Should Women with CHD Use Combined Contraceptive Pills? No, Says Study

Birth control or contraception, since its invention, have been popular amongst women because of the freedom they allow you to enjoy sex with your partner with a incredibly low risk of pregnancy, but also provide other physical benefits, particularly if they are hormonal.. Birth control methods are broadly classified under two categories - hormonal and non hormonal methods. Hormonal methods include contraceptive pills, implants, patches, contraceptive injections and the vaginal ring. Contraceptive pills can be either mini pills or combined contraceptive pills.

Contraceptive pills, especially, have proven to be the most popular form of hormonal contraceptives amongst women. However, a study conducted in the past has concluded that women, who suffer from heart disease, especially congenital heart disease or CHD should speak to their doctor about their condition before deciding on the type of contraceptive they should opt for. It is because women with CHD stand at a risk of developing severe complications if they are using oral contraceptives.

It was surprising to observe that out of 536 German women, who participated in this study, 20% of them were on oral contraceptives and also suffered from this heart disorder. Furthermore, almost half of them claimed that they were not even aware of this link. They claim that doctors never counselled them on the risks, which the researchers assert is nothing to be conce
ed about. The reason why doctors fail to counsel women regarding the link between oral contraception and congenital heart disease is that even for cardiologists, this disease is still new and hence no extensive research has yet been carried out.

Not all women with heart conditions are at an increased risk of complications if she becomes pregnant or are using oral contraceptives; but severe disorders such as congenital heart disease do elevate pregnancy complications and other side effects if a woman is using oral contraceptive methods. In this study, nearly 180 women participants experienced contraindications when they were using birth control pills. These contraindications included development of blood clots and a higher blood pressure count compared to other patients. This group had women who faced absolute as well as relative contraindications to using birth control pills.

Absolute contraindications of using birth control pills may include cyanotic heart defects, which have been found to limit oxygen circulation in the body, severe heart failure, a rare heart defect called Eisenmenger's syndrome, also known as pulmonary hypertension or a condition when the blood pressure is high in the lungs. Relative contraindications to using oral contraceptives include smoking and high blood pressure.

When a woman is pregnant, her blood volume and heart rate increase which in turn increases the pressure and strain on her heart. This is the reason why a woman with severe heart failure, cyanotic heart disorders and pulmonary hypertension is at a risk of health complications. 60 women participants involved in this study belonged to the group which had a high risk, 39 among these 60 were in their reproductive age and sexually active. Within these 39 women, 28% were not even using any birth control method.

Scientists involved in this study suggest that this problem can be alleviated if there is a strong collaboration between family planning experts and the respective cardiologists of patients. Since there is a difference in the way medical practices are carried out country wise, researchers are contemplating to conduct the same study in other countries after Germany.