Lawsuits point to the many dangers of oral contraception.

The below abridged article is by Kristin Davis, of Florida, a guest writer on the blog, Wellness - Vancouver, from Vancouver, British Columbia.

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Despite the modern preoccupation with fitness, many individuals still ignore their inner health, which includes more than downing a protein shake or counting calories. Late night infomercials hock ridiculous exercise products that look more like party gags and researchers continually propose diets that involve food your dog wouldn’t look twice at. While today’s emphasis on appearance encourages weight management, this shallow aesthetic focus can also lead some to take misguided risk elsewhere.

One of those products that enable individuals to manage appearance while maintaining a specific lifestyle is oral contraception. While proponents of birth control pills quickly point out the independence and social empowerment women experienced after the drug’s introduction, opponents point out disturbing side effects that accompany them, like cardiovascular disease. One Yaz lawsuit involved a victim who developed blood clots in her lungs, a steep price. Nevertheless, over 100 million women use these pills worldwide.

With the profitability of these pills, manufacturers might be increasingly less willing to provide factual information. The U.S. Federal Drug Administration recently requested Bayer HealthCare remove misleading advertisements where they marketed their products as a treatment for several other health conditions like regulating hormone imbalances, acne, depression, and weight loss. It is the pharmaceutical equivalent of selling magic beans.

Unfortunately, misconceptions about the ability of oral contraceptives can lead to some dangerous physical consequences. Sexually transmitted infections are still fully communicable, and the clinical tests have shown that oral contraceptives are not effective in stopping unwanted pregnancy 100% of the time… especially when they are not taken as regularly as every single day.

The hormonal ingredients in these pills can also disrupt the psychological and physiological health of women. Users of these pills have seen side effects like migraines, mood swings and vomiting, as well as more serious consequences including heart attack and stroke. In addition, women seeking pregnancy-free sex might experience a decrease in libido from these pills, an ironic consequence.

Sure, they’re convenient and effective at preventing pregnancy, but many fail to recognize the compromise oral contraception involves. Instead, individuals truly serious about leading the healthiest life, both outwardly and within, choose natural forms of regulating birth. While natural family planning (NFP) is no doubt more time consuming and require sacrifice, the long-term benefits more than justify their use. Plus you can use the money that would have gone for birth control pills to get yourself the new Shake Weight that’s taking the fitness world by storm.

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Natural Family Planning Classes Taught

Classes in Natural Family Planning are taught in 17 locations in the Chicago metro area, including southeast Wisconsin and northwest Indiana. The next series of classes will begin Sunday, Feb 6th, 2011, at 1:30 pm, at Resurrection Medical Center, 7435 West Talcott Avenue, Chicago IL, taught by Dave and Mona Cattapan, 847-437-3136.

To register, and for a list of classes throughout the U.S., go to the CCL Central class locator. (800) 745-8252. For information on the Chicago chapter of CCL, go to CCL of Chicago.

The method taught is the Sympto-Thermal Method, which is also taught via CylePRO software. Sign up for a membership with the Couple to Couple League International at www.ccli.org, and receive “Family Foundations.”