POP – Making Smart Contraceptive Choices

The POP or progestin-only pill or minipill is a form of birth control pill with no estrogen and intended for use among women that breastfeed. Estrogen is believed to lower the amount of milk being produced. POP is also intended for those women having medical conditions in which case estrogen intake is contraindicated. For instance, women having a past case of blood clots should not be taking estrogen.

POPs function in the following ways:

• They obstruct the production of one of the ovulation-inducing hormones.
• These pills thicken the mucus lining in the cervix to stop sperm entry to the egg.
• They bring about changes in the uterine lining making it increasingly inhospitable for implantation of a fertilized egg.

POPs are available in twenty-eight-day packaging with all its constituent pills being active.

The minipill or POP has high efficacy. However, women need to be particular regarding their intake as missing out on the intake of any of these or those consumed behind schedule could raise pregnancy chances. The strength of these pills barely endures for a complete day; hence in this case one truly needs to be absolutely punctual regarding having these pills on the precise time each day.

Minipills are branded as Micronor, Nor-QD and Ovrette.

Positive Aspects of POPs

Below mentioned are the plus points and advantages derived out of the use of POPs:

• These are ideally suited for all those women who breastfeed.
• These birth control pills could be taken by women that are not medically advised to have estrogen, like those who indulge in smoking and are above thirty-five years old and those women having elevated blood pressure or hypertension or those suffering from migraine attacks with aura.
• The minipills help in lowering bleeding during menstrual cycle and associated excruciating cramps.
• These pills assist in safeguarding women from cancers inflicting the ovaries and uterus and PID or pelvic inflammatory disease.

The Downside about POPs:

The shortcomings linked with the usage of POPs are:

• POPs do not have as much efficacy rate as compared to the combination pills.
• The minipill has to be consumed on a daily basis at the exact time.
• These pills could lead to erratic bleeding and menstrual cycles getting skipped.
• The minipill does not bring about regularisation of periods like what the combination pills are able to offer.
• A number of side effects associated with the minipill intake that women experience are pain or cramping sensation in the abdomen, weariness, hot flushes, lowered libido, headaches, feeling nauseous, giddiness and problems linked with sleeping like insomnia.