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.

Hirsutism
If you have a pre-existing tendency for excess hair on the face and body, the Pill could encourage further hair growth. 'But if you're not normally a hairy woman, you're not going to become one if you take the Pill,' says Dr Parry. Talk to your GP about ways to eliminate or hide excess hair.

Photosensitivity
A rare side effect of the Pill for some women is that sunbathing gives them a red blotchy rash, rather than a deep tan. This is known as photosensitivity - a greater sensitivity to the sun. 'It's not dangerous', says Dr Parry 'and, it doesn't mean you're more at risk of skin cancer, for example. However, you should stop the Pill if you get this because it's the only way to avoid getting the rash.'

Hair thinning
Hair has two stages of growth from the scalp - active and resting. The Pill forces the active growth to happen. 'When they come off the Pill, some women complain their hair looks thinner,' says Dr Parry. 'Actually, the hair isn't really thinning - it's just that it has now returned to the resting stage and isn't growing any more. This is definitely only temporary and your hair will soon get back to growing.'

Gallstones
Research suggests that women using the Pill are slightly more likely to suffer from gallstones than non-users - but only if they were already predisposed to the disease. 'Gallstones are most common among overweight middle-aged women,' says Dr Parry. 'If you fit into this category and are on the Pill too, you could find yourself having gallstones at 30, instead of 40.'

DVT - deep vein thrombosis
It's well-known that taking the Pill doubles the risk of getting thrombosis - but the original risk for non-users was already so tiny that although the risk is doubled by taking the Pill, it still means less than 1 in every 100,000 Pill-users will die from blood clots.

However, the increased risk of blood clots for Pill-users does mean a slightly greater risk of DVT when flying or at altitudes. 'Stop taking the Pill if you're sleeping at over 4,500ft because of the increase in pressure,' says Dr Parry. 'So if you're going trekking in Nepal, don't take the Pill.'

'As for flying, lots of air stewardesses are Pill-users and are absolutely fine. Just be more vigilant about moving around and drinking lots of water during flights.'

Breast and cervical cancer
The risks associated with the Pill and breast cancer are very controversial. There's a 24 per cent greater chance of getting breast cancer on the Pill. However, this drops to zero risk after 10 years of stopping the Pill. 'Think about it in real terms,' says Dr Parry. 'Ten women in every 1,000 will get breast cancer, and the Pill adds one more person to that total. That's not very many.' And it's important to note that the risk of developing breast cancer under the age of forty is very low.

Sex is the only known causal factor of cervical cancer and evidence shows that Pill-users are more likely to have sex than non-users. The other factor to consider is that women on the Pill tend not to use condoms. 'This makes them more at risk from the human papilloma virus, which is related to cervical cancer,' says Dr Parry. Regular smear tests (every three years) are imperative for all women.

Positives On the plus side, the Pill offers a lot of benefits to women with the single most important benefit being the prevention of pregnancy.

The Pill halves the risk of PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) - an infection of the fallopian tubes - and the development of poly-cystic ovaries. Furthermore, taking the Pill halves the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers. This protection lasts for 15 years after you stop taking the Pill. Protection against PID also means you are less likely to suffer an ectopic pregnancy when you try for a baby later.

It also reduces the risk of endometriosis, an unpleasant gynaecological condition, which results in very heavy periods. It's not the most effective treatment of endometriosis but certainly helps keep the symptoms under control. The Pill has shown to help 90 per cent of women with heavy periods, reducing the risk of anaemia, easing the symptoms of PMT and lessening pain.

If you do suffer side-effects, ask your GP to find you an alternative brand - because every woman has her own unique hormonal balance and there's bound to be another Pill that suits you better.

More about the Pill

For further advice, contact:
Marie Stopes
0845 300 80 90

Margaret Pike Family Planning Centre
0845 310 1334