The Truth about Smoking and Birth Control
I have been smoking cigarettes for only about 4 years, and have been taking an oral contraceptive birth control pill for around 10 years, and ever since I have begun smoking doctors have been very reluctant to write me my Yasmin birth control prescription.
This is very frustrating because I definitely do not want to go off of my birth control pill, and I am also not ready to quit smoking. The main issue with having a lifestyle that combines the two is that together they drastically increase the chances of suffering from strokes, clots, and even heart attacks. In all of the research that I have done, it states that these risks increase dramatically in women who smoke and take birth control and are over the age of 35. Well I am only 26, so does that mean that I am not at risk, and have another 9 years to either quit smoking or to choose another form of contraception (i.e. IUD's)?
Apparently not; women as young as 19 have died from this combination so in this case my age will not protect me. The longer you smoke and take birth control the higher your chances are of having heart complications, or developing clots that can eventually lead to a stroke. Not to mention the fact that the longer you smoke the harder it is to quit. The clots that form can become lodged anywhere in your body and consequently lead to very serious health conditions.
The best solution in this situation is to quit smoking, and not only so you can take your birth control pill with a clear conscious but also because your entire health will improve. You can try using an aid or medication to help you to quit smoking such as
The best solution in this situation is to quit smoking, and not only so you can take your birth control pill with a clear conscious but also because your entire health will improve. You can try using an aid or medication to help you to quit smoking such as
Nicorette products or smoke cessation prescription medications. Before beginning any treatment to quit smoking be sure to talk with your doctor and together you can choose a method that would be the best choice for you and your current lifestyle.
In my case, I am going to try hard to quit smoking; however, unfortunately, my mind is just not in the right place to quit, so for now I will continue to smoke and take birth control. The initial step to quit smoking is to be in the right frame-of-mind, and only then can you begin the road to quit smoking.
