The pill FAQs

Should you get on the pill Does it cause cancer How does getting on the pill impact fertility Active Gets doctors Suruchi Desai and Kurush Paghdiwala to answer those questions plus four more Its been over five decades since the Pill first arrived in the US An estimated 80 per cent of women will at some point during their reproductive years use the combined oral contraceptive method Its use has moved beyond the original intentions of its makers and the Pill is used today to cut the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer in highrisk women to alleviate abnormally heavy or painful periods to fight anemia to stabilise moods and to even clear up acne Gynaecologists Suruchi Desai and Kurush Paghdiwala answer questions you may have about the Pill Does the Pill interact with other medicines If yes which ones and whyIf you are either on ATC Anti tuberculosis drugs or thyroid medication then it is best to inform your doctor and then continue or discontinue usage of the pill accordingly With respect to any other drugs there houldnt be a problem What should I do if I miss a Pill combined pillprogesterone onlyIf you forget to take a pill take it as soon as you remember and take the next pill at the usual time If you miss two days take two pills each day for the next two days and then go back to your usual schedule owever there is an added risk of nausea and midcycle spotting when one misses two or more pills It also depends on how many days you have been on the pill Will antibiotics reduce the efficacy of the PillNo not ones that you use routinely However if you are still concerned or unsure it is best to consult your doctor on the same When will my period return after I stop taking itDepending on which pill you are taking a low dose one or a higher dose one you should get your period within five to seven days of stopping the course However this is only with respect to the combined estrogen progesterone pill If you are on the plain progesterone pill then it might take a little longer Some studies report that the Pill may be a causal agent of breast cancer Is there any truth to thisNot at all In fact the progesterone hormone which protects us from cancer is only produced in our bodies for 10 to 12 days When on the pill our bodies get progesterone for at least 21 days increasing our protection against breast cancer However the problem here is if one does develop breast cancer the pill aggravates the condition and it spreads faster Thus it is very important to go for regular checkups Will a pregnancy test work if Im on the PillYes it will definitely work The compounds in an oral contraceptive pill will not counteract the pregnancy test and the results will be absolutely justified However that being said it is unlikely that you would get pregnant while on the pill unless you are forgetting to take the pills very frequently as it is an almost 100 effective method of preventing unwanted pregnancy Does getting on the Pill increase or decrease fertilityNo In fact it leaves you in the exactly as when you first started the pill This myth gets propagated only because people start the pill without any knowledge of their state prior to getting on it and when something is wrong they tend to blame it on the pill Is taking a break from the Pill recommended or requiredActually these breaks are completely unnecessary It would be better instead to go for regular blood pressure and pelvic checkus to make sure everything is fine It is 100 safe to continue using the pill up to the age of 40 or till one wants to get pregnant