Where There Is No Doctor 2011 287
Side effects:
Some women get a little morning sickness, swelling of the breasts, or other signs
of pregnancy when they first start taking the pill. This is because the pill contains the
same chemicals (hormones) that a woman’s body puts into her blood when she is
pregnant. These signs do not mean she is unhealthy or should stop taking the pill.
They usually go away after the first 2 or 3 months. If the signs do not go away, she
may need to change to a kind with a different amount of hormone. This is discussed
in the GREEN PAGES (p. 393 and 394).
Most women bleed less than usual in their monthly period when they are taking
the pill. This change is usually not important.
“Is it dangerous to take oral contraceptives?”
Like all medicines, birth control pills may cause serious problems in certain
persons (see next pages). The most serious problems related to the pill are blood
clots in the heart, lungs, or brain (see stroke, p. 327). This occurs most often in
women over 35 who smoke tobacco. However, the chance of getting dangerous
clots is higher when women get pregnant than when they take the pill. But for some
women, both pregnancy and taking birth control pills have a higher risk. These
women should use other methods of family planning.
A woman rarely becomes pregnant while taking the pill. But if this happens,
immediately stop taking the pill. It can harm the developing baby.
Death related to taking the pill is rare. On the average, pregnancy and childbirth
are 50 times more dangerous than taking the pill.
Of 15,000 women who become
pregnant, this many are likely to
die from problems of pregnancy
or childbirth.
Of 15,000 women who take
birth control pills, only 1 is
likely to die from problems
related to having taken the pills.
Conclusion:
IT IS MUCH SAFER TO TAKE THE PILL THAN TO BECOME PREGNANT.
EMERGENCY PILLS
If for whatever reason your family planning method was not used properly before
sex, you can still avoid becoming pregnant by taking a larger-than-usual amount of
some kinds of birth control pills, or special pills made for this purpose, soon after
having sex. See page 394.