While your menstrual cycle may be
highly irregular - indicating you are
only ovulating a few times a year -
unless you have not had any bleeding
at all for a minimum of 12 months, (and you are considered officially in menopause), you can still get pregnant, at least theoretically. If this is not something you want at this time in your life, then it's important that you take steps to prevent it from occurring.
For many women, the answer is the low dose birth control pill. According to Dr. Ronald Burkman, professor and deputy chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tufts University School of Medicine, in addition to protecting you from getting pregnant, it can also help reduce some perimenopausal symptoms - including hot flashes and even some forms of sexual dysfunction. So in this respect, you are getting more than one benefit from using oral contraception.
In terms of safety, Dr. Burkman says there is
good news here as well: Studies show that if you
are basically healthy, and a non-smoker, you can
safely use the Pill well into your mid-fifties with
very little risk of problems. Although some very
early studies indicated an increased risk of blood
clots, strokes, and even heart attacks for older
women on the Pill , virtually all of that research
involved very high dose estrogen formulas - with
as much as 150 mcg per pill. This is far different
from the low-dose Pills routinely offered to older
women today - with most containing just 30 mcg
of estrogen per dose.
Many of you are no doubt concerned about
recent information on the risks of hormone
replacement therapy. However, it's important to realize
that these studies do not include the same kind of hormonal formulations found in birth control pills. Although HRT and the Pill are both hormone-based
preparations, they affect in the body in different ways. While HRT works by adding hormones to what your body is already producing, birth control pills shut
down your body's natural hormone production and replace it with a small, metered amount of hormone. In this say, levels can be more closely controlled.
Studies show that regular use of oral contraceptives, even during the perimenopause years, reduces the risk of both ovarian and endometrial cancer - and the protection continues for up to 30 years after you stop. There is also mounting evidence the Pill can protect you against colorectal cancer as well . A new Swedish study found that using oral contraceptives in your 40's reduces your risk of hip fracture later in life by up to 30%, mostly due to an increase in bone density, which is also linked to pill use. While there is some research indicating the Pill might slightly increase the risk of breast cancer in some women - particularly those at high risk - there are equal numbers of studies showing no increased risk at all.
The bottom line: If you are at all sexually active, and interested in birth control, taking a low dose Pill makes good sense - at least until you reach 12 full months with no menstrual period and no vaginal bleeding.
If you are still concerned about safety issues, talk to your doctor about the benefits of ultra low dose pills such as Loesterin, Alesse, Mircette or Levlite, which contain just 20 mcg of estrogen per dose. They can still protect against pregnancy. (For more information on the use of low dose birth control pills in perimenopause, check out Your Perfectly Pampered Menopause.
What you must know !
To Learn More About Your Body At Mid-Life -
Including :
- How and why hormones change
- Hot Flashes & Mood Swings:What You Can Do
- Night Sweats: Why they Happen
- Dysfunctional Bleeding-What To Expect
- Irregular Periods: What They Mean
- MidLIfe Skin Snafus
- The real truth about HRT
- What to expect when you stop hormone therapy
- How to make sex feel good again
- How To Look Younger Without Surgery
- Female Sex Products That Really Work
- Natural Hormones: The REAL Truth
- How Mother Nature CAN Help
- How Exercise Can Change Your Sex Life
And So Much More !
If these are the topics on your mind
then you need . . . .
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The book that really understands how you feel -
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Think you're too old to get pregnant? Guess again! More than 50% of all pregnancies after age 45 are unplanned surprises! Now you can have protection - and hormonal benefits too - all without the risks of HRT. Here's how . . .
Mid Life Pregnancy - Birth Control After 40 - The Pill After 40 - Pregnancy Protection Midlife
YourMenopause.com
TheSource.
