Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — headaches

Trusted and reliable contraception is a monumental achievement of the last century. Very effective at preventing pregnancy, oral contraceptives — generally referred to as “the Pill” — are commonly prescribed to women of reproductive age. Apart from contraceptive purposes, the Pill can also be used to treat gynaecological disorders such as irregular or excessive bleeding, polycystic ovarian syndrome, severe menstrual cramping, acne, and endometriosis-associated pain, and their use has been associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer. The Small Print – Side Effects Since its approval for contraceptive purposes 55 years ago, major changes have been implemented in the...

Interpretation of hormone testing using saliva, dried blood spot, or serum can be tricky when women are using oral, patch, or other hormonal contraception methods. The types of hormones in these contraceptives are synthetic, and although they may be close to the molecular structure of our body’s own oestradiol or progesterone, they are not bioidentical. While bioidentical hormones used as supplements react in the same way as our endogenous hormones to the specific antibodies used during hormone testing, non-bioidentical hormones aren’t recognised by these antibodies so they are not measured by the same test. How Does Hormonal Contraception Affect Test...