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Is the Pill making you ill?
You shouldn't feel any different off the Pill from the way you do when you're on it, but there are still some surprising side-effects. Carole Beck reports
Taking the Pill appears to change women's taste in men. Researchers from St Andrews and Stirling Universities, believe that women on the Pill could be falling for the wrong type of man. Because they are not ovulating and cannot get pregnant, they look for a hunk, rather than a potential life partner.
What other bizarre side-effects are we experiencing that we should know about? After all, around 3.5 million women take the contraceptive Pill in the UK.
'The Pill is now one of the most researched drugs on the market because so many women do use it,' says Dr Marianne Parry of Marie Stopes International, the sex and reproductive health charity. 'Nowadays modern pills are much safer because the amount of oestrogen in them has nearly halved since the pills we took 40 years ago and it's the oestrogen that causes most of the side-effects.'
Modern pills have come a long way since they were launched in the 1960s, when side-effects such as weight gain and nausea were common. But taking the Pill can still bring surprising and sometimes unusual side effects.
Chloasma
This is an extremely rare condition in which small patches of brown pigmentation occur on the face when exposed to the sunshine. Pregnant women and women taking hormones, like the Pill, are more likely to suffer from it. 'It can be passed down through families but for others, it's one of those things that can just happen,' says Dr Parry. 'Chloasma is not dangerous, just a little unsightly, and is due to the oestrogen in the Pill.'
The answer is to come off the Pill and use a high factor sun-cream daily on your skin. Your pigmentation will probably fade, but if you suffered from chloasma when using the Pill, it's likely to recur when you get pregnant
Greasy hair and skin
'Certain progestogens can exacerbate already existing problems of greasy hair or skin,' says Melissa Dear of the Family Planning Clinic. 'For a very small number, their hair or skin may look worse, but the majority of users who already had greasy skin or hair find they look better on the Pill.'
If you're concerned, ask your GP about switching to a different brand of the Pill. However, you're not going to suddenly develop the problems if you haven't suffered them before.
Taking the Pill appears to change women's taste in men. Researchers from St Andrews and Stirling Universities, believe that women on the Pill could be falling for the wrong type of man. Because they are not ovulating and cannot get pregnant, they look for a hunk, rather than a potential life partner.
What other bizarre side-effects are we experiencing that we should know about? After all, around 3.5 million women take the contraceptive Pill in the UK.
'The Pill is now one of the most researched drugs on the market because so many women do use it,' says Dr Marianne Parry of Marie Stopes International, the sex and reproductive health charity. 'Nowadays modern pills are much safer because the amount of oestrogen in them has nearly halved since the pills we took 40 years ago and it's the oestrogen that causes most of the side-effects.'
Modern pills have come a long way since they were launched in the 1960s, when side-effects such as weight gain and nausea were common. But taking the Pill can still bring surprising and sometimes unusual side effects.
Chloasma
This is an extremely rare condition in which small patches of brown pigmentation occur on the face when exposed to the sunshine. Pregnant women and women taking hormones, like the Pill, are more likely to suffer from it. 'It can be passed down through families but for others, it's one of those things that can just happen,' says Dr Parry. 'Chloasma is not dangerous, just a little unsightly, and is due to the oestrogen in the Pill.'
The answer is to come off the Pill and use a high factor sun-cream daily on your skin. Your pigmentation will probably fade, but if you suffered from chloasma when using the Pill, it's likely to recur when you get pregnant
Greasy hair and skin
'Certain progestogens can exacerbate already existing problems of greasy hair or skin,' says Melissa Dear of the Family Planning Clinic. 'For a very small number, their hair or skin may look worse, but the majority of users who already had greasy skin or hair find they look better on the Pill.'
If you're concerned, ask your GP about switching to a different brand of the Pill. However, you're not going to suddenly develop the problems if you haven't suffered them before.
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