Contraceptives or birth control methods are commonly used by couples to prevent unwanted pregnancies and also sometimes to avoid the sexually transmitted diseases. While more people are solely concerned with the effectiveness of these methods, there are only a handful of people who actually bother to find out about the safety of the contraceptives before making use of them. There are several types of contraceptives which are available in the market and while each has its own characteristics, we will try to concentrate on some of the more commonly used methods of contraceptives in this particular edition. The majority of couples who are regularly using the birth control methods want to ensure at first that the method is best for them and the choice should depend not only on the cogency of the methods but also on the side effects that they bring along with them.

Let us begin our discussion with the most common and affordable form of contraceptive, namely condoms. While the condoms are by far the safest way of preventing pregnancy, the associated health risks are minimal as compared with the other methods of contraception. Not only can they be hailed as one of the safest and most effective but also helps to prevent serious diseases like syphilis which is one of the commonest forms of sexually transmitted diseases. However, even then, it is necessary to consider a few things about the materials that are used for manufacturing the same. Sometimes the materials may undergo degradation under certain circumstances which may make it ineffective. On the other hand, the safety of the emergency contraceptive pills can be put to question when compared to the effectiveness of the same. Some of the common unsafe factors related with these pills are nausea and vomiting, dizziness and headache or tender breasts. However some women may experience unexpected vaginal bleeding in between the normal menstrual cycle.

Overall, the emergency contraceptive pills for women have not been associated with any long term side effects. The greatest side effects may however emanate from the consumption of regular birth control pills. As a matter of fact, so strong are these pills that they may simply be intolerable only after the first consumption. Along with the normal symptoms such as the ones discussed above, it may lead to reduced libido and depression or mood swings. As these pills comprise of hormonal preparations, they are also responsible for governing the menstrual cycle and in a majority of cases there is a decreased amount of bleeding due to the thickening of the tissues of endometrium and the cycle may also get disturbed or delayed with spotting or bleeding between the regular cycles. However, the long-term health disorders which can be caused by the consumption of these pills are cancer and cardiovascular disorders. The cancerous conditions include liver tumors, liver cancer, viral hepatitis and breast cancer and the cardiovascular risks include high blood pressure and diabetes with vascular complications. The pills should therefore be taken in regulated amounts and should be avoided by pregnant women or those who are heavy smokers. The contraceptive methods which we have discussed above are most popular and the safety and effectivity should be carefully judged before using the same.