Birth control pills were approved in the early 60ties and since then birth control pills are one of the most carefully and closely monitored medications in the history of US.

Since then women have largely expanded their knowledge about birth control pills, but there are still myths present. It is very important to improve the knowledge about birth control pills because due to poor knowledge about birth control pills there are about 20% of unwanted pregnancies. There are also myths and misconceptions about conception and pregnancies available, but we have already talked about them.

Following are the most common misconceptions about the pills:

Myth Number 1: Birth Control pills Cause Infertility

This is not true, and there are studies that prove that fertility rates are the same among women who were on birth control pills for a longer period of time, comparing to women who were never on the pill.

The problem is birth control pills might hide and cover underlying problems woman might have such as irregular periods, which might be the cause of some other fertility related problem. By regulating period the birth control pill might hide irregularities woman might have in her cycles and this way also hide fertility related problems woman might have.

Myth Number 2: You will Gain Weight Because of Birth Control Pill

This is quite unfair reputation for the pill, but the fact is that some women seem to gain weight while on the pill, and the research shows weight gain is not because of the use of pills. I think that the reason for this is that women often begin using the pill during a time of life that happens to coincide with weight changes. And consequently this gives the pill an unfair reputation for causing weight gain.

However, the fact is that the estrogen in pills can make women feel bloated; the progestin that is found in the pill may increase appetite, which of course results in weight gain. Also, too high doses are also in relation with water retention.

Myth Number 3: Birth Control Pills Cause Cancer

Well… honestly, this one is hard to prove and dismiss too.

And actually there are studies that contradict this myth. For example, one study suggests that women who use birth control pills are 30% less likely to get the ovarian or uterine cancer than those who never used the pill. According to this study, the protection can last up to 30 years after ending the pills; additionally protection against these cancers increases with each year of use. Consequently experts believe that all women should use the pill for at least 5 years, solely for ovarian cancer protection. This is strongly recommended to women with strong family histories of ovarian cancer.

The fact is that most experts think that the pill doesn’t cause any type of cancer, and there are studies available that prove that estrogen contained in birth control pills is not in correlation with breast cancer which leads to conclusion that taking estrogen before menopause doesn’t predispose women to breast cancer.