Excessive use of birth control pills can have adverse health impacts: Ministry of Health
18 Sep, 2013
The Ministry of Health has said that the birth control pills can adversely affect the health of both, the mother and the child. Replying to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Indian Council for Medical Research said that excessive use of birth control pills can have detrimental effects on the health of the mother as well as the child. It stated that the pills can alter the hormonal cycle of the user. The ICMR, though said that there is no data regarding the abnormality of the children born after excessive use of birth control pills, but it accepted that there might be problems and said that the government has taken steps to prevent misuse of such pills.
The ICMR said in the reply that detailed guidelines have been issued to health providers to prevent the misuse of birth control pills and to administer drugs to pregnant women only on the advice of doctors. The drug companies have also been asked to print the probable harmful effects of such pills on the packets. The guidelines say that regular use of birth control pills can cause cardio-vascular problems, headaches, etc. and hence women with heart problems, diabetes and bleeding disorders should avoid taking the pills.