Birth Control for Diabetes
Birth Control and Diabetes
According to Centers for Disease Control, an unplanned pregnancy for a diabetic woman could lead to complications for both mother and child. The CDC advocates family planning as necessary for a woman with diabetes, more so than in women without diabetes in order to reduce the risk of premature or large babies as well as birth defects.
Should you find yourself with an unplanned pregnancy, you will need to monitor your glucose levels with your care team and keep glucose levels as close to normal as possible to increase the chances of having a healthy baby. Researchers are still examining the causal relationships with birth control for diabetes sufferers.
Women with diabetes have the same set of choices in birth control as a woman who is not diabetic. However, for the diabetic woman whose glucose levels are higher than they should be, there are greater risks of side effects from the use of some birth control methods over others. While choosing the right birth control for the diabetic woman is not as complicated as it might appear; it does depends on the individual. Make sure that you are communicating any concerns to your primary physician.
Birth Control Options
Increased levels of glucose in the body create a thriving environment for bacterial infections that will likely create complications such as infertility with the use of intrauterine devices (IUDs). No matter the course of treatment prescribed, glucose levels need to be within a healthy range in order to clear up the infection.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), studies investigating the impact of birth control pills on blood glucose, blood cholesterol, and lipids have shown that glucose levels are not different for women who use birth control pills and those who do not. However, controversy still exists regarding the influence that birth control pills has on blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels. Which is the reason that some physicians do not prescribe them for women with diabetes.
The ADA does suggest birth control pills for diabetes that combine norgestinate (form of progesterone) and a synthetic estrogen. For women who have diabetes, avoid birth control pills if you smoke, have high blood pressure, kidney or vascular disease, or uncontrolled glucose levels.
For a diabetic woman who is otherwise healthy the standard option for birth control, such as condoms, injections, implants, rings, and patches are readily available. Condoms will not interfere with the level of glucose in your system and reaps the additional benefit of protecting against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
The decision on whether to have a baby can change your life in unbelievably wonderful ways. Still it is necessary to have a dependable method of birth control that allows you to make that choice on your own terms, in conjunction with your diabetic care team
