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Hormonal contraceptives
- Question
- Hello!
I (27, female, CF) use for some years a vaginal ring for contraception. My common medication is levofloxacin, azithromycin orally; tobramycin and meropenem every 6 weeks intravenously; Aztreonam and Colistin inhalatively. In addition, I still take amitriptylin low dosage and further drugs (like vitamins, ursodeoxycholic acid and diverse sprays).
I have several questions about this:
1. Until now I have chosen the vaginal ring, as it appeared more safe to me due to its independence from the digestive system with regard to the oral antibiotics intake. Would an oral "pill" be as secure? I meet again and again female CF patients who take the normal (and therefore markedly cheaper) pills. Which one would then be especially advisable?
2. Can the fertility of female CF patients be securely tested? Facing the fact that I could also be infertile, it seems questionalbe to me to take hormones for decades. Until now, I regarded the sole usage of condomes to be too insecure.
3. Is there the possibility of getting a hormonal contraceptive covered by the health insurance, in case a pregnancy has definitely to be avoided due to health reasons? In the next transplantation center I have the status "under supervision", all necessary investigations for being listed have been done, at the moment, however, I am fortunately too fit to be listed.
Many thanks in advance! - Answer
- Dear questioner,
1. The vaginal hormonal ring is for sure a good choice for you, as in that case you do not have to take and additional "pill" daily. Antibiotics can sometimes lead to diarrhea, so that the security of a pill can be endangered.
2. Testing the fertility is difficult to impossbile, even in healthy people with this question one can never make a 100% statement, too many factors play a role inhere (regular ovulation, patency of the tubes, qualtiy of sperm, at female CF-patients especially the cervical mucus, etc.).
3. In case you are older than 20 years, the costs for contraception have to be payed out or one's own pocket. In case a pregnancy has absolutley to be avoided due to health reasons, you can try to get a permission of your health insurance on request (single case decision).
I hope you have helped you further,
Dr. Anja-Undine Stücker - 07.10.2013
