Does birth control make you gain weight

Birth control equals weight control?

Birth control represents methods employed for the purpose of preventing pregnancy. Those women who are in need of birth control may find quite a number of options to choose from. Some of them include the use of devices, numerous medicines, as well as various sexual practices, which have the same outcome, i.e. the prevention of pregnancy.

Family planning

This concept has been around for quite some time and with technological progress, women have at their disposal a great number of birth control alternatives, which are not only effective, but are also proven to be quite safe. The concept of family planning presupposes various techniques like, the use of condoms, the use of birth control pills, emergency contraception, non-hormonal method making use of a selective estrogen receptor modulator, as well as intrauterine devices, sterilization and ultimately abstinence. The role of these options is to make it easy for the couple to determine which of the techniques best suits their desires and needs, and which is the least harmful for the female partner. For example, the one technique that couples most frequently opt for is the use of birth control pills since they are known to have the staggering success rate of approximately 99%. But since they do have the tendency to affect the hormonal balance, the couple should also be well aware of their possible side effects prior to making the decision. In this regard, condoms may actually be the best possible solution.

Myth or a fact

One of the questions that troubles the female population the most, is whether the birth control as such, more specifically birth control pills, cause weight gain? Despite the fact that this claim has not yet been confirmed by scientists, it is believed that hormonal contraceptives do have the potential to bring about weight gain in women. But one survey conducted by a team of researchers from the Family Health International on this topic revealed that none of the 44 cases exhibited any concrete immediate relation between the birth control and the weight gain.

However, quite a number of women worldwide refute this claim, stating that they had the misfortune of gaining more than 20 pounds within a short period due to the use of already mentioned birth control methods, and without altering their diet and exercising habits. And this is something that a significant number of doctors, as well as researchers, actually unanimously agree on.