Positive and Negative Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives
Positive and Negative Effects of Hormonal Contraceptives
This paper closely discusses both the positives and negatives of the use of hormonal contraceptives. The question of its benefits versus risks is even more imperative as it affects far more people than other hot topics like death penalty or euthanasia. We are not talking about a couple of horrific criminals but about 100 million women all across the world who take hormonal contraceptives. As with every drug there are always two sides to it, it is likewise with hormonal birth control pills. There are reasons why they are taken, regarded as benefits or medical conditions, while there are negative side-effects and risks related to their use. Consequently, it needs to be analyzed which outweighs the other and if the benefit is worth its risk. As this is a very individual issue each woman should carefully consider her decision. The question remains how much limited this decision should be by a doctor who is prescribing the pills or even possibly by a higher authority as there are considerable risks. Hormonal birth control serves primarily, as the name reveals, to prevent a woman from getting pregnant. There are numerous advantages such as prevention of giving birth to an unwanted child, less abortions and less young women having a child when they are not ready yet.
However, there are also other serious medical conditions which can be treated with hormonal pills. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is “a hormone imbalance which causes irregular menstrual periods, acne, and excess hair growth” (Center for Young, 2011) where the pills can lower the hormones to regulate menstrual periods. Moreover, both dysmenorrhea (severe menstrual pain), “affecting up to 90% of young women” (ACOG, 2009), menstrual cramps from endometriosis and menorrhagia (excessive menstrual bleeding), leading to anemia, can be improved by hormonal contraceptives. Also amenorrhea, menstrual cramps and
This paper closely discusses both the positives and negatives of the use of hormonal contraceptives. The question of its benefits versus risks is even more imperative as it affects far more people than other hot topics like death penalty or euthanasia. We are not talking about a couple of horrific criminals but about 100 million women all across the world who take hormonal contraceptives. As with every drug there are always two sides to it, it is likewise with hormonal birth control pills. There are reasons why they are taken, regarded as benefits or medical conditions, while there are negative side-effects and risks related to their use. Consequently, it needs to be analyzed which outweighs the other and if the benefit is worth its risk. As this is a very individual issue each woman should carefully consider her decision. The question remains how much limited this decision should be by a doctor who is prescribing the pills or even possibly by a higher authority as there are considerable risks. Hormonal birth control serves primarily, as the name reveals, to prevent a woman from getting pregnant. There are numerous advantages such as prevention of giving birth to an unwanted child, less abortions and less young women having a child when they are not ready yet.
However, there are also other serious medical conditions which can be treated with hormonal pills. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is “a hormone imbalance which causes irregular menstrual periods, acne, and excess hair growth” (Center for Young, 2011) where the pills can lower the hormones to regulate menstrual periods. Moreover, both dysmenorrhea (severe menstrual pain), “affecting up to 90% of young women” (ACOG, 2009), menstrual cramps from endometriosis and menorrhagia (excessive menstrual bleeding), leading to anemia, can be improved by hormonal contraceptives. Also amenorrhea, menstrual cramps and
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