Who is the perfect candidate for taking prescription birth control with its nearly one hundred percent effectiveness and its very low incidence of serious side effects or medical risks? Any woman who is sexually active and does not want to become pregnant should discuss taking prescription birth control with her doctor. After a complete physical exam and a medical history, a woman’s health care provider will determine if she is a good candidate for prescription birth control.

Major Risk Factors

The most significant risk factor is smoking. For every age and type of prescription birth control, smoking increases the risks of heart attack, stroke, and cancer. Because these conditions are potentially fatal, a woman has two choices when considering prescription birth control. Either she can look for an alternative method, or she can give up smoking.

The second most significant risk factor is age. The risk of severe complications from prescription birth control rises as a woman reaches her mid to late thirties. If she is also smoking, the risk to her health is even more significant.

Medical History

In addition to the smoking and age risk factors, a woman should discuss with her doctor her medical history, including her family’s medical history. For example, a woman with a history of high blood pressure or heart disease is at greater risk of stroke or heart attack if she takes prescription birth control. In addition, she needs to reveal to her doctor if she has any history of cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, or migraine headaches before starting birth control. For healthy young women, the incidence of serious complications such as stroke or heart attack is very rare. However, it is important to consider the health profile for each woman, not only for such major risk factors but also for the prospect of side effects. For example, a woman with a history of migraines or a family history of migraines may not be able to take birth control pills successfully. Her migraines may not be life threatening, but her quality of life will decline significantly.

Finally, it is important to make certain that a woman is not pregnant before beginning a course of birth control. If she has recently given birth and is breast-feeding, she is a candidate for birth control, but should only be taking a formula that is limited to progestin only. If you believe that you can become pregnant while taking this medicine, you must stop taking it immediately.