{"id":21785,"date":"2023-11-01T06:11:38","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T05:11:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/?p=21785"},"modified":"2023-11-01T06:12:43","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T05:12:43","slug":"can-birth-control-cause-strokes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/can-birth-control-cause-strokes\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Birth Control Give You a Stroke?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask any female young millennial or older Gen Z about birth control, and there\u2019s a good chance that they were put on it at a young age. Many were put on it for reasons other than preventing pregnancy like to help with acne or to regulate periods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s incredible that it\u2019s become so accessible and gives people more autonomy over their bodies and reproductive choices, and has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/birth-control-methods-how-it-has-revolutionized-the-world\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">revolutionized<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the lives of people with uteruses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately, birth control can also come with quite a few side effects. More and more people have become aware of the repercussions that can come with the long-term (and sometimes short-term) use of birth control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are more common side effects like weight gain, loss of libido, sore breasts, and spotting in between periods, but some side effects are less obvious. Like the issue of covering up symptoms of a reproductive health disorder instead of getting to the root of it, or the toll that it can take on your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/birth-control-and-your-liver\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">liver<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another serious complication that may be associated with birth control use is an increased risk of stroke. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does birth control really cause strokes? What steps can you take to have autonomy over your reproductive rights without the risk of a scary complication like a stroke?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is A Stroke?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/stroke\/about.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stroke<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, or when something blocks the blood supply to part of the brain. Brain cells start to die within minutes of being deprived of oxygen, causing parts of the brain to become damaged or die. <\/span><b>Strokes can lead to long-term disability or brain damage, and can be fatal in some cases<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are three different types of strokes:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Hemorrhagic stroke: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Occurs when an artery in the brain ruptures or leaks blood, putting pressure on brain cells and damaging them.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ischemic stroke: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common type of stroke, this is when blood clots or another particle block blood vessels to the brain.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Transient ischemic attack (TIA): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or a \u201cmini-stroke\u201d, is when blood flow to the brain is blocked for a short period of time, typically 5 minutes or less.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Symptoms of a stroke include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Confusion<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trouble speaking or understanding speech<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Difficulty seeing in one or both eyes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Numbness or weakness in the arm, leg, or face<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Severe headache without a known cause<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dizziness or difficulty with balance<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Difficulty walking<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All this information can sound scary, and new, especially for younger people who you normally wouldn&#8217;t think of being at risk of having a stroke.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Birth Control and Strokes<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So can birth control really cause strokes? Potentially. One <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.acc.org\/latest-in-cardiology\/ten-points-to-remember\/2018\/03\/28\/14\/02\/oral-contraceptives-and-ischemic-stroke-risk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">study<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> showed people taking oral contraception have a stroke risk of 8.5 per 100,000 versus 4.4 per 100,000 for menstruating people not on hormonal birth control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before examining the relationship between strokes and birth control, it\u2019s important to understand what different types of birth control are available. Hormonal birth control uses artificial hormones to suppress <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/the-elusive-world-of-ovulation\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ovulation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and prevent conception. Progestin-only pills are sometimes called \u201cmini pills\u201d and typically cause fewer side effects, however, they may not be as effective. Combination pills use both estrogen and progestin and tend to be more effective, although some people are more sensitive to estrogen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Older <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahajournals.org\/doi\/10.1161\/STROKEAHA.117.020084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> spanning from 1960-1999 showed an increased risk of stroke of 2.75% among people who were on estrogen birth control. The same studies showed no increased risk of stroke for people taking progestin-only pills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Later studies spanning from 1980 to 2002 showed a lower risk of a 2.12% increase of stroke for people taking combination hormonal birth control. A more recent study from 1995-2009 examined the risk of stroke among people taking birth control containing estrogen including vaginal rings and contraceptive patches. This study found no significant increased risk of stroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Other Risk Factors<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The risk of having a stroke while on hormonal birth control is significantly higher for people who have other risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure, and who are on higher doses of estrogen. Although overall the risk is low, if birth control does contribute to a stroke it is typically an ischemic stroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another risk factor that can significantly increase someone\u2019s risk of having a stroke is migraines. People who have migraines with auras have a higher risk of having strokes than people who don\u2019t get auras. However, people on combination hormonal birth control who get migraines, with or without aura, have an even higher risk.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Strokes and Birth Control: What to Remember<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although there is some correlation between taking hormonal birth control and strokes, <\/span><b>overall the risk is low and seems to be declining over time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Part of this may be due to people smoking less which is also a significant risk factor for strokes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hormonal birth control offers people more autonomy and choice over their reproductive rights, but it does come with potential risks and side effects. If you\u2019re unsure about what the right choice is for you, <\/span><b>be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about your <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intimina.com\/blog\/birth-control-options-best\/\"><b>birth control options<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>If you or someone you know is experiencing possible symptoms of a stroke, it\u2019s vital to call emergency medical support immediately<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0 It\u2019s also important to note the time when symptoms first appeared as this can help medical providers determine treatment. Long-term outcomes for people who have had a stroke are dependent on how fast they are able to get medical care.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ask any female young millennial or older Gen Z about birth control, and there\u2019s a good chance that they were put on it at a young age. Many were put&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":21543,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[224,333],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.12 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Can Birth Control Cause Strokes? 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