Expert: Diane Cheryl - 10/25/2006

Question
I have not taken 3 days worth of birth control, now I'm bleeding and cramping. I don't know much about birth control and what happens when. Can you tell me what I need to know & why I'm bleeding now? I just had my period a week or so ago.

Answer
Hi Jen,
I'm not a medical doctor but have done a lot of research in this area. Here is some of the information I have found.
I want you to know the
side effects and how it works.
I want to warn you on some of the risks of the pill.
<Progestins and the estrogen in the pill are artificial hormones that
make your body believe that it is pregnant month after month. All the
vital organs in your body are affected by the constant use of the pill.
It contains powerful steroids and artificial hormones.
This constant presence of powerful steroids is not healthy, and there
are side effects when using the pill. Here are the ways the pill can
work.
1. It can prevent ovulation (releasing an egg from the ovary)
  2. It can cause the mucus in the cervix to change so that if sperm
reach the cervix, they are not allowed to enter, and
  3. It can irritate the lining of the uterus so that if the first two
actions fail, and you do become pregnant, your body will reject the
fetus (baby) and he or she will die.
It's called a chemical abortion.

Here are some of the side effects of the pill:
-bacterial infections (because the pill weakens the immune system.)
-more susceptible to the AIDS virus (HIV) because the pill weakens the
immune system
-pelvic inflammatory disease-an infection of the fallopian tubes that
can cause sickness or sterility
-infertility-unable to ever bear children
-ectopic pregnancy
-shrinking of the womb (endometrial atrophy)
-mood swings and depression
-breast cancer
-blood clots
-birth defects in children conceived while women are on the pill
-tender breasts
-stroke
-cervical cancer
-weight gain >

As you can see, the pill has some risks and side effects. If there is a possibility that you could go off this, please do. But check with your physician as well. One of the side effects could be the bleeding. Please email me at DCHERYL51@yahoo.com and let me know what happens.
Diane Cheryl