Learn to present a balanced summary of the health benefits of oral contraceptives, including non-contraceptive benefits, and the possible risks. The degree to which a woman is informed about both the health benefits of oral contraceptives and the potential risks involved will impact directly on the success of her use of OCs. Misperceptions and a lack of information have led women to associate the pill with increased risks for certain medical conditions, even as data from three surveys demonstrate a general lack of knowledge among women regarding the substantive health benefits associated with oral contraceptives. Because of this imbalance of information, a large percentage of women who might be receiving regular health benefits from OCs are not taking the pill. Oral contraceptives help women with hormonal imbalance disorders, such as hirsutism, which is caused by elevated androgen levels that can be decreased with OC use.
Oral contraceptives help women with acne by reducing the levels of androgens that are causative.
Oral contraceptives help women with menorrhagia by regulating and lessening the menstrual flow. OCs protect against dysmenorrhea, a common problem among adolescents, by regulating menstrual flow. And, probably due to their suppression of prostaglandin synthesis, OCs may alleviate PMS symptoms. Oral contraceptives eliminate mittelschmerz, because they prevent ovulation. Oral contraceptives may provide protection against benign breast disease, by inhibiting breast cell proliferation during the first half of an ovulatory menstrual cycle.