Latest news with #hormonalcontraception
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Pharmac makes asthma inhalers, IUDs more accessible
Photo: 123RF Pharmac is making it easier for people to access asthma inhalers and IUD contraception - a move the minister says is sensible and costs no one. From 1 August, people using some strengths of budesonide with eformoterol inhalers for asthma will be available for a three-month prescription instead of just one. Mirena and Jaydess Intra-Uterine Devices (IUDs) - which can prevent pregnancy, including by administering hormones - will be able to be stored at doctors' surgeries. This means patients will not need to pick them up from a pharmacy before getting them implanted. Associate Health Minister David Seymour . Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Some inhalers will also be able to be kept in doctor's and nurses clinics for emergency use, teaching, and demonstrations. Associate Health Minister David Seymour welcomed the moves, saying it was a result of his instruction for Pharmac to start listening to what patients want. "It's been working," he told RNZ. "They've been consulting on a whole lot of things out of my direction to start listening to patients. "Our philosophy is if we can make life easier at no cost, why wouldn't we do it? Easier access to IUDs, better access to asthma inhalers, two obvious win-wins that we can make and really pleased to see this new culture at Pharmac." Seymour said the changes would mean less visits to the pharmacy for resupply, better asthma management, and an extra option for supply in emergencies. "Doctors and nurses will also be able to keep Mirena and Jaydess IUDs in their clinic and will be able to place them in the same appointment. Pharmac will fund these on a PSO to enable this," he said. "Current settings mean women need to get a prescription from their doctor or nurse, pick their IUD up from a pharmacy, and then bring it back to the clinic to be placed. Pharmac estimates over 21,000 women to benefit from these changes in just the first year of funding. "People told Pharmac that these changes will make a real difference. They will make it easier for people with asthma to get the inhalers they need and improve access to long-acting contraceptives like Mirena and Jaydess. They make sense for people." Pharmac's acting director of pharmaceuticals Adrienne Martin said the changes would help over 140,000 New Zealanders in the first year alone. "People have told us that it will remove barriers, reduce delays, and allow for timelier and efficient care." Asthma and Foundation chief executive Letitia Harding said the decision would make a huge difference for Kiwis living with asthma. "When someone is having an asthma attack, they need treatment immediately - there's no time to get a prescription filled," she said. "Patients often need to keep their reliever inhaler in multiple places - at home, school, work, their car - so enhancing access to life-saving asthma medicine will undoubtedly reduce the morbidity of asthma in New Zealand." The change would make asthma management significantly easier, particularly for families facing transport barriers or juggling multiple repeat prescriptions, she said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
ABC News
09-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
How often should you check in with your doctor about your contraceptive pill?
Stephanie Jenkins was 18 years old when she was prescribed a hormonal contraception tablet to help her with acne. The now-32-year-old from Kabi Kabi land on the Sunshine Coast took the same medication for a decade before she started experiencing debilitating migraines. "They were aura migraines, so disturbances in vision, light sensitivity, I couldn't see out of my right eye properly," she says. After having her symptoms dismissed by a GP, Stephanie saw another doctor through an online prescription renewal service. "As soon as I told her all of the symptoms and how often it had been occurring … she just point blank said, 'you immediately need to cease [the pill you are on]'," she says. The doctor told Stephanie the migraines were an indicator of an 'oestrogen overload', a side-effect of the pill which heightens the risk of stroke. "I didn't even know it was because of the pill, I just thought it was related to my period. "You just get put on it, you take it … set and forget." Dr Phoebe Holdenson Kimura says generally, GP's should conduct a yearly review for repeat prescriptions. The lecturer at the University of Sydney's General Practice Clinical School says the key message is that taking hormonal contraception should not be "a set-and-forget process". "Finding out when it was started, what it was started for is important," Dr Holdenson Kimura says. "So, recognising many women take the combined contraceptive pill for contraception, but it also can be used for acne as well as for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding or painful periods. She says doctors should also be checking risk factors with patients, including if they have had lifestyle changes or had medical issues such as migraines, deep vein thrombosis, a pulmonary embolism, high blood pressure, or have liver disease. Dr Eveline Mu is a research fellow at Monash University's HER Centre in Naarm/Melbourne and says there needs to be greater awareness at GP-patient consultations of the risks of depressive disorders. She has been studying the neurological impacts of hormonal contraceptive medication on women's moods. "We've found that there are certain types of common hormone contraception that will be worse for women who are susceptible to mood disorders or who have mood disorders," Dr Mu says. "Fluctuation or any differences in the oestrogen level can impact a lot of other neurotransmitters like serotonin or dopamine which are linked to mood and involved in emotion processing as well." Dr Pav Nanayakkara, a minimally invasive gynaecological surgeon from Jean Hailes for Women's Health, says along with a yearly consult there are other life milestones that should prompt a contraceptive medication check-in. "Any sort of significant life change — so pregnancy, around the time of perimenopause, any diagnosed medical conditions, any lifestyle changes," she says. "Because lifestyle factors can change as we age, we might have different requirements, or we might develop medical conditions." Research conducted by the Jean Hailes for Women's Health shows that just over half of the 3,537 women it surveyed last year, aged 18 to 50 years, didn't know about the full range of contraceptive medications available to them. "This finding was even more significant in the 40-to-50-year age group," Dr Nanayakkara says. "[These women] are then often giving advice to their daughters and may not necessarily know about all of the options." Stephanie says her mother took the pill, so it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. "It was the only thing that was offered to me as an acne treatment which seems wild to me because now I'm more educated," she says. Stephanie says she now tracks her menstrual cycle and uses other contraceptive methods. Dr Holdenson Kimura says it is also important to get advice from your doctor and not social media. "I'm having a lot more women coming in saying 'I want to talk about going off the pill' or, 'I've made the decision to go off the pill because I'm curious to know what it feels like'," she says. "I think that's fine … but equally it is important to be having those conversations [with their GP] about what to consider. "Especially if the pill's been managing heavy periods or painful periods and women want to come off it then we really need to look at what are the other options to help you with that." This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.
Daily Mail
14-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Experts flag new agonising risk of most popular contraceptive - after another type is linked to brain tumours
Millions of women on the Pill may face a higher risk of painful infections that can cause infertility or life-threatening pregnancy complications, experts warn. The warning comes just weeks after it emerged that hundreds of women in the UK are considering legal action amid fears contraceptive injections may raise the risk of brain tumours five-fold. Now, experts are sounding the alarm over other hormonal contraceptives, which have been shown to contribute to chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bacterial vaginosis (BV). Dr Melanie Davis-Hall, medical director at The Lowdown and an NHS GP, said: 'The potential link between these conditions and hormonal contraception deserves more attention. 'Recurrent UTIs and BV can seriously affect a person's quality of life. 'These aren't just minor annoyances—they cause pain and can lead to complications like kidney infections or pelvic inflammatory disease.' A recent US study of more than 24,500 women found those using prescribed contraceptives were significantly more likely to develop a UTI. The injection was linked to a two-fold increase in UTIs, whilst The Pill—which contains hormones oestrogen and progesterone—was associated with a 10 per cent spike. Despite concerns, health experts urged women taking hormonal contraception not to suddenly stop without having another method in place. A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common but agonising condition that affects the bladder, urethra and sometimes the kidneys. It's typically treated with a short course of antibiotics. Symptoms include a burning sensation while urinating—known as dysuria—frequent or urgent need to go, and lower abdominal pain. According to the NHS, some people may also notice blood in their urine, develop a high temperature or feel hot and shivery. Others may have an unusually low temperature, below 36C. Bacterial vaginosis (BV), meanwhile, is a common cause of abnormal vaginal discharge and can raise the risk of sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia. Dr Melanie Davis-Hall, an NHS GP and medical director at The Lowdown, says she regularly sees women with recurrent infections while using certain hormonal contraceptives. The proportion of women taking oral contraceptives has fallen by more than two-thirds, from 420,600 in 2012/13 to 126,400 in 2022/23, according to the NHS data. Around 555,400 women turned to the health service's sexual and reproductive health services in 2022/23—equivalent to four per cent of 13 to 54-year-olds In some cases, symptoms ease significantly after switching contraceptive methods—or stopping them altogether. One woman, who asked not to be named, told MailOnline she suffered from monthly bouts of thrush and UTIs for more than five years while taking the Pill. Since August last year, the 24-year-old teacher from Oxford experienced near-daily symptoms, including a stinging sensation when passing urine or during sex, and a frequent, urgent need to go. Despite trying everything from over-the-counter remedies to repeated courses of antibiotics, nothing brought lasting relief. 'Having constant thrush and UTIs has completely knocked my confidence—especially around being intimate,' she said. 'It's really upsetting to feel unattractive, even with a really understanding partner.' She added that limited access to bathrooms during the school day often made her symptoms worse. 'I'm always thinking about where the nearest toilet is when I'm out in public. It's draining, having to plan around it all the time.' Since coming off the Pill in April for fertility reasons, her symptoms have almost entirely cleared—and she hasn't had a single UTI. 'I feel disappointed that I didn't know all the facts, and that the dots weren't joined by my healthcare provider,' she said. Commenting on the large number of women reporting recurrent UTIs, Dr Davis-Hall said: 'Whilst there isn't robust clinical evidence yet to definitively confirm that the Pill causes UTIs, there are plausible biological mechanisms. 'The Pill can alter the balance of hormones in the body—particularly oestrogen and progesterone—which may impact the vaginal microbiome, the ecosystem of bacteria that protects against infections like BV and UTIs.' Hormonal changes can also affect the vaginal and urethral linings, which may influence susceptibility to infection. Vaginal dryness is a well-known side effect of progestogens—synthetic hormones used in many contraceptives—and this in turn increases the risk of UTIs. 'Contraceptives containing certain progestogens may thin the vaginal lining or affect cervical mucus in ways that increase the risk of other infections like BV,' she added. Common symptoms of BV include unusual vaginal discharge—often with a strong, unpleasant odour, particularly after sex—and changes in the colour and consistency of discharge. According to the NHS, around half of women with BV experience no symptoms at all. Whilst the condition is not usually serious and can often be treated with antibiotics, in extreme cases it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This is a serious infection of the female reproductive system that can cause scarring in the fallopian tubes. This can increase the risk of a dangerous ectopic pregnancy—where a foetus grows outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tubes. Ectopic pregnancies cannot be saved and can cause life-threatening complications. If left untreated, PID can lead to infertility—a risk that rises with repeated episodes of the disease. Dr Davis-Hall said: 'Recurrent UTIs and BV can cause pain, impact sexual enjoyment or lead to avoidance of intimacy, and contribute to relationship difficulties. The psychological burden—particularly when symptoms are dismissed or inadequately managed—is also significant.' In line with NHS guidance, she advises anyone experiencing recurrent UTIs or BV to speak to their GP to rule out other causes and consider whether their current contraceptive method may be playing a role. The warning comes as research published this week suggests that millions of women taking the mini-pill could be at greater risk of developing a brain tumour. The mini-pill —a daily birth control pill that contains progesterone only—is often prescribed as an alternative to The Pill, which also contains oestrogen. But scientists now say that women who take the contraceptive for more than five years are more likely to develop a meningioma. These tumours can be potentially life-threatening, putting pressure on the brain and causing symptoms like seizures, visual disturbances and memory loss as they grow. However, health experts urged women not to be alarmed, as the overall risk remains very low. Experts also pointed out a key limitation of the study—the researchers only looked at one type of mini-pill, desogestrel , and did not asses other progestogens. That being said, a similar study published last year, found that women using contraceptives jabs were also more likely to suffer potentially-fatal brain tumours. The injection implicated in the study—known as medroxyprogesterone acetate—also contains progestogen and works by stopping ovulation. When used correctly, this form of long-acting reversible contraception can last up to 13 weeks. But now a team of scientists from the French National Agency are raising the alarm over the jab's safety, as they found the number of women developing meningiomas while on the jab was particularly worrying. Around 400 women from the US have so far joined a class action against Pfizer and other manufacturers of the jab, alleging that they were aware of the risk but failed to adequately warn users or promote safer alternatives. All the women developed meningiomas after using Depo Provera, the brand name the jab was sold under, for at least a year.
