Birth Control Pills:

Who should NOT take BCP's

Intro	How to take BCP's
Side Effects	Frequently Asked Questions
Medical Benefits	Birth Control Myths
Who should NOT take BCP's

Can anybody take birth control pills?

Almost all teens and young women can take birth control pills. There are only a few reasons why your health care provider might feel that you need to choose other methods of birth control. These reasons are called “contraindications”.

Contraindications for taking combined birth control pills include:

• History of blood clots or genetic problems that causes clotting
• Migraine headaches with aura (spots and wavy flashing lights or difficulty seeing that occur 5 to 30 minutes before the headache starts), or neurological symptoms (numbness, loss of speech)
• Certain kinds of heart disease
• High blood pressure that is not controlled with medication
• Surgery or any other condition that prevents you from moving or getting up and walking (immobilized)

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Written and reviewed by the CYWH Staff at Boston Children's Hospital

Updated: 10/18/2011

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