Menstrual Irregularities and Modern Family Planning

By Gladeth Nakafeero

Did you know why and how irregularities in menses occur while on modern family planning? This should not worry females of reproductive age (15-49) years who need to delay pregnancy and prevent unwanted pregnancies because some family planning methods such as pills, injectables, implants, and intrauterine contraceptive devices can bring about, spotting, amenorrhoea (absence of menses), reduced or increased menstrual flow but these can be managed and treated by trained health care practitioners midwives, nurses and doctors using non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches.

Modern family planning methods containing hormones such as ethinyl, oestradiol (oestrogen) and norethisterone, levonorgestrel, ethynodiol (progesterone) work by suppressing ovulation (release of the egg from ovary) resulting in thinning of uterine lining due to disruption of follicular development process within the ovary because of change in hormones responsible, so some women end up missing to see their menses for some times, getting spotting.

But researchers found out that abnormal vaginal bleeding while on family planning can also be caused by; Failure to take pills correctly, missing doses, taking pills at different times each day and or After using some family planning methods for a long time

Besides family planning menstrual effects abnormal vaginal bleeding can also be caused by pelvic organ infections, endometriosis and certain cancers.

Advice:

Women in need of modern family planning methods should be willing and patient enough to attend the health education talks, and counselling sessions given by midwives, and nurses concerning the utilisation of different methods and make informed decisions and choices so as to avoid complications that may arise from menstrual irregularities.