Essay Example on Modern Birth Control: Hormonal Contraception and its Benefits

Modern developments have seen people engage in diverse birth control methods, where one of them is hormonal contraception. It works by regulating the change in hormone levels by the using hormones that mimic estrogen and progesterone in women. The benefits of hormonal contraception are widely shared by many. Indeed, most people have faith in hormonal birth control as they consider that it is an overly effective method of birth control compared to other ways of controlling births. Moreover, the concerned method of contraception has its adverse effects, which seem to be more instrumental and grave. The side effects of hormonal contraception have been invasive in the lives of many men and women who adopt the birth control method. Some of them include headaches, low libido, blood clots and thrombosis, risk of heart attack and stroke, risks of breast cancer, and even depression. While these effects are not universal, there is a need for closer attention and medical precedence before choosing the contraception method owing to its substantial side effects.

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The extensive use of hormonal contraceptives in the world showcases the reason as to why people should understand their side effects and the risks they cause. Besides, recent research revealed that in the United States alone, approximately 80% of women have been on hormonal contraception. The contraception they used included estrogen and progesterone. Furthermore, according to reports, hormonal contraceptices have been witnessed to provide effective protection against pregnancy in many women. Above all, they offer hefty medical benefits when used safely (Lauring et al. 330). Nevertheless, as the report indicates, the risk of cardiovascular disease among women who have used hormonal contraceptives have been on the rise. More so, the reason the risks are imminent is that they are used by people who have contraindications but have not cared to engage the right medical care before choosing contraception.

Additionally, an understanding of the risk of hormonal contraceptives has not been well-shared in a society based on the fact that the side effects are viewed as mild. Indeed, some of the people who use them consider that they are just some mild effects that would go after a month or two. Only very few people care about weight gain, changes in mood, and sore breasts, which are some of the effects on many of the users (Lewis et al. 117). The users do not realize that the symptoms they witness are not just mild and could have more profound effects than the ones that they feel. Symptoms between individuals vary, and there has been little concern shared by the users about the outcomes of hormonal contraceptives except in the even that their effect is adverse. Therefore, in some cases, the effects are life-risking and need redress, or else the users could risk their lives.

One of the most observed effects of hormonal contraceptives is their effect on the social wellbeing of a person. The social aspect of a human being heavily depends on how they process, hold, and process their emotions. Thus, a perfectly healthy person should be able to have emotional capacitance to some extent. Various studies, however, have shown that people who use hormonal birth control are likely to have issues with their psychological wellness. Besides, they tend to have a low-stress response, and their emotional recognition appears to be distressed. Adverse emotional effects, however, seem to be more prevalent among women more than they are among women. There could be a risk of great deregulation of the emotions of the users, which would cause more trouble than the expected outcome of the contraceptives.

Even in the natural way, the lack of proper regulations of hormones has vast psychological effects, most of which are adverse. Most of the people who have been discontinued from the hormonal contraception are those who had adverse effects on their psychological and neurophysiological health. Some of the most visible symptoms of the negative effect of hormonal contraceptives on the psychological wellness of a person using them is the inability to control anger and rapid or frequent mood changes (Nanda et al., 918). Depressive events that arise from the use of hormonal contraceptives have been affiliated to both men and women but more among the later. Thus, when not observed and controlled, hormonal contraceptives could affect not just the psychological health of the users but also their general health and even existence if their mental health worsens.

Furthermore, the hormonal imbalance associated with the use of hormonal contraception has been on many occasions affiliated to sexual dysfunction among both men and women who use them. The main goal of any contraceptive is to control birth. Therefore, the efficacy of hormonal contraception in the process has undoubtedly been widespread, and people prefer it based on its high efficacy. Numerous studies, however, indicate that there is a direct correlation between the use of hormonal contraceptives and sexual dysfunction between both men and women who use them. For example, among women, it has been found that the failure rate is less than 1%, and it can be said that the users have control over the contraceptive (Casado-Espada et al. 2). A significant share of women who prefer this model of contraception has, however, reported a loss of sexual attraction and impaired sexual function.

Besides, sexual dysfunction and loss of libido are some of the evident side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives that have been recorded. An ideal kind of reduction in estrogen levels among women who use hormonal contraception in women has been witnessed. However, for both males and females, hormonal contraceptives have been believed to cause a reduced production of oxytocin. Thus, in return, this affects sexual attraction of a partner or spouse. Also, pair bonding behaviors are well controlled by oxytocin (Casado-Espada 4). Therefore, when it is not released, loss of sexual attraction is witnessed. Although, investigations into the contraceptives causing sexual dysfunction have up to now proved this negative correlation, it showcases the need for men and women who choose the contraception method to be enlightened about this adverse side effect. Thus, this will enable them have a better understanding of how to manage it.

Additionally, hormonal contraceptives pose a significant threat to users due to their ability to cause blood clots and other cardiovascular events. Kavanaugh and Anderson reveal that some types of hormonal contraceptives, especially pills, have such an enormous impact on the users (6). Particularly, on women, the risk of suffering blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks is high (Kavanaugh and Anderson, 6). The risk increases when a person uses combined hormonal contraceptives (Ribeiro et al. 1456). While indeed one of the contraindications of not using hormonal contraceptives is a history of heart diseases and uncontrolled blood pressure, the medical fraternity is enlightened about the ability of the contraceptives to cause the same effects. Most of the users of the contraceptives are, however, not knowledgeable about the risk even when they use them.

A clear understanding of hormonal contraceptives is that they work to induce alterations in the hormones. While there is not enough evidence to show that these hormones have a direct effect on the blood flow, the risk of increased blood pressure is evident among a considerable share of those who have used the contraception method (Aminimoghaddam 3). The possibility of cardiovascular complications, therefore, faces many people who use hormonal contraception. Most cardiovascular effects of hormonal contraceptives are mild in the first instances. However, with continued progression, they could be life-threatening and should be stopped. This trend faces an ideal share of the users of hormonal contraception, which is one of the reasons for which closer follow-up on the use of the method of contraception should be launched.

The correlation between cardiovascular complications and the use of hormonal contraceptives is increased by their ability to cause obesity. The rising rate of obese and overweight people in the United States is linked to their lifestyle. One of the lifestyle hazards that has been acknowledged for the problem is the use of contraceptives (Simmons and Edelman 1284). Anecdotal evidence speculates that women and men who use hormonal contraceptives tend to have a higher body mass index (BMI) than their counterparts who do not use them. In as much as the use of hormonal contraceptives cannot be said to be entirely the cause of their increased weight gain, evolving research proves that the efficacy of managing weight among people who use the contraceptive approach is way low. It falls below that of their regular counterparts but also depends on other personalized activities such as exercise, eating habits, and frequency of coitus.

Increased bodyweight not only makes the people who use contraceptives to be at risk of developing heart disease but also diabetes and complications of the kind. Drug metabolism of the hormonal contraceptives varies from drug to drug. But all seem to affect glucose intake as they affect the circulation of glucuronide. Should the risk of diabetes come alongside high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease are some of the risks that could arise (Ribeiro et al., 1458). Indeed, obesity is ranked as the fifth leading cause of mortality across the globe. It is, therefore, necessary for the users of hormonal contraceptives to have a clear understanding of this risk, both men and women.

The side effects of using contraceptives are affiliated with various types of cancer, the most prevalent being breast and cervical cancer. Dorchak et al. sought to evaluate the impact of hormonal contraceptives on the pathology of breast cancer (245). The results of the study indicated that most of the hormonal contraceptives that are utilized by most of the women could actually have some malignancy effect. Breast cancer statistics across the globe have steadily risen (Dorchak et al. 245). The reason, however, as to why they are rising has not effectively been evaluated. An observable aspect, however, is that with the increased use of hormonal contraceptives, more cases of breast cancer have been recorded. Since it is the most prescribed contraceptive for mostly women, research has proved that indeed, there is a correlation between their use and the development of breast cancer. Hormonal contraceptive-associated breast cancer seems to, however, be dependent on the particular patient, the combinations of the contraceptives that they use, and the longevity of use.

Different studies directed towards the same have proved that the risk of developing cancer among users of hormonal contraceptives is not universal. Most of the patients who use them have lifelong benefits that even reduce the risk of developing cancer years later even after they stop using them. Also, the cancer effect for those who encounter comes years later. Risks of smoking, alcohol drinking, and the use of hormonal contraceptives have been seen to increase the threat of cancer (Dorchak et al. 246). There is, therefore, a very unprecedented risk of developing cancer to some extent among people who use hormonal contraceptives, which is a threat that needs to be observed before the choice of the contraceptive is made.

Conclusion

Seeing the risks that are faced by millions of people, including men and women who use hormonal contraceptives, it is necessary to take different measures to ensure that awareness about the effects of the use of hormonal contraceptives. Statistics indicate that most of the people who use the method of contraception do it without heeding to the directives of their...