A new contraceptive pill has been made available for Australian women who previously developed blood clots from birth control medication. Slinda pills have been deemed the safer option by Dr Terri Foran of the University of NSW Sexual Health in Kensington.
Slinda is exclusively a progestogen contraceptive pill that works well for breastfeeding women, as well as those diagnosed with hypertension, obesity, and migraines with aura. It’s also safe for women over 51 years old who may still need contraception but cannot take oestrogen contraceptive pills due to the side effects.
In Australia, most birth control pills available contain a combination of oestrogen and progestogen that may lead to headaches and blood clots. For every 10,000 women, five to 12 will develop blood clots because of their contraceptive pills.
According to Dr Foran, drugmakers in the 1950s added oestrogen in contraceptive pills to help control the bleeding better. Eventually, most worrying side effects have been proven to be oestrogen related. The UNSW Sexual Health expert said that no blood clots were reported for studies done for Slinda.
The pill works to thicken the mucus in the cervix and thin the uterus lining thus women who take the drug will experience infrequent periods.
Unlike other progestogen pills, Slinda doesn’t have a three-hour window for missed doses. Women can take it within 24 hours to catch up on their doses. Some of the most common side effects of this new drug include a mild diuretic effect, fluid retention, constipation, increase in acne, and breast tenderness.
The Slinda pills, however, are not part of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and could be available only through private prescriptions for $30 a month.
