Birth Control - Weight Gain

Women often blame the birth control pill for weight gain. But studies have shown that the effect of the birth control pill on weight is small — if it exists at all.

However, the way the hormones in birth control pills act on tissues in your breasts, hips and thighs can make you feel as if you've gained weight. This is usually due to fluid retention and not increased body mass or fat. Estrogen in birth control pills directly affects fat (adipose) cells, making them larger, but not greater in number.

In very rare circumstances women may add muscle, which can add weight, when taking the pill. This is due to the slight male-sex-hormone effect that the pill may have on some women.

But no matter if pill-related weight gain is perceived or real, many women find this side effect undesirable. Taking pills with a low dose of estrogen may diminish these effects, but you may also experience a greater risk of spotting between periods.
For more information, visit mayoclinic.com

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While the majority of women who participated in a nationwide survey of women aged 18 to 35 believe the answer to these questions is "yes," the fact is that the answer to both of these questions is "no." These are some of the myths that affect how millions of American women think about and use birth control pills.

"It's very important for women to be educated about the birth control pill so that they are able to base their contraceptive decisions on facts, not myths and misinformation," said A. George Thomas, clinical associate professor, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City. "After 40 years of use, we take for granted that women are fully informed about the Pill, but I find that many of my patients are not. The survey results confirm that we need to do a better job educating women."

Survey Finding:: Sixty-one percent of women surveyed believe the Pill causes weight gain.

Fact: Not all birth control pills cause weight gain. An equal number of women tend to gain weight as lose weight while taking a birth control pill. In clinical studies of Ortho Tri-cyclen, women reported no more weight gain than women who were taking inactive pills. Women concerned about weight gain should talk with their healthcare professionals.

Survey Finding: Almost half of survey respondents believe women need to take a break from using the Pill.

Fact:: Women don't need a break from the Pill. "Today, more women are using the Pill and staying on it longer," said Dr. Thomas. "And, research shows that women do not need to take a break from the Pill." Healthcare professionals can prescribe birth control pills to healthy, nonsmoking women over 40. But, how long a woman stays on the Pill is something she should discuss with her healthcare professional.

For more information, visit Womenshealth.about.com

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A study featured in the May 2002 issue of the medical journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found that overweight women stand a higher chance of accidentally getting pregnant while using "the pill."

Under normal circumstances, if birth control pills are taken as prescribed, only about 1 in 1,000 women become accidentally pregnant.* The recent research reflected in the study showed that women who weigh more than 155 pounds are 60% more likely to have their oral contraceptive fail… even if they are taking it as prescribed. The risk is highest for overweight women utilizing low-dose or very-low-dose birth control pills.

For their study, the researchers examined pregnancy rates among women aged 18-39 who use oral contraception. The findings suggest that a possible explanation for the pill's failure to prevent pregnancy in some overweight women is due to a change in metabolic rate (caused by a higher body weight) which leads to the alteration of a hormone level that is necessary for contraception.

In light of these findings, the study's authors advise that physicians should take women's weight into account when suggesting oral contraceptives as a sole form of birth control.

For more information, visit weightloss.about.com

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In a survey conducted during the months of November and December 2007 by The Women's Hair Loss Project, a website uniting and empowering women around the world who suffer from hair loss, one-fifth of 517 female respondents said that they began to see signs of hair loss between the ages of 15 and 20. These results debunk the myth that women primarily suffer from hair thinning as they age. It also reaffirms scientific studies linking hair loss to the use of birth control pills.

Though surprising to most women, even The Mayo Clinic warns that birth control pill use may result in hair loss. According to The American Hair Loss Association (ALHA), all women, especially those with a family history of hair loss, should be aware of the drugs potential for exacerbating the issue, recommending the use of low-androgen index pills or another non-hormonal form of birth control.

For more information, visit womenshairlossproject.com

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