At Celebrating Women Center in Oxnard, California, Dr. Adrienne Lara, MD, wants her patients to know that she went to medical school for you. She believes good patient care is collaborative and involves both the patient and doctor working together as a team to get to the same goal — patient wellness. Voted Best Med Spa/Cosmetic Surgeon 2014-2020 by the Ventura County Reporter and Best Med Spa Readers’ Choice County Star 2018, Celebrating Women Center offers a number of health and wellness treatments focused on regenerative medicine that allows patients’ natural beauty to shine through, including micro-needling, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and vaginal rejuvenation with advanced medical treatments such as laser therapy and surgical procedures. 

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There comes a time in our relationships where we don’t want to worry about the unpredictability of condoms. So, what do we turn to? Birth control. It is exactly what it sounds like, it prevents birth or pregnancy. For the past six decades, this oral contraceptive has eased the minds of women and their partners alike who are not ready to grow their families just yet. 

Birth control is a hormonal contraceptive that contains human-made estrogen and progestin hormones, also known as a combination pill. These hormones hinder your body’s natural hormones to stop the ovulation process or releasing of eggs. Additionally, it thickens the cervical mucus making it difficult for the sperm to enter the cervix and join with an egg.  

Although for some preventing pregnancy is the motivation to take the pill, it is not the only reason Dr. Adrienne Lara at Celebrating Women Center would recommend it to you. 

As a Women’s Sexual Medicine Expert, Dr. Lara highlights the 5 benefits of birth control in addition to its contraceptive features. 

Birth control benefits: 

1. Prevent pregnancy
2. Shorter duration of the menstrual cycle
3. Decreased amount of menstrual cramps 
4. Reduce acne
5. Diminish PMS 

If you have been taking the pill for 5 years, you could reduce your risk of ovarian cancer by 50%.

Alternatively, if you and your partner are at the stage in your lives where conceiving is in the cards, keep in mind that being on birth control (past or present) will not prevent you from having children. Dr. Lara explained how you need to give your body six weeks to reset. In those weeks where you are removing feedback from your ovaries, you will get your period, which will then restart your natural menstrual cycle. And women, if we were on birth control, we all know what being off it means, baby time! 

Birth control is only accessible through a healthcare provider. If you are interested in birth control, consult with your physician or schedule an appointment with Dr. Lara to find out more.