Pregnancy and motherhood are important and exciting periods that bring joy and special meaning to a woman's life, but, unfortunately, they are associated with a number of difficulties and even losses..

Maternal mortality is unacceptably high. According to statistics, in the world more than 800 women die every day due to:.

complications during pregnancy and childbirth;

development of bleeding and infections in the postpartum period;

ectopic pregnancies and abortions.

Abortion is the second leading cause of maternal death, accounting for 19.4%1, while the frequency of modern contraceptive use in Russia remains extremely low.

Proper use of contraceptives and education of the population, especially adolescents, in contraceptive methods is an urgent and only correct solution to this problem..

The first oral contraceptives came on the market more than half a century ago.. Since then, the composition of drugs has changed significantly, new dosage forms have appeared, the dosage of hormones has significantly decreased.. However, the use of this type of contraception is still accompanied by prejudice, and some women prefer coitus interruptus, emergency contraception, or even abortion, just to "

There are many myths about hormonal drugs, which are not only unfounded, but also spread due to the extremely low awareness of the population about the safety of modern methods of contraception..

Oral contraceptives are the most popular method of contraception worldwide.. In Russia, experts attribute the low percentage of COC use to misjudgments about their use, which are widespread in our country..

The most “terrible” and one of the most common myths is that after using combined oral contraceptives it is impossible to get pregnant for a long time, and that they cause infertility.

In fact, by giving up oral contraceptives, women become pregnant with the same frequency as women using other types of contraception..

The ability to give birth to a child is fully restored.

Drugs in this group are not capable of causing persistent menstrual irregularities..

Within 2-3 months, the hormonal background completely returns to normal, this time is enough to restore the normal process of ovulation and the possibility of becoming pregnant in healthy women1.

The action of contraceptives begins from the moment the first pill is taken and stops after the drug is discontinued: the period of pregnancy is possible from the first cycle after discontinuation1. Usually pregnancy occurs within the first year, as in women who did not use hormonal contraceptives. In addition, oral contraceptives have an effect that increases the ability to bear children - when they are used for 3 months, ovulation is stimulated to cancel, which in some cases contributes to the onset of a long-awaited pregnancy.

The second most popular myth: hormones make you gain weight.

When the first hormonal contraceptives appeared in the 60s of the 20th century, they contained a high dose of hormones, so their use was indeed accompanied by an increase in body weight. Many women still believe in this stereotype.. Today, hormone doses are much lower while maintaining contraceptive effectiveness.. If a woman does not change her diet and physical activity, the latest generation of oral contraceptives do not increase body weight, and some of them even reduce it1.

The third myth is that combined oral contraceptives provoke excessive hair growth.

This side effect was associated with the androgenic properties of progestogens - effects similar to those of male hormones.. Modern drugs, on the contrary, favorably affect the condition of the skin and hair, are effectively used in the treatment of skin diseases such as acne, blackheads, comedones..

No less "

It has long been proven that a significant reduction in the risk of ovarian, uterine and colon cancer when taking combined oral contraceptives. Prolonged ovarian function under conditions of ovulation blockade reduces the incidence of ovarian cancer by half and endometrial cancer by 60%1, and the risk of developing genital cancer progressively decreases with increasing duration of combined oral contraceptives. Thus, the likelihood of ovarian cancer is reduced by 41, 54 and 61% after 4, 8 and 12 years of their use, respectively..

The protective effect appears after 3-6 months. use and persists up to 20 years after discontinuation of combined oral contraceptives1. However, with long-term use of high doses of estrogens, there is a risk of stimulating a pre-existing and undiagnosed neoplasm process.. To exclude the risk of developing malignant neoplasms, it is recommended to conduct ultrasound of the mammary glands or mammography before using COCs and at least 1 time per year..

The next myth is that against the background of taking COCs, there is a decrease in sexual desire.

Libido depends on the level of hormones and the psycho-emotional background of a woman. The use of combined oral contraceptives can reduce anxiety levels, thereby beneficially affecting libido.

Another myth is that after the abolition of combined oral contraceptives, the menstrual cycle occurs, menstruation becomes painful.

The action of hormonal contraceptives stops almost immediately after their cancellation..

Against the background of daily intake of hormones in a constant dose, the hormonal background is leveled, which, when the drug is discontinued, returns to its original level.. Sometimes hidden problems that have not been diagnosed before may appear, therefore, before taking COCs, it is recommended to “donate blood for hormones”.

At the appointment with the gynecologist, women often ask the question, is it necessary to take breaks when taking combined oral contraceptives?

Previously, when oral contraceptives contained a large amount of hormones, long-term use suppressed the work of the ovaries, and in order for the ovaries not to “forget” how to work, a break was taken in taking pills for 6–9 months1. Now this need has disappeared:

in the process of taking combined oral contraceptives in the ovaries, the physiological processes of maturation of follicles continue with the preservation of the most genetically complete eggs until the drug is discontinued, so taking birth control pills without interruption is possible as long as there is a need for contraception.

“Pauses” in taking oral contraceptives without the consent of a doctor increase the risk of thrombosis, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism disorders1. In addition, an unplanned pregnancy may occur..

The correct choice of the mode of administration and hormonal components in the composition of combined oral contraceptives is the key to adherence to contraception.

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