The pill should be taken every day without breaks

The contraceptive pill should be taken every day without breaks, according to a leading professor.

Guidelines that recommend taking oral contraceptives for 21 consecutive days with a one-week break are ‘outdated’, with continuous use being the ’21st century way to take the pill’, Professor John Guillebaud from University College London said.

Professor Guillebaud, who specialises in family planning and reproductive health, added advice promoting a seven-day break during a woman’s monthly cycle was created 60 years ago and has no scientific backing.

Such breaks even put women at risk of unwanted pregnancies by allowing ovary activity, with around 23 per cent of females being close to ovulation while temporarily abstaining from the pill, he said.

Professor Guillebaud added: ‘Good learning requires some unlearning – I want us to unlearn the idea that the combined pill is a good method of contraception: it is not – if it is taken on a 21/7 regimen.’

The contraceptive pill should be taken every day without breaks, according to a professor

WOMEN RISK SMALL BABIES AND EARLY DELIVERIES BY BECOMING PREGNANT TOO SOON AFTER WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY

Many women risk small babies and early deliveries by becoming pregnant to soon after weight-loss surgery, new research reveals.

Females undergoing bariatric procedures often fail to follow the guidelines to avoid pregnancy for 18 months, a study found.

Some four percent of the study’s participants actively tried to conceive and an additional 42 percent admitted to having unprotected sex during this time frame.

Lead author Marie Menke from the University of Pittsburgh, said: ‘This is concerning given [that] recent research suggests bariatric surgery increases the risk for small-for-gestational-age newborns, preterm deliveries and neonatal intensive care unit admissions in the first 18 months after surgery.’

The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery recommends women avoid conception for a year-and-a-half to optimize weight stability during later gestations.

Study author Dr Anita Courcoulas, added: ‘The findings highlight the need for more frequent referral to counseling for contraception guidance throughout the bariatric surgery process.’

Continuous pill use reduces period pain and PMT

Speaking at the Royal College of General Practitioners conference last week, Professor Guillebaud added women’s ovaries are even more likely to be stimulated during pill breaks if the first or second tablet is missed from the start of a new pack, which is when females are most likely to forget to take their contraception.

This is also when women are most likely to have sex after abstaining while bleeding, putting them at risk of unintended pregnancies, he adds.

In contrast, continuous pill use has been shown to increase the contraception’s effectiveness while also reducing period pain and premenstrual tension (PMT).

Women can avoid the inconvenience of a monthly bleed

Pill efficacy aside, Professor Guillebaud adds additional benefits could include reduced emergency contraceptive use as women are less likely to forget to take their pill when it is part of their daily routine.

Women can also avoid the inconvenience of monthly menstruation, which has ‘no known health benefits’, according to Professor Guillebaud.

Among those who wish to have pill breaks, Professor Guillebaud recommends women take their contraception for 84 consecutive days, followed by a four-day break, as a longer period of abstinence could result in unintended pregnancies.

He said: ‘Good learning requires some unlearning – I want us to unlearn the idea that the combined pill is a good method of contraception: it is not – if it is taken on a 21/7 regimen.

‘We argue for substituting improved regimens that do not intermittently cease to provide full ovulation suppression,’ GP Online reported.

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