Millions of women in the pill can run a higher risk of painful infections that can cause infertility or life -threatening pregnancy complications, experts warn.
The warning comes only a few weeks after it arose that hundreds of women in the UK are considering legal action in the midst of fears, contraception injections can increase the risk of brain tumors five-fold.
Now experts sound the alarm about other hormonal contraceptives, which has been shown to contribute to chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bacterial vaginosis (BV).
Dr. Melanie Davis-Hall, medical director at the lowdown and an NHS GP, said: “The potential link between these disorders and hormonal contraception deserves more attention.
‘Returning Utis and BV can seriously influence the quality of life of a person.
“These are not only small annoyances – they cause pain and can lead to complications such as kidney infections or pelvic infection.”
A recent American study of more than 24,500 women showed that those prescribed contraceptives were considerably more likely to develop a UTI.
The injection was linked to a dual increase in Uti’s, while the Pil-Die hormones contains estrogen and progesterone-associated with a peak of 10 percent.
Millions of women in the pill can run a higher risk of painful infections that can cause infertility or life -threatening pregnancy complications, experts warn
The warning comes only a few weeks after it arose that hundreds of women in the UK are considering legal action in the midst of fears, contraception injections can increase the risk of brain tumors
Despite the concern, health experts insisted that women names hormonal contraception to not stop suddenly without having another method.
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common but painful state that influences the bladder, urethra and sometimes the kidneys.
It is usually treated with a short course of antibiotics.
Symptoms include a burning feeling during urination – known as dysuria – frequent or urgent need to go and lower the abdominal pain.
According to the NHS, some people can also notice blood in their urine, develop a high temperature or feel hot and shivering.
Others can have an unusually low temperature, under 36 ° C.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is now a common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge and can increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia.
Dr. Melanie Davis-Hall, an NHS family doctor and medical director at the lowdown, says she regularly sees women with recurring infections while using certain hormonal contraceptives.
About half of all British women will have at least one UTI at a certain point. This can influence the bladder (known as cystitis), urethra (the tube that transports urine from the body) or kidneys (stock image)
According to the NHS data, the proportion of women who take oral contraceptives has fallen by more than two-thirds, from 420,600 in 2012/13 to 126,400 in 2022/23. About 555,400 women turned to the sexual and reproductive health services of health care in 2022/23 same to four percent of 13 to 54-year-olds
In some cases, the symptoms are considerably facilitating after switching contraceptive methods – or they stop completely.
A woman who asked not to be called, MailOnline told that she was suffering from monthly periods and Utis for more than five years while she took the pill.
Since August last year, the 24-year-old teacher from Oxford experienced near-day symptoms, including a stabbing sensation when passing urine or during sex, and a frequent, urgent need to go.
Despite the fact that everything was tried from freely available remedies to repeated antibiotics, nothing lasting relief brought.
“Having constant thrush and Utis has completely beaten my self -confidence – especially to be intimate,” she said. “It is really disturbing to feel unattractive, even with a truly understanding partner.”
She added that limited access to bathrooms often made her symptoms worse during the school day.
‘I always think of where the nearest toilet is when I’m in public. It is empty and must always plan around it. ‘
Since they got off the pill in April in April for fertility reasons, her symptoms have almost completely been released – and she has not had any uti.
There are around 10,000 recipes for contraception injection (medical medical known as a medroxyprogesterone acetate) every month, according to NHS data
“I feel disappointed that I didn’t know all the facts and that the points were not accompanied by my caregiver,” she said.
In a commentary on the large number of women who reported recurring UTIs, Dr. Davis-Hall said: ‘Although there is no robust clinical evidence to permanently confirm that the PIL UTIs causes, there are plausible biological mechanisms.
“The pill can change the balance of hormones in the body – in particular estrogen and progesterone – that can influence vaginal microbiome, the ecosystem of bacteria that protects against infections such as, for example, and Utis.”
Hormonal changes can also influence the vaginal and urethral linings that can influence the sensitivity to infection.
Vaginal dryness is a well-known side effect of progestogens-synthetic hormones that are used in many contraceptives and this in turn increases the risk of UTIs.
“Anticonceptiva that contain certain progestogens can dilute the vaginal lining or influence cervical mucus in ways that increase the risk of other infections such as,” she added.
Common symptoms of, for example, unusual vaginal drain – often with a strong, unpleasant odor, especially after sex – and changes in the color and consistency of discharge.
According to the NHS, about half of the women with, for example, do not experience any symptoms at all.
The pill is also linked to an increased risk of stroke, in which researchers say that women in the combined pill are three times more likely to suffer a sudden, inexplicable stroke
Although the condition is usually not serious and can often be treated with antibiotics, in extreme cases this can lead to pelvic diseases (PID).
This is a serious infection of the female reproductive system that can cause scars in the fallopian tubes.
This can increase the risk of a dangerous ectopic pregnancy – where a fetus grows outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tubes.
Ectopic pregnancies cannot be saved and can cause life -threatening complications. If untreated, PID can lead to infertility – a risk that rises with repeated episodes of the disease.
Dr. Davis-Hall said: ‘Returning Utis and BV can cause pain, sexual pleasure or lead to avoidance of intimacy and contributing to relationship problems.
The psychological burden – especially when the symptoms are rejected or insufficiently managed – is also important. ‘
In accordance with NHS guidance, she advises anyone who experiences recurring UTIs or BV to speak with their doctor to exclude other causes and to consider whether their current contraceptive method can play a role.
The warning comes as an investigation that will be published this week suggests that millions of women taking the mini-Pill can run a greater risk of developing a brain tumor.
The mini-pill-a daily contraceptive pill that only contains progesterone often prescribed as an alternative to the pill, which also contains estrogen.
But scientists now say that women who take contraception for more than five years are more likely to develop an meningioma.
These tumors may be life threatening, put pressure on the brain and cause symptoms such as attacks, visual disruptions and memory loss as they grow.
Health experts, however, urged women to not be alerted, because the general risk remains very low.
Experts also pointed to an important limitation of the researchers only looked at one type of mini-pill, desogestrel and rated no other progestogens.
That said, a similar study published last year discovered that women who used contraceptives were also more likely to have potentially fatal brain tumors.
The injection involved in the study – known as a medroxyprogesterone acetate – also contains progestogenic and works by stopping ovulation.
With correct use, this form of long -acting reversible contraception can take up to 13 weeks.
But now a team of scientists from the French National Agency increases the alarm about the safety of the puncture, because they discovered the number of women who developed meningiomas while he was on the shot very worrying.
Around 400 women from the US have so far become members of a Class Action against Pfizer and other manufacturers of the JAB, claiming that they were aware of the risk, but do not adequately warn users or promote safer alternatives.
All women developed meningiomas after using Depo Provera, the brand name The Jab was sold under it for at least a year.
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