Oral Contraceptives and Informed Choice
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As reported by PBS, a large scale study indicates that depression as a known side effect of oral contraceptives affects young women most of all.

The research, published in JAMA Psychiatry, is the first ever to draw a connection between birth control and depression in women—particularly adolescent women. Scientists from the University of Copenhagen tracked one million Danish women between the ages of 15 and 34 over the course of 13 years. What they found was that birth control is associated with higher rates of depression. In particular, women between the ages of 15 and 19 who took oral contraceptives were 80% more likely to end up depressed.

PBS closes by noting that women who choose to take contraception should do so from a place of being well-informed about major side effects.

This Editor wishes to sound a cautionary note raised by the increased occurrence of depression in adolescents taking oral contraceptives. Parents and other proxies may be particularly tempted to deny this option to minor patients. Consent laws for older teens vary from state to state. Whether the decision-maker is the patient herself or a legal proxy, there are a few practical steps bioethicists would advice. When weighing the risks and benefits of taking, or allowing someone else to take, oral contraceptives, it is imperative to consider the risks of not taking the medication as well the risks and side effects of doing so, and to seriously consider often-overlooked alternatives which include:

They are offering discount levitra frankkrauseautomotive.com a diversified range of professional therapies; while they are also conducting ongoing tasks to prevent and control injuries. One need not worry about the issue in case of such problem, both partners should talk to each cheap cialis no prescription other you can ensure a solution to every problem. The effect of this medicine stays in the blood for nearly 36 hours, which buy cheap levitra allows men achieve erection and make love several times. Average viagra online mastercard purchasing that delivery time is 10-12 working days.
For a full list of contraceptive options, see Planned Parenthood’s well-designed interface. There are many more than are often counselled for both young women and older women. Oral contraceptives may still be the right choice. But that choice should be made in the context of relevant information.

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Oral Contraceptives and Informed Choice — 1 Comment

  1. I read something earlier this week (I’ve been unable to verify if it is true or not) that said that birth control pills were initially designed for men, but that the test subjects so strongly rejected the side-effects that they re-marketed it for women. Whether this is true or not, I think there is a really important conversation here about assumption of the risk, gendered power dynamics, and the lengths women must go to to achieve reproductive autonomy.

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