare for Arizona women in need is the target of a new partnership between Precision Trials, a leading local women’s health research organization, and Planned Parenthood Arizona, the state’s largest sexual health organization.

Precision Trials helps bring new potential treatments to market through its rigorous multi-year testing and evaluation process. Planned Parenthood Arizona provides healthcare to thousands of women in need each year at its 20 Arizona locations. The partnership allows Precision Trials to provide services, such as medical exams, tests and trials in birth control options and Human Papilloma Virus testing, to qualified candidates as part of its clinical research trial program.

“It’s a privilege for us to be working with Planned Parenthood Arizona to offer additional options for Arizona women,” said Ken Levin, CEO of Precision Trials. “Our partnership is a natural fit that benefits all involved. We conduct the clinical research necessary to bring new potential and commonly sought after services to women, and Planned Parenthood Arizona serves women every day who potentially can benefit from the healthcare solutions we provide.”

Planned Parenthood Arizona also sees this relationship as a means to embrace a segment of the community that might not otherwise receive potentially innovative medical care. “Clinical research is a logical extension of our larger mission to help meet the needs of women’s health in Arizona,” said Cynthia Locke, Director of Quality Improvement for Planned Parenthood Arizona. “We look forward to improving the lives of more Arizona women through our partnership with Precision Trials.”
source: FPR


Precision Trials LLC is a Women’s Health Research organization comprised of physician investigators and research professionals dedicated to enriching the lives of future generations of women. Through its high quality, measurable clinical trial process that focuses on the safety and protection of its subjects and the production of timely and accurate clinical data, the Arizona-based organization provides care to thousands of valley women. For more information, visit us online at www.PrecisionTrials.com .

Planned Parenthood Arizona is the largest sexual health organization in Arizona and is affiliated with Planned Parenthood Federation of America. We serve 70,000 health care patients annually, and more than 35,000 teens and adults through educational programming, outreach and public policy advocacy. Planned Parenthood Arizona operates 20 health center locations in Phoenix, Flagstaff, Globe, Prescott, Tucson, and Yuma. For more information, please visit www.ppaz.org.

For more information, contact Ken Levin, CEO of Precision Trials at 602.931.4507, ext. 220, or Jolinda Nestor, Media and Communications Coordinator for Planned Parenthood Arizona at 602.263.4246.

For more information:
Phoenix, AZ

Visit our website: http://www.precisiontrials.com

Side Effects of Birth Control Pills

“Birth control pills are pills containing hormones that prevent ovulation and thus pregnancy”.

It is a pill to be taken daily, preferably at the same time to prevent pregnancy. It prevents ovulation and a woman cannot become pregnant if she doesn’t ovulate.

There are three types of birth control pills. They are (1) Mini pill or Progestin- only pill (POP) (2) Combination pill- a combination of estrogen and progestin (3) Emergency pill.

Birth control pills are very effective in preventing pregnancy but they are also reversible because fertility returns if you stop using the pill. It also reduces menstrual cramps and pain and is safe. These pills also prevent heavy menstrual bleeding and thus prevent anemia.

Although there are many advantages of taking birth control pills, most pills also have possible side effects.

Side effects of taking mini pills:

Mini pills or progesterone- only pills are low dose oral contraceptives which come in a pack of 28 pills. These pills do not contain estrogen. Possible side effects are;

• Irregular bleeding or sometimes no bleeding at all
• Headaches
• Change of moods
• Lowered sex drive
• Abdominal pain
• Tender breasts
• Feeling hungry often
  

Side effects of taking combination pills:

Combination pills are a combination of estrogen and progestin. They can be taken by breast feeding women and are very safe and effective in preventing pregnancy. They come in a pack of 21 pills and 28 pills. Possible side effects are;

• Irregular menstrual bleeding
• Nausea, vomiting and dizziness
• Headaches
• Gain in weight or loss of weight
• Changes in mood
• Breast tenderness or increase in size of breast
• Sometimes blood clot
• Decreased sex drive
• Depression
  

Side effects of emergency contraceptive pills:

Emergency contraceptive pills are not to be taken regularly, but only in the case of an emergency, to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. These pills contain more hormones than other birth control pills. Possible side effects are:

• Bleeding between periods
• Irregular periods with either heavy or light menstrual bleeding
• Dizziness, nausea and vomiting
• Headaches
• Abdominal pain
• Tenderness of the breasts
  

There are a variety of birth control pills available in the market today and you have to choose the right pill which can help you prevent pregnancy. Consult a gynecologist, who will be able to advice the right pill for you.

Can You Be Pregnant While On Birth Control Patch

There are so many methods for birth control. You can decide on which method to choose after consulting with your gynecologist.

Some of the birth control methods are; birth control pills, birth control patch (which is changed weekly) and the vaginal rings (which are changed once a month). Cervical barrier methods are also some birth control devices that are affordable and simple to use. The methods involved are latex diaphragm, cervical cap, contraceptive sponge, female condom and Lea’s shield.

Women prefer different types of birth control methods. The birth control patch or the Ortho Evra is a thin plastic patch which is 4 1/2 centimeters square patch which sticks to your skin to prevent you from getting pregnant. This patch releases hormones to your bloodstream through your skin to prevent pregnancy. It is changed once a week for three weeks in a row and then you have a patch free week.

Possibility of pregnancy while on birth control patch:

No birth control product is 100% effective. It depends on your luck and mainly on how you use it. Whichever type of birth control method you are adopting, the most important factor is that you should follow the instructions correctly, because if you make a mistake, it can result in pregnancy. The birth control patch is a popular method of birth control, preferred by many women today. It is 99% effective, but remember, there is still 1% chance for pregnancy if improperly used.

Factors leading to pregnancy while using the patch:

The chance of getting pregnant while using the birth control patch depends on how correctly you use it. 5-8 out of every 100 women have a chance of getting pregnant in a year of using birth control patch. There are many factors which can lead to improper use of this patch and can increase the risk of pregnancy.

(1) You have to change the patch every week. If there is any delay in this weekly change, the patch can lose its effects and cause pregnancy.
(2) Similarly if you miss the weekly change or remove the patch too early, the patch loses its effectiveness.
(3) The contraceptive patch will be less effective to prevent pregnancy for girls or women who weigh more than 198 pounds.
(4) Smoking can also reduce the effectiveness of the patch
(5) Taking certain medications also prevents the patch from working effectively.

The birth control patch has a reversible effect. If you stop using the patch, you will become pregnant.

Types of Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills prevent pregnancy. Today there are so many types of such pills available in the market and you have to select the right pill to suit you. Some pills might have side effects, so it is always better to consult a gynecologist before you start using birth control pills.

Types of birth control pills are mini pills, combination pills and emergency pills.

Mini pills:

This pill contains no estrogen and is also called progestin-only pill or POP and is the most effective birth control pill. It comes in a packet of 28 pills. You should take one pill everyday, preferably at the same time, and forgetting to take your pill increases the chance of pregnancy. These pills prevent fertilization.

Advantages:

• Does not affect production of milk, so can be used by breast feeding women.
• Has no estrogen and it is ideal for women who cannot take estrogen.
• It does not have the typical side effects of other birth control pills.
• Reduces menstrual cramps.
• It is easy to use and reversible (fertility returns if it is stopped).
• Less acne.
• Prevents anemia.
• Protection against certain types of cancer.

Combination pills:

Combination pill is made up of estrogen and progesterone. It is a tiny pill that had to be taken everyday and these pills suppresses ovulation or release of egg from the ovaries. It also thickens the cervical mucus, making it difficult for the sperm to enter the ovary. There are two packs – 28 pills pack and 21 pills pack.

Advantages:

• Lighter periods
• Easy to use and it is reversible as it does not affect future fertility
• Protects ovarian cancer
• It is best for emergency contraception
• Prevents acne
• Decreases breast disease
• Very easy to use
• Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
• Reduces menstrual bleeding and anemia

Emergency contraceptive pills:

Emergency pills are to be taken only in case of emergency to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex. The plan-B pill is the most popular. It contains two doses. One dose is to be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex, and the second dose 12 hours later.

Advantages:

• Prevents unintended pregnancy
• It is safe
• Easily available

Birth control pills are the best and most effective remedy if you don’t want to become pregnant. They work inside the women, prevent ovulation, and decrease the fertility of the women, thus preventing pregnancy.