The birth control shot is a popular form of contraception, but like any medication, it comes with potential side effects. This article will outline five common side effects of the birth control shot that you should be aware of before deciding if it is the right choice for you.
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Weight gain
Receiving a birth control shot is a convenient way to protect yourself against unwanted pregnancy. And unlike the pills, you don’t have to remind yourself about it on a daily basis.
Instead, a single shot inhibit conception for up to three months. By keeping a reminder, you can schedule the next visit after twelve weeks.
But many women who use the shot complain about rapid weight gain. This bulging is due to the shot’s contents.
According to the research conducted by Mayo Clinic, weight gain is a possible side effect that some individuals may experience when using the contraceptive injection. This weight gain could be attributed to the content of the shot itself. If you gain more than 5% of your body weight within the first 6 months of using the contraceptive injection, it is likely that the weight gain may continue.
Any birth control shot thickens the cervical mucus a lot so that sperm doesn’t pass through to reach the egg. But to do this, the active compounds in the vaccine alter the body mechanism to increase fat production.
Besides, this contraceptive supports the retention of glucose, fluids and other digestive enzymes. In so doing, some fluids deposits turn into fat.
And as more water is retained, your body starts becoming heavy. About 60% of women using this shot gain five pounds during the first year. Fortunately, the excess weight dissipates after this duration.
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Unwanted facial hair and thinning hairline
Some birth control shots contain progestin to prevent pregnancies. This chemical is a synthetic form of progesterone secreted naturally by all women.
While some birth control shots have estrogen as the key compounds, other use artificial progesterone. Depending on the type of the shot you take, you may notice excessive hair on your face, or withering hair on your head.
This is how the shot works. When you take a contraceptive vaccine containing estrogen, it increases the level of this hormone in your system.
Excessive estrogen prevents testosterone secretion. Due to limited testosterone supply, your hitherto lush hair mass starts withering and thinning.
On the other hand, if you opt of the shot with progestin, it decreases the performance of progestin receptors. This intervention accelerates the production of ex vivo testosterone.
This predominantly male sex hormone propagates the growth of facial hair. Thus women tend to notice unwanted hair on their chins and temples.
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Body and mind mess
Some side effects of the shot are localized. And administering the shot may bring abdominal pains and discomfort.
Further, during this session, you may feel nauseated and constant bloating as a result of the medical reaction to normal body functions. Sometimes, these feelings are accompanied by general weaknesses and fatigue.
According to the research published by Very well Health, a common side effect of the contraceptive shot is a reaction to the injection itself. Some individuals may experience mild pain at the injection site, while others might develop skin reactions in the area where the shot was administered
This effect is not restricted to the body alone. It could impact on the mental state of some women. Thus, it’s not uncommon to become nervous, dizzy and tired. In extreme cases, some woman have expressed concerns related to headaches and depression.
Women who take shots that combine both estrogen and progestin suffer additional pains. These mostly manifest as sore and tender breast, which can be painful on slightest contact.
The chest pain can extends to your arm pits and upper arm. It happens due to water retention by vaccine which gets during menstruation. Eventually, your body adjusts to it.
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Changes in appetite
Changes in eating habits is yet another effect evident after taking the shot. The effects are mixed, with some women craving for more food, while others curtailing down their appetite.
Why is this the case? Well, some shot composition irritate the stomach lining, slow metabolism, and cause nausea. Still, shots could also cause stomach discomfort. As such, some women tend to throw up when they eat or generally loss their appetite.
To continue eating well, you can take the antacid tablets to calm this discomfort.
Yet some women’s appetite improve after taking the contraceptive shot. This is due to the steroid changes initiated by the shot.
The shot helps these women crave for extra portions, especially during the first six months of using this form of birth control.
But exercises could help. Physical activities burn the extra calories you add as a result of the eating disorder arising from the shot.
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Loss of bone density
The most significant side effect of using most birth control shots is shrinking bone mass. This situation is serious that many vaccinate manufacturers issue a warning on the same.
Research by the Foods & Drug Administration FDA states that exposure to prolonged administration of conception shot can result in the thinning of bones.
According to the research by the National Institute of Health, the contraceptive shot may lead to a decrease in bone mineral density, particularly within the first two years of use. However, it is worth noting that any loss in bone density has been found to fully or substantially recover after discontinuing the shot.
How then do you protect yourself from this effect? The first approach is to restrict yourself to less than two years of continuous injection. This hiatus gives your body adequate time to rebuilt brittle bones.
Second is to take diet rich in calcium. These include milk and dairy products. In addition, green leafy vegetable - kales, spinach, okra - also offer your system a huge calcium boost.
Lastly, is to use supplements. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation help you ingest additional minerals not sufficiently available in your regular meals.
Note that once osteoporosis sets in, regaining the lost bone density is difficult.
To wrap up, birth control shots are necessary if you want proper family planning but have several side effects. These side effects, if not taken seriously, can deteriorate the physical and reproductive health of females, which impacts mental health as well.
Solution To Overcome Low Female Libido Cause
What is Low Female Libido?
It means a lack of sex drive which is very common in women. It is also known as female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD). Hormones, self-perception, physical health, and lifestyle play an important role in the performance of women libido. Many women suffering from this have no problem having orgasms but have no real desire to have sex.
If this problem is left untreated, it leads to the breakage of a relationship. Basically, women suffering from low female libido cause undergo with the problem of low self-esteem and losses the desire for living.
Reasons For Low Female Libido Cause
There are two causes which are as follows:
- Physical Cause
- Psychological Cause
The reasons for physical cause are as follows:
- The major cause can be due to some illness or disease such as diabetes, cancer, high blood pleasure, arthritis, and many others.
- Anemia which is very common in women due to iron loss during their menopause.
- Alcohol can be another reason for low female libido cause. A glass of wine may make you feel amorous, but too much intake of alcohol can reduce the desire for sex.
- Pain while having sex or inability to orgasms can hamper the desire for sex.
- Antidepressants, blood pleasure and chemotherapy medications are a harmful libido killer. This can kill the desire for sex, especially in women.
The reasons for psychological cause are as follows:
- Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and many others can lead to low female libido cause.
- Poor body image and low self-esteem in women
- Past or present physical or emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse or rape
- Difficulty in a living condition like financial, stress, overwork load or home environmental problems.
- Misunderstanding and lack of trust between the partners.
The solution to overcome low female libido cause
- Exercise: To get rid of this problem first try to calm down all your mental stress. Try doing some exercise which builds immunity and stamina in your body. Exercise increases the blood circulation in the virginal area and therefore nourishes the tissues of the genital area.
- Yoga and Meditation: It helps you to relieve all your stress which will boost up your low sexual desire. Once you are relieved from stress you will feel happy and will start thinking about yourself and your relationship with your partner. It is proved that when women are happy their desire for sex increases.
- Strengthen Pelvic Muscles: Pelvic exercise done on the floor to improve your knowledge about the muscles involved to have pleasurable sex, which increases your libido. This exercise tightens your pelvic muscles and gives you a feeling as though you are stopping a stream of your urine, hold it with the count of five relax and repeat. Do this exercise several times a day. This will loosen your muscle and make it flexible.
- Communicate with your partner: Conflicts and misunderstanding are common these days. Couples who learn to communicate in an open and honest way can maintain a stronger emotional connection and this can lead to a better relationship and satisfying sexual life.
Conclusion: Low female libido cause is common these days which can be easily cured naturally. If the case is severe there are also pills available which can be taken with doctor’s advice.