Post #7 - Research Findings

As several of you already know, I did my research paper on the effects of oral contraceptives and the importance of pharmacists advising their patients about these negativities. Because these blogs are supposed to be relatively short, I will only briefly discuss the side effects that I researched.

One consequence of taking oral contraceptives is the development of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks due to women that are smokers taking the kind of pills that are meant for non-smokers. This typically occurs in underage teenage cases because some of these girls will lie about smoking habits if their mothers are present during the appointment to receive birth control.

A less serious side effect is weight gain, which is caused by an increase in estrogen. Estrogen is considered a lipid because it is a hormonal steroid, and the energy that is stored in lipid molecules may be converted to body fat if unused. Ultimately, more lipid molecules equal more fat storage.

While doing my research, I also stumbled upon an effect that I was not aware of. Apparently, women who use oral contraceptives may experience continuous sexual, metabolic, and health consequences from low levels of “unbound” testosterone. This can lead to various stages of depression, so women may need to carefully track their behavioral patterns while on birth control.

The rest of the negative aspects of birth control that I discussed were centered around the 7 day period that women take placebo pills, also known as the “hormone free interval” (HFI). Obviously, an effect that occurs during this time is hormonal withdrawals. However, there are serious issues that may occur during this time, including catamenial seizures, endometriosis pain, and pneumothorax development (build-up of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest).

Although oral contraceptives pose many dangers to women, it is the best form of preventing pregnancy, so women continue to use them. For all of these potential side effects, pharmacists can help protect women from these problems by communicating with physicians to monitor their health patterns and make necessary adjustments if needed. Physicians help make decisions about patients’ prescriptions, but pharmacists ultimately choose which brand fits each patient best. A pharmacist’s role in medical treatment is crucial because they have extensive knowledge about the medications themselves and are responsible for the safety and health of their patients.