Asked when a woman should commence contraceptive use after delivery, experts have this to say, “Women who have just given birth should wait three weeks before using birth control that contains both oestrogen and progestin, such as the pill, the patch, and vaginal ring. Using these methods in the early weeks after giving birth increases the risk of dangerous blood clots.”
Ogidan says those who delivered via a C-Section or those at risk of blood clots should wait for six weeks after delivery before using any birth control with both oestrogen and progestin.
Does birth control have any advantage? Researchers at Guttmacher Institute, a family planning organisation that advances reproductive health globally, say spacing children has positive impacts on women’s education and participation in the workforce, as well as on subsequent outcomes related to income, family stability, mental health and happiness, and the well-being of their children.
Beyond this, experts say family planning helps you in getting rid of monthly pains associated with your period. The journal, Human Reproduction, notes that cramps are caused by prostaglandins, a chemical that triggers muscle contractions. “When you get your period, your body speeds up prostaglandin production to help shed the uterine lining. Going on oral contraceptives reduces the amount of prostaglandins your body pumps out, so you experience less discomfort,” the researchers say.
Ogidan notes that using combination contraception lowers a woman’s levels of testosterone, which all women make in small amounts. She says this improves the texture of the skin, making it smooth, instead of breaking out in acne or growing excess body hair.
Scientists also say using hormonal birth control makes monthly periods shorter and lighter, so you lose less blood, reducing the risk of anaemia, and leaving you strong, physically.
Ogidan also says women who use birth control pills have reduced cases of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease — a serious infection of the upper reproductive tract which, if left untreated, can compromise a woman’s fertility.
Experts say the progestin in hormonal birth control makes cervical mucus thicker, while research suggests that this forms a roadblock that makes it harder for PID-causing microbes such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea to penetrate the user’s cervix.
In all, experts warn that you should consult your physician before embarking on using birth control pills, as some of them could be dangerous to health.