There have been a lot of speculations and discussions about birth control pills and its impact on menopause. Do birth control pills delay menopause? This has been quite a common question asked by many women. Before we provide you with answers to this question in affirmative or negative, here are some facts about birth control pills.
Through the data compiled by the CDC, it was deduced that the usage of pills decreased with an increase in a woman’s age. Approximately 16.6% of women who were on pills belonged to the 15-19 age group. Around 19.5% of pill users were between 20 and 29 years of age. 11% of women were aged 30 and 39, while only 5% were 40-49.
Now comes the question about the relationship between birth control pills and menopause. To speak on this vital aspect, we have Dr. Karen Pike with us to enlighten our readers on this topic. Dr. Pike has been associated with the medical field for a long. She has been a board-certified ER. Her endeavor to spread awareness about menopause among women worldwide is commendable. Let’s get started and see the array of information Dr. Pike has in store for her readers about birth control pills and menopause.
Interview with Dr. Karen Pike
Hello. Dr. Pike. Hope you are doing well. We are pleased to have you to speak on such a vital topic. We would also like to congratulate you on your noble work to make women globally more aware of menopause. We can’t wait to hear your valuable input on birth control pills and menopause.
Question: Are birth control pills responsible for delaying menopause?
Dr. Pike: This is one of my favorite topics, and I thank you for having me speak on it. Most of my patients in their 40s, who are still menstruating, keep asking me this question. No, the pills will not delay menopause but may conceal or mask the symptoms. When on the pills, it will be challenging to understand if you have transitioned into menopause or not because you will barely experience symptoms like irregular menses or hot flashes.
A lot depends on the kind of birth control pills you are taking. The combination pills – a mix of estrogen and progesterone are more effective in masking the symptoms of menopause. There’s a simple explanation for this. As you transition into menopause, the estrogen and progesterone levels start declining. However, the combination pills prevent your body from recognizing the dip in the hormone levels brought about by menopause. That’s why if menopause has begun, you won’t get to know of the same when on the pills.
The other variety, i.e., the minipill, which contains only progesterone, doesn’t mask the symptoms of menopause as effectively as the combination pills. When on the minipill, one may still experience irregular bleeding or hot flashes, mainly if they are in early menopause.
Question. How do I know if menopause has begun while I am taking the birth control pills?
Dr Pike: The simplest way to do the same is by stopping the birth control pills. When you aren’t taking the pills, your body will take time to resume the natural cycle. When you are off the pills, you must wait for at least a couple of months for the hormones to readjust.
If you begin experiencing irregular periods or if your menses come to an end after pausing the pills, then you may conclude that you have already transitioned or stepped into menopause. It was the pills that had kept the symptoms on hold, which started showing up once you stopped them.
Here’s a word of caution for those who are still menstruating. When you stop the pills, ensure that you take other birth control measures. Otherwise, you may put yourself at the risk of getting pregnant.
Question: Can birth control pills benefit you in any way?
Dr Pike: These pills do not just save you from the hassles of any unwanted pregnancy. They benefit you in many ways as well. You may be keen to know how. Here are a few ways in which birth control pills could help to boost your overall health:
- It helps to enhance your bone strength. Women using oral contraceptives for a long have an increased bone density by around 2-3% by the time they reach menopause than those who don’t use it.
- The pills are effective in managing acne, which may become more severe in menopause. The reason is the drop in the estrogen and progesterone levels that spike the androgen levels. This leads to increased sebum production, resulting in an increased outbreak. The birth control pills help lessen the androgens and decrease sebum production, leading to lesser occurrences of acne.
- They help to minimize hot flashes, one of the most common menopausal symptoms.
- The pills help to regularize your menstrual cycle and even lessen period cramping and bleeding. The reason is their ability to reduce the production of prostaglandins, which contribute toward uterine contractions. Lesser contractions mean fewer incidences of pain.
- Taking these pills for a long puts you at a lesser risk of uterine and ovarian cancer. There’s a logic behind the same. Women on pills ovulate less than those who don’t. This gives them increased exposure to hormones, increasing their susceptibility to uterine and ovarian cancers.
Question: Who shouldn’t take birth control pills?
Dr Pike: Here’s a word of caution regarding choosing pills. The pills aren’t for everyone, the combination pills in particular. You should avoid taking the combination pills if you:
- Smoke excessively, as it could put you at risk of a stroke or heart attack
- Have excessively high blood[pressure, blood clotting disorder, or any pre-existing heart conditions
- Have migraines with aura
- Suffer from liver issues or diabetes
In such cases, the progestin-only or mini pill is a better option. The best option would be to contact your doctor and seek advice regarding the best pill that would suit you.
Question: Which birth control pills are better – combination pills or minipills?
Dr Pike: Through our discussion, we can conclude that the combination pills are more effective in masking menopausal symptoms than the minipills. Moreover, the combination pills also have an increased ability to control pregnancy than the minipills.
However, minipills come with lessened side effects since they are progestin-only pills. There are also certain restrictions regarding the combination pills.
You shouldn’t have them if you are experiencing any underlying medical conditions, like heart ailments, blood pressure issues, etc. If you are two minds about your birth control pills choice, ask your healthcare provider, who would help you with the same.
Conclusion
So that was about birth control pills and its influence on menopause. As a concluding note, Dr. Pike also told her readers, “ You should choose the birth control options wisely. If you are close to the menopausal age and are hesitant about pills, then you could consider other birth control options as well, like vaginal rings, IUDs, implants, barrier methods, etc.
