Birth control today; 4; The Pill

The pill is the answer to mankind's quest for birth control. It's 100 percent reliable and safe. It's cheap and it should be dispensed freely all over the world. The pill is dangerous. It may cause cancer heart disease and blood clotting. Widespread use of birth control pills is giving rise to health hazards on a scale previously unknown to medicine. I think that the contraceptive pill should be given in the same manner as other very specialized drugs given in medicine. All drugs have. Their dangers. The pill has its place if prescribed properly. WB AA presents birth control today. Freedom and responsibility. This is a series of programs about birth control and how it affects us and our society. Today we will look into the medical aspects of the pill. Should I or shouldn't I take the pill. This question is asked by thousands of American women every

day. And the truth is that no one really knows the answer. Medical opinion is sharply divided on the issue. Some doctors feel safe prescribing the pill to their own families while others refuse to dispense it saying the pill hasn't been around long enough for its long term effects to be known. Even so over eight and a half million American women are swallowing their progesterone or estrogen tablets each day believing that freedom from pregnancy far outweighs the risk or possible discomforts. Over 18 and a half million women are using the pill worldwide. The story of the pill is a long tale of contradiction and controversy mass media have glorified the issue with splashy articles on the latest findings on the pill to the extent that the American woman finds herself even more confused to help clear all the model of the U.S. Senate held hearings on the pros and cons of the pill. And as a result the federal government moved to give women more information about the pills potential health hazards. The Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to three

hundred eighty one thousand doctors hospital pharmacists and hospital administrators urging them to tell patients about potential risks. Dr. Charles S. Edwards FDA commissioner wrote in most cases a full disclosure of the potential adverse effect of these products would seem advisable thus preventing the participation of the patient in the assessment of the risks associated with this method of oral contraception. The FDA letter also said new labeling regulations require drug companies to include a stronger warning about the risk of blood clotting in the literature the companies distribute on oral contraceptives to doctors and druggists each package of pills would have such information enclosed in his written brochure. The American Medical Association has responded to this by writing and distributing their own pamphlet on what you should know about the pill they are requesting all physicians to give this booklet to each of their pill patients. What are the risks and factors to be weighed when you consider using the pill. Let's join Dr. Richard Patterson and his office at the Arnett clinic in Lafayette as he talks with Colleen Gary about

the pill and its use. Something. That covers a multitude of things there are only 20. Or 22. Birth control pills available on the American market. Basically they are a combination of. Female sex to right and you can protest around. In various doses. In various combinations. Administered and one of two ways. For the purpose of preventing pregnancy. The fundamental. Physiology of preventing pregnancy is through innovation innovation or through preventing the ovary from producing an egg every month. Monthly normal woman will produce an egg from one of the ovaries.

The exact mechanism through which the pill inhibits. This operation. Is very well worked out. There is some question as to the exact. Area of action when it start to inhibit production of. The ovary the ovary stimulating hormones produced by the pituitary gland. A small regulator of the intercom system behind the eyes. However there are many other effects of the bell which also act to prevent conception. We know that with some birth control pills I'm going to ration does occur occasionally. Yet rape intro seems to be just as effective where organization occurs. And it started in this case by affecting

possibly the most gravity of the fallopian tube which transports the eggs from the ovary to the lining of the womb by the very definite. Microscopic alterations in the end of medium or lining of the bone or possibly by the alterations in the mucus produced by the uterine cervix or the mouth of the womb. This mucus is very important in transportation or in allowing penetration into the cavity of the uterus and actually except at the time of your nation. Is inhibitory to the passage of the sperm. With the addition of an oral contraceptive. The woman's cervical you. This is very receptive to sperm

penetration and this at least is in an additive way in which the oral contraceptive works. There are two types of cells divided loosely by the words combination therapy and sequence of therapy. Each method has its own particular advantages and disadvantages. The sequential pills are those in which a woman takes education alone for the first 14 or 15 days of the cycle followed by five to six days a combination of estrogen and progesterone. The combination pills are exactly as the name implies These are pills which contain both action and progesterone. They are taken for 20 or 21 days depending upon the type of pill. And they have their simultaneous activity through out the cycle. All pills share the drawback that at any time a woman mention a

pill she is vulnerable to pregnancy. Probably for the remainder of that cycle. Certainly if she admits to pills. She is extremely vulnerable and probably should use some other method of contraception for the remainder of that cycle even though she should continue the pills for the remainder of the cycle. I think this is very true. Many things have to. Be. This is this is funny but. I have had patients who take their pills to their toothbrush or toothpaste. When I was in service I had a radio who kept her container it was in a coffee can. Because she. Made coffee every day and there was no window where she could forget her pill. I've

seen people use all sorts of memory aids. I think there's no one it's best except possibly a concerned husband. I found a concern as woman is probably the best memory of the wunderkind. How do you think there are again several pills on the market now in which you take a pill for. 28 days out of every 28 days cycle. These pills are useful and that you don't have to remember when to start taking the pill. However these are a still a 21 day pill. They last seven of these pills are dummies they contain Irish sugar. And are dispensed only as a memory aid. The other types of pills

are the ones that there are several on the market that you will take one pill a day for three weeks and stop for a week. You will start again after one week off the pill. Even though you are without regard to your menstrual cycle. And then there is the first dose each catheter which goes back to the very origin of the pill and lets you take one pill a day for 20 days stop wait the onset of menstruation and on the fifth day of menstruation resumed taking the pills for another 20 days. I don't know one of these methods as any real superiority. The first two methods mentioned were devised in an attempt to help the lady remember. They do not offer any intrinsic superiority over the oldest method but they again are for the

memory of the memory crash which is fundamental in successful use of the pill. When you take the pill his in the material. Time of the day doesn't matter provided that you get one pill approximately every 24 hours. You can take a pill at night as many women do. Should there be any nausea are symptoms your usually sleep through it. Take a pill in the morning. Again when you take it is really dependent on when your memory. When your crush says take a pill and it makes no difference in its effect in this provided 24 hour intervals maintain 24 hour. Time. To approximately 24 hours. If you go out on a party or something like that going on three or four hours later they usually go bad. It does not matter that much if

you forget it overnight. Well that's something else again. This again might be considered dangerous cycle. Can anyone take you know there are certain groups of women. Who should not under any circumstances take the pill. This is not something that you can say without a thorough physical examination of the complete medical history and I feel normal happening here within the past month. But basically we can segregate several groups of women who shouldn't take the pill. I think too that causing most concern are those people with migraine syndrome migraine headache. Because the pills have been shown to have a tendency of increase this. There are

women who have varicose veins are very pastiche of the lower extremities. Our history of clotting disorders. There are those women who have cancer of the breast are other hormone dependent cancers. Now these women should not under any circumstances take the pill. In my opinion. And I think that this opinion is shared by most practicing. However just my own opinion that there are a number of conditions that are aggravated by the pill. It's my own opinion that we do not know enough to allow a woman to take that pill indefinitely. But these are really the only three absolute contraindications that have emerged from the literature in the last 10

years and I say this being fully aware of the information that has been generated by recent Senate hearings. And the rather sensational versity giving given of these hearings. I have a strong feeling that the senator in question is probably a protection issue. Yes I think it is a factor. But again the age of the woman has to be considered when you consider the risk of a pregnancy. The risk of pregnancy. Quadruples as the woman passes from or thirty fifth birthday on into their. Forties. Wow to the best of our information the risk pill at the most with novel.

When saying what age group should or should not take the pill. You have to look at the other side of the coin and say what's the risk from being pregnant at this age. A very young woman has. Very low risk in pregnancy going in their thirties has a somewhat high risk pressure. Women in your 40s usually has a significant risk compared to women and to say that you shouldn't take a pill because she's 40. Maybe she shouldn't be pregnant here and you have to pick which is the least rich vein of evidence indicates that the woman in her 40s should be screened just as a woman in her 20s and then a woman in her 40s should should be decided whether she can or cannot

take on the basis of her physical condition and medical history at the moment not on the fact that she's 40 years old. Many many women and therefore each will have a medical card for indications to the pill which were not present or which are not present in the 20 women and more women in their 40s are denied it because of these medical not because of their age. And woman taking oral contraceptives may well have them in a vase without noise. The oral contraceptives will completely mask any symptoms of a woman. She will normally continue to demonstrate regularly. She will not. Conceal any organic problems that she might develop. But she will

not be aware of a common base for motor symptoms. High five issues here ability and so forth that are commonly. So long as she continues you are perceptive. It's quite possible to induce regular periods in one of seven provided she takes the or perceptive. I don't necessarily say that's a good idea but it is a possibility. That people have been blamed for everything that I know. I can't really think of no. Medical. Problem. Has been blamed on a pill. Sometimes you have to take the pill for Cheryl my congregation is that we can't prove.

Very much like pregnancy which usually subsides in a month or two take. Rest. Tenderness the source of the Rasta frequently accompanies ministration early pregnancy is our. Problem. And there are no women. Who have aggravation over several preexisting conditions. Very common yeast infection in the vagina sometimes aggravated are maintained by the server of infection our server. Is also occasionally maintained by the pills are aggravated by. I believe though I do this that there is no woman has a basic underlying nervous disorder

who has a significant aggravation a very nervous disorder except the other side. CARNEY uses women with some of the more serious nervous disorder motion of the stars who are accurate to some extent by taking the pill are usually more likely coming. So again it's a question of relative risk and a question of acceptability of other means of contraception to this particular woman. Then you go through the medical literature. I can think of everything from. Riteish to. Well I don't know anybody ever were so. Young that.

I really can name almost any organ system you care to think of that has been there. All right. Wish the pill has been blamed for anger. We have very little black and white evidence very concrete evidence. To support most of the allegations against him. With the exception with the exception of the things I mentioned before. Well. When a woman takes the helm there is a. Definite shift and ability of the body. This is similar to the ship. Right Nancy. And it seems to be a dose related. Now with our new mini doze your tiny toes. You know all of this is probably what not to know more than a two to three weight loss. That was going to do against 10 cars or try our founders

as many women do does she really know if you should do that or is it due to the fact that during her early period taking that she's a little something in her stomach rationalizing this can be controlled with medication which has no cowering in it when this is done. It's not really that much of a route or if you want to get out of the psychology of it is this a moment of living with annoying anxiety about. Right. That takes the edge off your appetite takes the edge off your sense of well-being after a few months on the pill she realizes she's not going to get. Maybe she feels me she suggested. Better the next thing you know she has gained 10 pounds in the Bill Carter weight gain.

Through the no mechanic so they're working then you should lose all his weight. You're Are you sure you're obviously after stopping the car. This is hard to say. Since January number. Taking the film was probably dropped there. You think Senate committee hearings. On the Friday before the Senate committee hearings and the popular vote if you're having an affair was first made available in America. It was held as a panacea. There was some agitation over the counter right purchased by any White House official this was

ridiculous because these are medications that should not be taken care of supervision. I can't convince myself from what I know it fills the Pandora's box that they're presently being. It's very difficult to separate reality and morality. From contraception. I think this is evident by your. Survey revenues that are you know find unbiased study. Difficult find large studies which don't contain violence or against even many of the large statistical studies including the one that has been so often quoted from England are open to different

interpretations depending. I just. Mary statisticians have taken English differ so it's quite difficult to know what to say. Most of what I'm going to say now is basically my own opinion. I don't think all practicing economist. Sure I think the oral contraceptives actually matter. Birth control for woman who has no medical reason not to take. I do not think they should be handed out Carol. Perhaps

good history and I think that women should be instructed to report any. Changes in her personality are a physical sense of well-being before continuing. I think the woman should plan to use it for one to three years three years at the absolute maximum and ensure that if she's not ready for a child she should shift to another means of contraception and. She has had several normal periods until she has resumed her previous menstrual cycle. I think during the course of the two three years this woman takes these pills you should be seen several times if you have a smear test at a minimum of once a year and complete by the county and all of the other routine things which

should be done as well as a great care from a violation of the breast areas. If these things are thought through. I have no objection to them. I think they're useful in spacing you're sure. Between your psychotically practicality sometimes. Otherwise I don't feel particularly useful contraceptive has completed her family. Complete Family in the late 20s early 30s. Many women their families before they reach 25. Have only.

I don't feel I can conscience tell my patients. I don't feel like I can tell only for 10 years straight. I do think it was 10 years ago that we. Would be able to pick up by now. The harmful effects of taking two three years. Certainly should have shown up. For now they are taking a permanent harm. We will demonstrate in their rated children being born an increase in the death rate or an increase in the

rate of hospitalization. I don't think any of these things can be shown. And so honestly I don't care two to three year period of time it is relatively safe. Particularly when there are taking interest first between us ever. This has been birth control today. Freedom and responsibility. The next programme in the series will discuss voluntary sterilization as a method of contraception special guest today was Dr. Richard Patterson of the Arnette clinic in Lafayette Indiana that there is was written and produced by Colleen Gary and narrated by David Batty recording engineers Morris Morgridge announcer Roger priest. The series is presented to the instructional radio division of WBA University West Lafayette Indiana.

This is the national educational radio network.