Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Contraception

Sunday, 8 December 2013

Contraception - Contraceptive Patch

Contraceptive patch is a medical adhesive patch attached to the skin (abdomen, upper body, or buttocks) of a woman to prevent possibility of pregnancy by graduating releasing dose of synthetic estrogen and progesterone into bloodstream, similar to the oral combined contraceptive pill. In US , only one patch is approved, called Ortho Evra. You only need to change the patch every two weeks. The patch is considered as more convenient than the the pill.

How it works
1. Reduce the period blood flow
2. Reduce the bleeding by thinning the endometrial lining.
3. Reduce the period pain by inhibiting the hormone prostaglandins hormones that cause the uterine muscles spasm.
4. Reduce the bleeding of cysts and pelvic cavity because the Pill creates the pregnant-like state.
5. Suppress the estrogen that is needed to start a menstrual cycle.
6. Etc.

Symptoms, Risks and side effects
1. Blood clots
All hormonal methods of birth control pose a threat to normal blood flow.The contraceptive patch is no exception, it increases the risk of of blood clots in your legs or on the lung caused by estrogen in the pill that makes your blood thicker in the veins.

2. Stroke
Woman who uses the contraceptive patch may increase the risk of stroke caused by blockage of blood flow to the brain as resulting of high level of estrogen in the pill that reduces the oxygen transportation as the blood getting thicker.

3. Heart disease
Similar to the stroke, as our blood get thicker, your heart has to pump harder to provide oxygen for our body cells need causing hypertension. If the heart has to work that hard for a prolong period of time because of long term use of the contraceptive, it will be damaged causing heart disease.

4. Skin pigment
Some woman may experience increasing of pigmentation of skin that shows up in patchy and light brown area caused by estrogen in the patch.

5. Mood swing
Some women may experience mood swing while using the patch, it is caused by significant changes in your hormone levels affecting the chemicals that regulate mood such as level of estrogen and progesterone in the patch.

6. Bleeding and spotting
Bleeding and spotting when you are not scheduled to bleed and spotting, are very common in the first 6 months of continuous birth control patch, because your body has to take time to adjust to the change of hormone level. The longer you use the patch the lesser the bleeding and spotting.

7. Infertility
Some women after coming off the birth control patch and hope to get pregnant, they may be disappointed. Not only the effects of the contraceptive patch maybe needed sometime to wire off, our body may never be able to adjust, causing lost of period permanently.

8. Increase the size of fibroids
Contraceptive patch contains estrogen that promote the growth of fibroids. If you have fibroids and you want to use the patch, you should talk to your doctor first.

9. Etc.

The advantages of the contraceptive patch
1. Control unwanted pregnancy
It has a failure rate of 1%, if used properly.

2. Control menstrual cramps
It helps to inhibit the over production of prostaglandins which cause the muscles spam contraction of ovarian muscles resulting of less period pain and period flow.

3. Reducing the rate of reproductive organ diseases
Simliar to the oral contraceptive pill. the patch helps reduce the rate of ovarian and endometrial cancer, benign breast disease, benign ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, because of stopping or reducing of period blood flow.

4. Shinking endometriosis
Endometrial implants, adhesion or cysts no longer active, because there are no substance to activate the menstrual cycle because of pregnancy like state that shrinks the endometriosis.

5. Anemia
Since anemia is a disease of iron deficiency, intake of the pill stops or reduces the period blood, there are less iron needed to be produced by the liver or other organs.

6. Etc.

The disadvantages of the contraceptive patch
1. Growth of fibroids
Fibroid starts from a single cell that grows abnormally. Fibroid occurs mostly in women after puberty and shrink after menopause. Growth of fibroid is caused high level of estrogen and progesterone. Using the contraceptive patch increases the level of both hormones resulting in increase the risk of the growth of fibroid.

2. Recurrent of menstrual symptoms
Some women who stop the patch, may see all the menstrual symptoms coming back.

3. Blood clots
Estrogen released causes blood getting thicker resulting in blood clots in the small vessels in the leg and the lung.

4. Stroke and heart diseases
Study shows that women who have higher natural estrogen levels may have a higher risk of stroke and heart diseases caused by estrogen in the patch that blocks that hormonal action in some parts of the body, while increasing its effects in the heart and others.

5. Hormonal imbalance
The contraceptive may influence the imbalance hormones of estrogen and progesterone. Normally, It requires six months for the body to adjust to the use of the patch.

6. Depression and mood swing
Using the patch in the beginning may cause abnormal fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone elevation both physical and psychological stress, eventually resulting in both depression and mood swing. If depression and mood swing continue over six months period, it is for your own good to talk to your doctor.

7.Infertility
Prolong use of the patch may cause loss of period in some women. Some women may take months or year to get their period back. resulting of infertility.

8. Bleeding and spotting
Bleeding and spotting is normal for the first six months for women started using the patch because our body needs time to adjust to the new medication.

9. Lost interest in sex
Women who use the contraceptive patch are in danger of permanently lost their interest in sex because it inhibits testosterone, the hormone that drives sexual desire even aftyer if they stop using the patch.

10. Nutritional deficiency
Contraceptive patch can causes vitamin and mineral imbalances or deficiencies. It depletes magnesium for healthy heart, coenzyme Q10 for healthy heart muscles, folic acid for preventing cervical abnormalities, vitamin B6, B2, B3, zinc, etc.

11. Etc.