Six myths about the pill busted

June 24, 10:14 PMWichita Women's Community ExaminerRebecca Siebert

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Women go on the pill for many reasons. Some go on the pill because it is not
a convenient time to have a pregnancy. Others take it to help control the
symptoms that come alone with your period. Take me for instance. I was so bloated that my clothes wouldn't fit I had diarrhea, I would vomit, extremely heavy flow and extreme abdominal pain. The pain was so bad that I would have to miss the first day and half
of school when I first started my period. There was no way I could afford
missing all that time while I was in college.

There are women that have been on the pill for years (myself included).
Sometimes we are uncomfortable and even forget to ask our physicians
questions about the pill. So here are some myths and facts about the Birth
Control Pill.

Myth- the pill is hormone free.

Fact- The pill is filled with estrogen and Progestin. These added hormones
stop ovulation and help in the thicken of the cervical mucas. It blocks
your body from making it's own estrogen and Progesterone.

Myth- Everywoman is eligible for the pill.

Fact- For women that are 35 years or older and a smoker the death risks is
greatly increased. If you are prone to a history of blood clots, heart
attacks, strokes, liver disease and breast cancer you might want to try
something else.

Myth- After using the pill for an extended amount of time it will make you
infertile.

Fact- It takes the pill for about 3 months to get out of your system and for
your period to regulate itself. Women over the age of 35 may have problems
conceiving not due to how long they were on the pill, but do to their age.

Myth- Once in a while it's good to get off the pill to give your body a
break.

Fact- You only take a break from the pill when you want to conceive. The
only time you take a break from the pill if the hormone levels are off
causing irregular spotting and perhaps migraines.

Myth- The pill preserves all of your eggs.

Fact- At birth every woman is born with every egg she will ever have. If you
are on the pill it prevents your body from releasing them. If the eggs are
not being used they eventually die off.

Myth- The pill increases the chance of getting cancer in the
reproductive organs.

Fact- Being on the pill decrease the chance of getting ovarian cancer by
30%- 50%. It also reduces the chance of getting endometrail cancer by 30%.