Refuting the myths about the contraceptive pill
Fertility specialist Ksenia Khazhilenko denied the myth that prolonged use of oral contraceptives can lead to a decrease in the ovarian reserve.
On her Facebook page, she noted that this myth has replaced another one, exactly the opposite, which argued that birth control pills retained a reserve. But at the same time, Ksenia noted that such medicines work by suppressing ovulation.
According to the doctor, the work of the ovary is designed in such a way that, together with the follicle, which is knocked forward, before ovulation, about 1000 more follicles die at an early stage of their development every month. Thus, inhibition of ovulation with oral contraceptives preserves one ovum, but does not preserve the rest.
Khazhilenko said that this is natural, since the ovary does not prepare the follicles in advance for potential ovulation, as it happens in a usual manner. In addition, the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) will also be slightly less due to the same reasons. Since it is produced just by that "preparatory" pool of follicles, which are in a position to become the leaders in the coming months. The doctor noted that, as a rule, the natural process of folliculogenesis is restored within 2-3 months.
Ksenia said that nature does not like unreasonable waste of energy: if you do not want to ovulate, I will keep the resource for better times. But it will not be possible to keep it for a long time, since the vital processes in the ovary do not stop, as does the movement of the sun across the firmament. That which should perish according to the highest prescription will perish regardless of our desire or the influence of contraceptives.
In addition, the doctor said that after taking the pills, ovulation and the appearance of the ovaries recover quickly, since modern pills contain small doses of hormones.