The number of abortions in China is more than 13 million every year, of which up to 50% are repeated abortions. Coupled with the influence of various irresponsible abortion advertisements, many teenagers are even more oblivious to the damage abortion can do to their health and future families, and even treat abortion as one of the means of contraception. Experts warn that women who have more than 3 repeated abortions will have a complication rate higher than 34.62%, and even bring about the long-term harm of impaired fertility, resulting in secondary infertility. What kind of contraception will you choose? Abortion is dangerous to women’s health, so it is the joint responsibility of both men and women to choose an appropriate, safe and effective contraceptive method to avoid unwanted pregnancies. According to the latest statistics from official agencies in China, the contraceptive methods used by married couples of childbearing age in China in 2006 were still mainly long-acting measures. The proportion of those taking intrauterine devices (IUDs), female sterilization and male sterilization was 87.2%, and the proportion of those taking condoms was 10.0%. According to information published by the United Nations in 2014, 16.3 percent of Americans choose pharmaceutical contraception, and nearly 40 percent of French and German people do so, while only 1.2 percent of people in China choose pharmaceutical contraception. Why do Europeans and Americans prefer oral contraceptives? Since its introduction in the 1960s, oral contraceptives have been used by more than 1 billion women worldwide and their safety and effectiveness have been well documented. According to information published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual failure rate for combined oral contraceptives is about 0.3% if used strictly as required. It is more reliable than in-vitro ejaculation, safe periods, and even condom contraception. The Pill is more acceptable to independent women because it does not require surgery than the equally effective IUD, and because it is a female-led method of contraception. The pill acts directly on the ovulation process, without any interference with the sexual act itself, allowing both men and women to enjoy the full range of sexual pleasures. The absence of ovulation also eliminates the occurrence of ectopic pregnancy (i.e. “ectopic pregnancy”) and is therefore more suitable for women with a history of ectopic pregnancy. The combination of short-acting oral contraceptives can also regulate the menstrual cycle, improve dysmenorrhea, and help prevent the development of ovarian and endometrial cancers. In some European and American countries, the pill is covered by health insurance, making it the first choice for contraception. Short-acting, long-acting and emergency contraceptive pills are indistinguishable. With a long history and many products, many people cannot tell the difference between short-acting, long-acting and emergency contraceptive pills, thinking that all contraceptives are harmful to the body. In fact, the short-acting pill is the conventional contraceptive method recommended by obstetricians and gynecologists, and the dose of these drugs is small and metabolized quickly, especially the third and fourth generation products are not only harmless but also beneficial to women’s health. When we refer to THE pill, we are referring to the short-acting oral contraceptive pill (COC), which is the only one that has the beneficial effects described above. Short-acting contraceptives contain both low doses of estrogen and small amounts of progestin. The principle of contraception is that the pill simulates the body’s sex hormone levels at the time of pregnancy, so the nervous system assumes that the body is pregnant and gives the ovaries a break, so that ovulation does not occur during the pill and conception is impossible. As a reversible form of birth control, the pill can be used the next month after stopping, making it easy to adjust your pregnancy plan. Unlike short-acting contraceptives, which need to be taken daily, long-acting contraceptives have been developed in the past for convenience and can be used for about one month per dose, but the hormone content of these drugs, which have special progestin as the main ingredient, is large and metabolized slowly, and is not consistent with physiological levels, so there are more side effects such as early pregnancy reactions (dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, etc.) and menstrual disorders, and they have a certain accumulation effect in the body, leading to an increased incidence of blood clots. It also has a certain accumulation effect in the body, leading to an increased incidence of blood clots. In addition, if you want to get pregnant, you need to stop taking the pill for more than six months, which is troublesome, so it is gradually being phased out. The emergency contraceptive pill is a “regret pill” taken to prevent unwanted pregnancy after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. There are many types of emergency contraceptives, among which Yutin (levonorgestrel) and other single-party progestin preparations contain five times more progestin than short-acting contraceptives. In addition to the heavy adverse reactions such as nausea, vomiting and irregular vaginal bleeding, emergency contraceptives such as levonorgestrel and mifepristone interfere greatly with the menstrual cycle and are harmful to the body. Therefore, emergency contraceptive pills should only be used as a remedial measure, not as a regular contraceptive method. Not all hormones are harmful: Clarifying misconceptions about oral contraceptives The main ingredients of birth control pills are estrogen and progestin, and many people are afraid of hearing the word “hormone”. The normal glucocorticoids in the human body come from the adrenal glands, and the small amount of glucocorticoids secreted normally plays an important role in maintaining human metabolism and is indispensable. High doses of glucocorticoids have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects when applied additionally to the body, and are used to treat nephritis and other rheumatic immune diseases. Long-term, high-dose application of glucocorticoids has side effects such as obesity, full-moon face, skin streaks, stomach ulcers, and osteoporosis. In contrast, the hormones in oral contraceptives are sex hormones, which are completely different from glucocorticoids in action, and the dose is very small, and the level is similar to the amount of hormones naturally secreted in the human body, simulating the natural state and rhythm of the human body, so there are no such side effects. Benefits other than contraception… In addition to contraception and the accompanying effects of menstrual regulation and cancer prevention, oral contraceptives can also complement the treatment of a number of other endocrine-related disorders. Studies have shown that 2-7% of women suffer from high androgen-induced acne, hair loss, hirsutism, and other conditions. These women may have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the most common form of hyperandrogenism in women, which is characterized by acne, hair loss, hirsutism and other hyperandrogenic manifestations, as well as obesity, acanthosis nigricans, elevated blood glucose and lipids, and other insulin resistance manifestations. In addition to female patients clinically suspected of having PCOS, there are also some patients who present with acne only. It is now believed that acne in women, especially late-onset acne over the age of 24, is associated with hyperandrogenism. One-third of patients have elevated androgens (testosterone) in their blood. The remaining patients may be associated with low blood levels of androgen-binding proteins (resulting in elevated free androgen levels), or with over-sensitivity of the follicular sebaceous units to androgen response. In some patients who are chronically stressed or stay up late at night, the androgens in their bodies may originate from dehydroepiandrosterone secreted by the adrenal cortex. Therefore, in addition to lifestyle modifications (calorie intake control, aerobic exercise, regularity, and mental relaxation), lowering androgen levels is very important for the treatment of female acne. New oral contraceptives, such as Daimler-35 (Diane-35) and Yasmin, which contain a progestin component with anti-androgenic activity, are now one of the treatment options with clear efficacy as well as clinical evidence to support high androgen-related diseases such as mild to moderate acne and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women [5]. Clinically significant clinical outcomes for female acne can be achieved with oral contraceptives alone, or in combination with topical antimicrobials and topical retinoids, after 3-6 months of treatment. Oral contraceptives can be used for regular contraception in normal people, and are certainly very safe for acne patients. Are all people suitable for oral contraceptives? Although the pill is good, it is not suitable for both men and women. First of all, it cannot be used by men to produce a contraceptive effect, nor can it treat male acne (there have been cases in the clinic where guys with acne have seen their sister on the waiting list with fine skin after taking the pill and have jumped at the chance to try it ……). For women, although the pill is safe, some special populations are to be chosen carefully. Studies have found that for non-smokers, the pill is safe, while for smokers, the pill amplifies the cardiovascular damaging effects of smoking. Birth control pills also have a slight blood pressure raising effect, so they need to be used with caution in people with high blood pressure. With regard to thrombotic events, although the pill is thought to increase the risk of venous thrombotic events overall, the incidence is extremely low and significantly lower than the incidence of thrombotic events in women during pregnancy or childbirth. Older users are advised to be alert for venous thrombotic events. If you experience headache, chest pain, abdominal pain, leg pain, leg swelling and eye discomfort while taking the pill, you should seek medical attention. How to take oral contraceptives, are you ready? Since oral contraceptives simulate the normal physiological rhythm of the human body, they are taken in a monthly cycle and each full package of the pill is a monthly dosage. The pill is usually taken from the first day of the menstrual cycle and is discontinued for one week after 3 weeks of continuous use, with the normal menstrual cycle occurring during the first week of discontinuation. It is usually recommended that users take the pill at a fixed time each day (e.g., before waking up or going to bed) for the sake of smooth and regular blood levels and to prevent missed doses, and that they take the pill only once a day. The pill is theoretically effective the same month you take it, but if it is your first time, it is still recommended to use condoms for the first seven days to prevent accidental ovulation. Some women may experience short-term discomfort at the beginning of the pill, such as early pregnancy-like reactions, due to the effects of progesterone in the pill. In addition, some women may experience irregular vaginal bleeding, which occurs after the pill is missed. Most of these reactions disappear as the duration of the pill increases. In addition, oral contraceptives do not provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases in people who do not have regular sexual partners. In this case, a combination of condoms is a more appropriate form of contraception.