January 28, 2013COLOGNE, Germany (Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)) -- New findings by medical researchers indicate women need not fear weight gain through the use of oral contraceptives. Hormonal birth control pills are probably not responsible for high increase in weight, according to the international scientific network Cochrane Collaboration.
The non-profit organisation came to this conclusion after comparing different studies on birth control methods.
In a statement referring to the analysis, Germany's Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) said if oral contraceptives had a strong impact on weight, it would have been evident in the study.
It couldn't be excluded though that there might be individual cases of weight gain.
If a woman believes there is a link between her gaining weight after starting to use hormonal birth control pills, she should consult her gynaecologist and ask for an alternative.
Those alternatives could include a different combination or lower dose of hormones, or other types of hormonal contraception like patches and vaginal rings. Also possible are non-hormonal contraception methods like chemical suppositories or barrier methods like condoms or diaphragms.
Copyright 2013 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
