Is there a pill that does not...

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Is there a pill that does not...
7
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 4:36pm
Is there a pill that does not change the lining of the uterus? I do not believe in abortions and was wondering if there is a pill that changes cervical mucus and prevents ovulation only.

Thank You!

Candee

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2003
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 5:07pm
No there isn't. I'm Catholic too. If you haven't read Taking Charge of Your Fertility I highly recommend it. Luckily for Catholics nowadays there is a very effective method we can use :) You might also be interested in the Marquette Method of NFP which uses the clear blue easy fertility monitor in addition to the sympto-thermal method. They recently did a study and found that the monitor slightly underpredicts fertile days and the sympto-thermal method slightly overpredicts fertile days. But if there is anything weird in your cycle you might find the combo reassuring. If you're interested in that I can send you the link to the study.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 5:08pm
Hi candeepal, welcome!

I don't think there is any hormonal method that does not change the uterine lining to some extent. All hormonal contraceptives have progestin which affects the endometrium. Even the copper IUD mentions a possible affect on the uterine lining. Have you thought about a vaginal barrier, a diaphragm or cervical cap? I hope you find an effective method that works well for you.

Good luck,

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2003
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 5:51pm
Oops just realized you never said you were Catholic :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 9:21pm
No I'm not a catholic, but I used to be! :) I am a christian and believe a soul is formed when the sperm meets the egg. Anyway sure I would like to learn more about the study. Also a diaphram and cervical cap were also mentioned as options. I was just wondering what the difference is between the two. Thank you everyone for your responses!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 10:30pm
Just for information...

Ovulation cannot be prevented without a progestogen--in the natural form, this is progesterone, the level of which does not drop after implantation of a blastocyst and prevents ovulation until a woman starts major estrogen production following breastfeeding. In its synthetic form, this is the progestin that is found in combination contraceptives (pill, patch, or ring), progestin-only pills, Depo Provera, and Implanon (the types of progestins vary, their function does not). Estrogen in combination pills can assist in ovulation suppression, but cannot do it alone and mostly helps meter the side effects of the progestins and in addition it promotes growth of the endometrium.

Progestin, besides suppressing ovulation, also thickens cervical mucous--these two actions have been _proven_ to occur with use of birth control pills. We do know that, under the influence of progestins (progesterone as well), the endometrium does not proliferate unchecked as it would only in the presence of estrogen. We have evidence of this as our periods on combination pills are lighter with fewer clots than when we aren't on the pill, and this thinning has been measured in clinical trials. What _hasn't_ been proven and has only been supposed is that this thinned endometrium actually prevents implantation of a blastocyst. This has not been reproduced in clinical trials.

If we reason through this... If a woman misses a couple of pills, she is advised to use a backup form of contraception for the next _seven_ days, as that is the length of time that is needed to suppress ovulation or clear a viable egg without fertilization. For progestin-only pills, which rely on thickened cervical mucous primarily for their effectiveness, they are considered effective after 48 hours. It takes 7 days to suppress ovulation, but only 48 hours to thicken cervical mucous. We don't know how long the endometrial changes take to occur, but if no bleeding is present following the missed pills, the state of the endometrium remains the same after the missed pills as before, but there may be bleeding from the hormone withdrawal. It is _very_ possible, even with bleeding, for a woman missing two pills to ovulate and become pregnant. A woman who misses the first pill in her pack following a period can ovulate and become pregnant, even that early in her cycle. But if the pill was thinning her endometrium to prevent implantation or her endometrium was thinned due to a recent period, how could this ever occur? Would we ever have pill pregnancies if this supposed mechanism was truly effective?

We don't know what the least thickness is in which a blastocyst can implant. Ectopic pregnancies occur with no endometrial tissue present at all, whether in a fallopian tube or even in the abdominal cavity. Testing for such a thing, I think you'd agree, would be unethical.

I'm not trying to challenge what you believe, I'm only trying to present you a balanced picture of how birth control pills work and what we know about their effects.

Judie
Co-cl for Birth Control
Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 10:37pm
For information on diaphragms and cervical caps read the post: "Diaphragms and Cervical Caps" in the FAQs at the top of the board. A diaphragm is a thin rubber dome on a steel spring rim and can be between 55mm and 105mm in diameter. The far rim fits at the back of the vagina and the front part of the rim fits snugly in the notch behind your pubic bone. A cervical cap is much smaller, between 22mm and 31mm in diameter. The cap is held in place by suction on the cervix or vaginal walls, depending on the type cap. Usually, neither the woman nor her partner can feel a diaphragm or cap when properly fitted and inserted. For what Planned Parenthood has to say about Diaphragms and cervical caps. see: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/bc/cchoices3.html#DIAPHRAGM Please let us know what you decide

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2003
Tue, 08-10-2004 - 11:02pm
Here is a link to the study: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T5P-4BD9X2V-6&_user=10&_handle=B-WA-A-A-WB-MsSAYVW-UUW-AUEVDBYDZW-AUEWBAECZW-CZBAACCZV-WB-U&_fmt=full&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2004&_rdoc=3&_orig=browse&_srch=%23toc%235008%232004%23999309998%23475822!&_cdi=5008&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=8221eb5df5fdf0feda7579bd9241da73

I can't wait for the day when they sell a fertility monitor that is even more accurate!!

Keep in mind you really have to use the monitor in combination with charting temps and cervical fluid. The monitor is good for me because I tend to not have any cervical fluid until egg white so it is hard for me to predict those early fertile days. Since you aren't Catholic if you want to use a barrier method you could also do fertility awareness to make it more effective and abstain during your fertile times.

Good luck!