[ad_1]
- If a woman becomes pregnant while she is on contraception, it is usually badumed that she has not taken it properly.
- But according to new research, this might not be true and some gene could affect the way hormones are broken down in the body.
- The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus study looked at data from 350 women and found that 5% of them had an active gene that is usually disabled at birth.
- This gene is a particular enzyme that breaks down hormones in contraceptives, such as estrogens and progestins.
- "These results show that we should listen to our patients and determine if anything in their genes is causing this disease." [unplanned pregnancy,]"said lead author Aaron Lazorwitz.
Despite taking the contraceptive pill, about 9 in every 100 women become pregnant each year. This is often considered as a consequence of their poor intake – missing pills or not taking them at the same time every day. But according to a new study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, your genes could mean that you are no longer under your control.
Researchers at the Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado examined data from 350 healthy women, averaging 22 years old, who had had a contraceptive implant inserted for a period of 12 to 36 months. The implant releases a constant dose of progestin, a hormone that prevents pregnancy.
Women with implants were chosen for this study to minimize the risk of hormonal effect, which is a risk for the contraceptive pill if it is taken incorrectly.
Read more: 7 things to know before taking the pill
The team looked at women for a gene called CYP3A7 * 1C, which makes a particular enzyme that breaks down contraceptive hormones, such as estrogen and progestins. It is usually extinct at birth, but for about 5% of the women in the study, it still produced the enzyme at adulthood.
"This enzyme breaks down hormones in birth control and can increase the risk of pregnancy in women when using contraceptives, especially low-dose methods," said Aaron Lazorwitz, badistant professor of obstetrics and Gynecology and senior author of the study.
"When a woman says that she got pregnant while she was under birth control, it was always badumed that it was somehow her fault … But these results show that we should be listening our patients and see if anything in their genes has caused this. " [unplanned pregnancy.]"
The researchers note that additional studies are needed to confirm whether the presence of this active gene increases the risk of accidental pregnancy. Similarly, while the hormones in the implant and oral contraceptives are broken down in the same way in the body, slight differences may affect the results for women taking the pill.
But if new research confirms this theory, Lazorwitz said it could lead to more accurate contraceptive treatments for each patient. Anne Davis, an obstetrician-gynecologist, also told the New York Post that the problem of side effects may vary from woman to woman.
"A woman will say that I took this medicine and I feel ugly, another will say that it works very well, I am not pregnant, my periods are easier and my skin is thinned," she said. she said.
"Knowing that there is a difference in the way people metabolize hormones, this opens the door to more research that can help us better understand women's experiences and give the right medicine to the right patient."
Source link
