For individuals selecting a contraceptive method, understanding the balance between effectiveness, hormonal impacts, and potential side effects is critical for long-term health.
Women take birth control for a variety of reasons. The primary reason is to prevent pregnancy, but there are also many health conditions that are treated with oral and other types of contraceptives.
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When women develop excess facial hair, the condition is called hirsutism. For some women, a little bit of facial hair is natural, albeit annoying. For others, it could signify an underlying health condition or hormonal imbalance.
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While weight gain is listed as one of the common side effects on most types of birth control, this may be misleading. Birth control itself doesn't cause weight gain. It can, however, cause you to retain water, which can create the appearance of weight gain. The hormonal changes may also increase your appetite.
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The rhythm method, also called the fertility awareness method, is a form of pregnancy prevention where couples calculate a woman's fertile time using a calendar and fertility signals, like cervical mucus and date of her last menstrual period.
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Female condoms have many benefits. They are effective against sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. Perhaps the best benefit of the female condom is that it's a female-controlled device that doesn't rely on prescription medications to prevent pregnancy.
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Many women who take Depo Provera experience weight gain, according to Virginia Commonwealth University. Since this contraceptive only contains progesterone, which can increase your appetite, you may eat more than usual and then extra pounds can sneak up on you.
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Scientific studies indicate that hormonal birth control doesn't directly cause weight gain, according to MayoClinic.com. Still, many women who use it do gain weight -- particularly in their hips, thighs and breasts.
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