How does the contraceptive pill affect the menstrual cycle? – Women's health

Many women use the contraceptive pill as a method of contraception
. However, not everyone understands what influences the drug on the female body. This is not a good thing because knowing these influences is fundamental to knowing what changes can occur in the body and how to best manage them.

According to Barbara Murayama, gynecologist and coordinator of the Women's Clinic at the hospital July 9, in São Paulo, among the changes that the contraceptive pill
cause in the body of the woman are the changes in the menstrual cycle. Depending on the drug and the hormonal badociation, the flow and symptoms of PMS can be changed.

"Most contraceptives block ovulation by blocking the cycle and decreasing the flow and amount of menstrual days," he says. In addition, according to the hormonal method chosen by the woman, that is to say if the pill will be used as a cyclic or continuous pill, it is possible to interrupt the menstruation in a programmed manner.

Contraceptive use may also interfere with the menstrual cycle. Bárbara warns that the ideal is that the drug is always used as directed by the doctor to prevent changes. "Otherwise, it can cause menstrual irregularities and a loss of protection against pregnancy," he says.

• How does the menstrual cycle work?

We talk about changes in the menstrual cycle
but do you know how it works? Having this knowledge is also interesting for understanding the changes and controlling both the fertile period and the PMS. In general, the menstrual cycle
Regular is one that has an interval of 28 or 29 days between each cycle and ovulation can occur about 14 days after the onset of menstruation (first day of the cycle).

In a previous interview with Delas .
, gynecologist and obstetrician Ana Carolina Lúcio Pereira explains that ovulation is the time when the ovary releases the egg for a possible pregnancy. Thus, the so-called fertile period occurs two days before and two days after ovulation, when the woman is more likely to become pregnant.

What about the morning after pill?

With a high hormonal dose, PDS the next day
), the hormonal method used to prevent pregnancy in an emergency, can also change the menstrual cycle. According to Barbara, the influence of the morning-after pill varies depending on the period of the menstrual cycle that the woman undergoes when she takes the medication.

"If you have not yet ovulated, the pill can prevent ovulation.If you have already ovulated, you will seek to prevent fertilization.In one way or another, it interferes with the menstrual cycle and may cause irregularities and may manifest itself as an advance or a delay menstruation
, in addition to increasing or decreasing blood flow, "he explains.

Influence of the contraceptive pill and the next day on premenstrual syndrome

The premenstrual syndrome, which usually occurs 10 days before the start menstrual flow, usually presents with physical and psychological symptoms in most menstruating women.The most characteristic are nausea, irritability, fatigue, headache, anxiety and distress. contraceptive pill and the morning-after pill are hormones, they can also affect premenstrual tension.

The gynecologist explains that e the contraceptive pill
may be one of the premenstrual syndrome treatments, soothing the symptoms. "The pill controls the cycle, blocking ovulation and hormonal fluctuations," he says. The morning-after pill, being a single high dose, may worsen the symptoms during this month. "In itself, the PDS is a great hormonal oscillation," he says.