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Do contraceptive pills cause weight gain?
Modern contraceptive pills minimise the risk of piling on pounds, but are still not recommended for long-term use because of their many side-effects
Although contraceptive pills have made newspaper headlines with occasional ‘pill scares’, they have, over the years, remained one of the most popular methods of contraception. Popular health website netdoctor.co.uk says that over a hundred million women the world over are known to use them.
Dr Atul Ganatra, gynaecologist with the Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai, says, ‘The pill is usually available in two variants: mini and combination. Combination pills include the hormones oestrogen and progesterone and constitute the majority of contraceptive pills available today. Mini pills contain only progesterone and are widely regarded as ‘lighter on the system’.
Perhaps the most widely-speculated side-effect of contraceptive pills is that they lead to weight gain. An exhaustive study conducted by the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, concluded that the fear is largely unfounded. The study, conducted over 25 years on 1,749 Swedish women who regularly took the combination pill, noted no drastic change in their weight or body proportion. The women were questioned about their weight and contraceptive use at intervals of five years. It was concluded that women who took the pill had not put on more weight than those who did not.
Today, it’s widely argued that while the claim may have held true for more rudimentary versions of contraceptive pills that contained higher levels of oestrogen (causing tissues to retain water and leading to weight gain), the modern-day pill contains about half the oestrogen; thus minising the risk of weight gain.
‘NOT FOR LONG TERM USE’
Even so, Dr Sudeshna, gynaecologist with the Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, says, ‘Although modern-day pills do not lead to substantial weight gain, in the long term, you may notice a marked difference in your overall body mass as your tissues will start retaining more water.’
Kolkata-based gynaecologist, Dr Subra Biswas, agrees, saying that the likelihood of gaining weight cannot be completely ignored. She says, ‘The pill has been a popular method of birth control for over 50 years. Although its use has been the subject of much speculation, contraceptive pills today cause minor side-effects. In the initial stages, you may feel nauseous. Over time, you may also experience negligible weight gain. The mini pill or the progesterone-only pill (POP) is the mildest and does not cause any serious side-effects.
The combination pill, however, may cause side-effects such as chest pain and arteriosclerosis (thickening of the arteries) in rare cases.’
Sudeshna Ray, gynaecologist with the Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, adds that long-term use of the pill can lead to heart conditions and thrombosis, a condition in which blood clots in the veins. ‘Pill use should be short-term so that there are no adverse health effects. I recommend Copper- T (an intrauterine device) or condoms over oral contraceptives for long-term contraception,’ says Sudeshna.
A contraceptive pill essentially combines the two hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, to stop your body from ovulating every month, thus preventing conception. The pill also makes the lining of your womb thinner so that it is less amenable to an ovum. Progesterone thickens the consistency of the mucus secreted by the cervix to make it difficult for the sperm to enter it and fertilise the ovum. It also makes the coating of the ovum less permeable to sperm.