Birth Control

What you should know about birth control pills

Birth control pills are one of the most effective ways of preventing unexpected and unwanted pregnancies. For women not in committed, monogamous relationships, birth control pills should be paired with a barrier contraceptive like condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Family Planning

Birth control is an important part of family planning. More than just preventing pregnancy, family planning is making an investment in your family's future. An unwanted pregnancy early in life won't just affect your life, but the child's life and the lives of a future spouse or children.

Using birth control can help you be in control of when you start your family so that you're prepared and you're also financially prepared. Birth control pills and condoms help you make responsible choices about your sex life and your future. Be sure to never rely on birth control to prevent disease, however. Pills won't protect you from things like HIV, hepatitis, herpes, genital warts, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and other STDs.

Condoms are the best protection against these diseases and they also help prevent pregnancy. If you're with anyone but a monogamous partner who has shown themselves to be disease-free, then you should use both birth control and condoms for added protection.

Birth Control Side Effects

Birth control pills alter your menstrual and reproduction cycle, so there can be side effects. Not everyone has side effects, and most people have mild forms. When you start on the pills, your period will fall in line with their schedule. You'll know which days you'll be on your period because of the pill you'll take on that day. While you're taking birth control, spotting can occasionally be a problem, with breakthrough bleeding during times when it should not happen. This is usually natural and clears up over time.

Sometimes when using a birth control pill, high cholesterol can result. Watching your diet carefully can make this less of a problem, though. Birth control pill acne is also problem for some women. If you're taking a generic birth control prescription, ask about the brand name pills that help prevent acne and can clear up troubled skin.