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What Mothers and Daughters Should Know About Birth Control
By Carma Haley
The Pill
One of the most popular forms of contraception, the birth control pill -- more commonly called "the Pill" -- is an oral contraceptive that must be taken each day to prevent pregnancy. The Pill offers no protection against STDs and is 95 to 99.9 percent effective.* "The good thing about oral contraceptives is that the woman is in control," says Carrozza. "She doesn't have to rely on her partner. I find that [it] is very difficult for young teen woman is to negotiate the use of a contraceptive or having to talk their partner into doing it. They just do not have the skills to do it. There are many adult women who do not have these skills as well because they never learned them when they were younger."
Taking the Pill will offer a constant and consistent amount of protection against pregnancy when taken regularly and as prescribed. Other advantages include more regularity in menstrual periods and a decrease in menstrual cramping. The Pill has also been shown to decrease the risk of osteoporosis, cervical cancer and pelvic inflammatory disease. Remember, though, that the Pill offers no protection against any sexually transmitted diseases. Other disadvantages of the Pill include the fact that it must be taken daily -- regardless of the amount of sexual activity -- to provide proper protection, and it may cause weight gain or depression. Women older than 35 or women who smoke are at greater risk of developing blood clots, heart attack and stroke while using the Pill as their means of contraception.* The average cost of the pill ranges from $15 to $35 for one month's supply and additional costs are required for a medical exam before the Pill can be prescribed. All of these advantages and disadvantages must be weighed carefully when considering the Pill as the method of birth control.