Repeated use of emergency contraceptives can be dangerous – Medical Officer

Frequent and repeated use of emergency contraceptives may be harmful to women with conditions classified as medical eligibility criteria (MEC) categories 2, 3, or 4 for combined hormonal contraception or Progestin-only contraceptives (POC).

“Frequent use of emergency contraception can result in increased side effects, such as menstrual irregularities. Emergency contraceptives are meant for emergency purposes and not for everyday use.

“If you find out that you are relying on emergency contraception as your main form of birth control, speak to health professionals about your options,” Dr. Mrs. Anita Owusu-Afriyie, a Medical Officer in the Oncology Unit of the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema, has revealed.

Dr. Mrs. Owusu-Afriyie said this at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! A Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing a platform for health information dissemination to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy

The Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Office developed the public health advocacy platform “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility” to investigate the components of four health communication approaches: informing, instructing, convincing, and promoting.

She said just like other oral contraceptives, it worked through the increase of hormones in the body increasing the risk of the users contracting cancers, especially breast cancer which was common in Ghana.

She also encouraged young women to consider either abstaining or using condoms as a form of protection instead of abusing emergency contraceptives to avoid putting themselves at risk.

She cautioned women against the abuse of emergency contraceptives, as that put them at risk of contracting cancer in the future.

She cautioned against multiple sexual partners as the practice was hazardous, stressing that having sex with many different partners increased the chance of encountering human papillomavirus (HPV), a cancer-causing virus.

She said the expedition of multiple sexual partners exposed both the practitioner and the innocent partners to great danger and vulnerability.

“The virus that causes HPV infection is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. Most people get a genital HPV infection through direct sexual contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex.

“Because HPV is a skin-to-skin infection, intercourse isn’t required for transmission to occur,” Dr. Mrs. Owusu-Afriyie stated, noting that the risk of getting HPV increases along with the number of sexual partners a person has.

“If you got a positive HPV test and your Pap test is abnormal, your doctor will probably follow up with a colposcopy. Try to see a physician who specializes in this procedure.

“During a colposcopy, your doctor will look more closely at the cervix, vagina, or vulva with a special microscope called a colposcope,” Dr. Mrs. Owusu-Afriyie encouraged people to undertake an HPV test and Pap test.

She advised people with a family history of cancer to undergo regular medical checkups at least twice a year.