Menstruation is an absolutely normal process of the body of healthy women of reproductive age. However, for some women, menstruation is accompanied by a long list of discomforts such as severe cramps, headaches, acne and mood depression.
Thinking about these women and those who simply don't want to have their periods for any other reason, the pharmaceutical manufacturer Bayer has launched a new birth control pill called Yaz Flex that lets you choose when you want to have your period.
How this new birth control pill works
Bayer's launch is divided into two phases. In the first, it is necessary to take a pill daily for 24 days without interruption, in order to promote hormonal changes that interrupt ovulation (and thus prevent a pregnancy).
The second phase begins on day 25 and allows you to choose when the woman prefers to menstruate within the next 120 days. This way you can go through menstruation only three times a year.
It works like this: If the woman wants to avoid menstruation to the fullest, just keep taking the pill up to this 120-day limit, then taking a mandatory 4-day break? period during which bleeding should occur.
Also read: 3 Types of Remedies That Can Cut the Contraceptive Effect
The manufacturer justifies the need for this break to prevent leakage, which can happen when taking the contraceptive continuously for long periods. After the break, the woman should return to the first phase by taking a pill daily for 24 days without interruption.
If you prefer to menstruate before this time, you can take the pill for 60 days and then take a break and resume the contraceptive after that period. If the woman wants to menstruate once a month, just take a 4-day break right after the first phase.
If you find the explanation a bit confusing, know that Yaz Flex has an official free app for Android and iOS phones that helps women take the pill on the right days and times. Also, if you forget to take the contraceptive, it indicates what measures should be taken to ensure protection against unwanted pregnancy.
Looks like I've seen it before?
Yes, the novelty launched by Bayer is really much like the old method of splicing contraceptive packs without pausing, so menstruation doesn't happen.
Even this is new? The pill has the same composition as the known Yaz: 3 mg drospirenone (a synthetic progesterone) and 0.02 mg ethinyl estradiol (estrogen derivative). Thus, its mechanism of action is the same as other contraceptives: it inhibits ovulation and causes changes in cervical mucus, making sperm path difficult.
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Bayer, however, argues that Yaz Flex has the advantage that women can choose the best date to menstruate, while the technique of splicing the cards does not allow this programming. In addition, the manufacturer claims that three mandatory periods a year would prevent leakage bleeding, which would be more common when a woman takes the pill continuously.
However, this escape can still happen when using Yaz Flex without harm to health. In this case, it is recommended to pause and allow the endometrial peeling (menstruation), restarting a new cycle after four days.
Does it hurt to go without your period? Know the good and the bad
It may seem shocking, but women are no longer? Menstruating? properly by using any hormonal contraceptives. This is because, even when we pause, the pill prevents ovulation, so the bleeding that happens during this period is just a simulation of true menstruation.
When the first contraceptives came, pharmaceutical companies found in this monthly bleeding a way to make this method seem less artificial. Thus he would be more easily accepted by the most conservative or religious part of society.
According to most gynecologists, mending the cards does not cause damage such as increased next flow (as if the blood was "accumulated"). In fact, it is quite common for a woman who has been taking birth control for several years to have a thinning of her uterine walls so that she will not bleed anymore if she pauses.
Read also: Contraceptive patch: Understand how it works, the advantages and possible risks
In addition, being out of menstruation helps to inhibit diseases such as endometriosis and, of course, prevents symptoms that could arise from PMS.
Despite these advantages, Yaz Flex can still cause side effects common to oral hormonal contraceptives such as nausea, headache and breast enlargement, weight gain and decreased libido.
In addition, the increased risk of thrombosis (clot formation in blood vessels that can lead to stroke or pulmonary embolism) continues to exist, as does the use of other estrogen or derivative pills.
How do I know if this pill is right for me?
Even with all the information available in this article, choosing a hormonal contraceptive method should be done with the gynecologist's follow-up. Each woman has a different body, so it is necessary to make an individual assessment before starting the pill.
Remember that like the other pills, Yaz Flex does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, so condom use remains absolutely necessary.
Read also: Meet the new app that is as effective as the birth control pill
Female Birth Control Options | Family Planning (April 2024)
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