Posted: September 4, 2015 Contributor: PRJKT RUBY
Why Taking Birth Control Between Relationships is a Smart Move
There are several things that may spark a woman’s desire to start taking oral contraceptives, perhaps the most common is a new relationship. Whenever you are planning on becoming sexually active it’s a great idea to prioritize your sexual health. All too often when relationships end with our boyfriends, so do our relationships with birth control. Even if you are not planning on becoming sexually active for any length of time after a breakup, it’s smart to stay on your birth control just in case.
Let’s face it, sometimes spontaneity happens.
Imagine you are enjoying a single girl’s night out on the town and you meet a brand new Prince Charming. While you have the best intentions of “taking things slowly,” you end up hooking up. The last thing you want on your mind is ‘what if I just got pregnant?’ In addition to using condoms and other safe sex practices, staying on your birth control during your relationship gaps is important for this very reason.
There are other reasons aside from preventing pregnancy to stay on birth control between relationships.
- Studies have found that women who stayed on birth control 10 to 15 years cut their risk of cancer in half.
- Most women have shorter, lighter, more predictable periods while on the pill.
- The estrogen in the pill helps decrease your levels of testosterone, which often helps keep skin clear of acne and blemishes.
- The pill steadies your hormone levels which reduces PMS, which is caused by hormonal shifts in the second half of your cycle.
- With the advice of your doctor, you can skip periods or choose to have fewer periods with birth control.
- If you are one of the many women with endometriosis, the pill stops the growth of tissue in additional areas and may help keep symptoms at bay.
Having the confidence to know that if unexpected sexual activity happens, you are protected is something that most women find comfort in. If you have been tempted to dump your birth control while in the relationship gap, you might want to rethink it!
For additional information, ask to speak to your physician or pharmacist today.