Reason for taking "birth control" pills

JerryClower

One time my sister told me she was taking 'birth control' pills. She has never had sex. She never does either. I asked her why she was taking them and she couldn't give me an answer. So my question is, why would someone take them if they have no risk of getting pregnant?

Greg Bernhardt

I've heard they can lessen the symptoms and duration of menstruation.

Evo

Many women have a hormone imbalance and birth control pills correct a number of medical problems.

Math Is Hard

They are sometimes prescribed to treat acne.

lisab

They also help regulate the cycle. In young girls especially, the cycle can often be erratic.

russ_watters

They also protect against lying...

DanP

If she doesn't have a prescription from a MD for a diagnosed hormonal imbalance, she is just having all sex she can get. Dont tell your mother, let her have fun.

Jobrag

How the hell do you know that your sister doesn't have sex, I've heard of close families but that takes it a little too far.

DanP

What ? It's common for siblings to share a lot of "secrets". Having sex is normal, it's not a dark secret no one should share, and many siblings of close age share a lot, and certainly much more significant things than quotidian and mostly irrelevant things like bedding somebody.

I always was pretty close to my brother , and for that matter with 2 of my cousins. We share a lot of things. It's blood man, it comes before anything else.

Proton Soup

another usage lately is to skip the placebo week and stop having periods altogether

adrenaline

women with PCOS or polycystic ovaries will use it sometimes to regulate periods and decrease their natural tendency for hirsutism ( increased facial hair), if someone has endometriosis, the birth control pills shrink the ectopic endometrial tissue and helps with their pain or organ of involvement ( for instance if the ectopic tissue is on the bladder it decreases their "chronic cystitis" complaints. One woman I know has endometriosis in her lungs, she coughed up blood every month during her menstrual cycle, the birth control pills have eliminated it all together. Your sister does not sound old enough but in older women with AVMS ( arterial venous malformations) in their colon causing recurrent GI bleeds we use bcp to stop that. Women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding also find relief with birth control pills.

Rajini

but taking birth control pills..will it make the woman to become little fat..??? [i know this from my friend]

DanP

In some cases. In other weight loss can be observed. Talk to your MD , and discuss options.

Proton Soup

i hear this a lot about Depo Provera. they also have a tendency to lower libido, perhaps by elevating SHBG levels.

Borek

I think that was common with early pill formulations, but it is no longer an issue.

Disclaimer: I can be wrong or even deliberately lie.

adrenaline

correct

from web md
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/...n1236556.shtml

the older bcp had higher progesterone content which induced hunger ( we still use high dose progesterone like megace to deal with cachexia and induce a greater appetite)

Moonbear

Let's also not forget the obvious that some people actually plan ahead, as they should, and if they are at an age when they may soon choose to become sexually active (perhaps she already has a boyfriend, or someone in mind to soon become one), they start the birth control so they don't have to wait a couple months to be sure it's working when they decide the time is right with their partner.

And, yes, some do it simply for the convenience of lighter menstrual periods and knowing when to expect them.