5 Reasons To Ask Your Doctor About Low-Estrogen Birth Control At Your Next OB-GYN Appointment

Product Indication: Lo Loestrin® Fe (norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol tablets, ethinyl estradiol tablets and ferrous fumarate tablets) is a prescription birth control pill used for the prevention of pregnancy. If you are moderately obese, discuss with your healthcare provider whether Lo Loestrin Fe is appropriate for you.

Safety Considerations: There are serious risks with birth control pills, like Lo Loestrin Fe, including blood clots, stroke and heart attack, which can be fatal. Do not take Lo Loestrin Fe if you’ve had any of these conditions. Lo Loestrin Fe users should not smoke as smoking increases these risks, especially if you are over 35 years old. See more below.

When I first went on birth control in my early 20s, I did exactly zero minutes of research ahead of time and just accepted the first prescription pill my OB-GYN recommended. While I ultimately got what I wanted — protection from unwanted pregnancy — in the end, it was not the right fit for me and my body. I knew birth control pills included hormones, but I hadn’t stopped to think about how they work.

Today, as an older (and I like to think wiser) woman in my 30s, I put a lot more thought into the kind of birth control I use — and it seems like more people are on the same page. According to an Ipsos survey of 1,000 current and potential birth control users, 43% of women use the internet to research their birth control options. While that is a great place to start, there’s no one-size-fits-all model when it comes to birth control, so it’s still important to talk to your doctor about the best option for you. For example, after a discussion with my OB-GYN, I realized that options like low-hormone birth control pills existed, and they could give me the pregnancy prevention I needed.

Curious if low-estrogen birth control may be right for you? Here are five reasons to ask your doctor about low-estrogen birth control options like Lo Loestrin Fe® at your next doctor’s appointment.

1. They Can Help You Weigh Your Options

While the internet is a great way to start your investigation (you are here, after all), it can’t answer all the questions you may have, nor can it answer the questions in a way that’s unique to you. In a world where there’s more choice available than ever before, asking for a professional opinion is a great option to sift through the pros and cons of birth control options. What works great for your friends or colleagues may not work for your body — so talking to your doctor to help weigh the benefits of low-estrogen birth control can help you make an informed decision.

2. You Can Ask the Important Questions

It’s normal to have a lot of questions when it comes to your sexual wellness — and there’s no one better to answer them than your healthcare provider. Whether you’re curious about how hormones can affect your body or if a low-estrogen pill is right for you, starting with just one question can open up a whole conversation that can have a big impact on your sexual health. Lo Loestrin Fe (or Lo Lo, for short) is currently the most-prescribed branded birth control pill by OB-GYNs, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to start a conversation about how Lo Lo could benefit you at your next appointment. It’s not uncommon to have some bleeding and spotting between periods. This is sometimes called “breakthrough bleeding” and usually occurs during the first months of use. However, about one-third of women who use Lo Loestrin Fe had breakthrough bleeding that continued after one year of use. If the unscheduled bleeding or spotting is heavy or lasts for more than a few days, you should discuss this with your healthcare provider.

3. Hormones Affect More Than Just Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

By their nature, birth control pills are a type of oral contraceptive that uses hormones similar to the ones in your body. And while the estrogen your body produces is crucial for developing and maintaining your reproductive system, it also affects other parts of your body, including regulating your menstrual cycle, maintaining bone mineral density, and balancing mood. Abnormal or excessive amounts of estrogen can affect your body beyond your sexual health, including causing unwanted symptoms like irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, or fatigue. While low-dose pills typically contain less than 30 micrograms of estrogen, Lo Lo is the only available low-dose birth control pill that provides pregnancy prevention with just 10 micrograms of daily estrogen. Talking with your doctor about how hormones can affect your body is an important step towards taking control of your health.

4. Consider and Understand Potential Side Effects

In a clinical study, the most common side effects reported in at least 2% of patients were:

• Nausea/vomiting: 7%
• Headache: 7%
• Spotting or bleeding between periods: 5%
• Painful menstruation: 4%
• Weight change: 4%
• Breast tenderness: 4%
• Acne: 3%
• Abdominal pain: 3%
• Anxiety: 2%
• Depression: 2%

5. Knowledge Is Power — Understand Your Options

There are serious risks associated with Lo Lo that increase with age and smoking, so it may not be right for everyone. Regardless, asking your doctor about Lo Lo is a good first step in navigating your sexual wellness. Just one visit can open the doors for continuing conversations about your sexual health. That, in turn, will allow you to foster a collaboration with your doctor that keeps you educated, informed, and in control of your health.

Do not take Lo Loestrin Fe if you have high blood pressure that medicine can’t control, certain cancers, liver disease, unexplained vaginal bleeding, are taking Hepatitis C drugs, or if you could be pregnant.

IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION

What is Lo Loestrin® Fe?

Lo Loestrin Fe is a prescription birth control pill used for the prevention of pregnancy. If you are moderately obese, discuss with your healthcare provider whether Lo Loestrin Fe is appropriate for you.

Who should not take Lo Loestrin Fe?

Do not use Lo Loestrin Fe if you have or have had blood clots, history of heart attack or stroke, high blood pressure that medicine cannot control, breast cancer, liver disease or liver tumors, unexplained bleeding from the vagina, or if you take Hepatitis C drugs containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, as this may increase levels of liver enzymes in the blood.

What else should I know about taking Lo Loestrin Fe?

Treatment with Lo Loestrin Fe should be stopped if you have a blood clot, and at least 4 weeks before and through 2 weeks after major surgery. You should not take Lo Loestrin Fe any earlier than 4 weeks after having a baby, or if you are breastfeeding. If you experience yellowing of the skin or eyes due to problems with your liver, you should stop taking Lo Loestrin Fe. If you are prediabetic or diabetic, your doctor should monitor you while using Lo Loestrin Fe. Your doctor should evaluate you if you have any significant change in headaches or irregular menstrual bleeding. Lo Loestrin Fe should not be taken during pregnancy.

What are the most serious risks of taking Lo Loestrin Fe?

Lo Loestrin Fe increases the risk of serious conditions including blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. These can be life-threatening or lead to permanent disability.

What are the possible side effects of Lo Loestrin Fe?

The most common side effects reported by women taking Lo Loestrin Fe in a study were nausea/vomiting, headache, spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods, painful menstruation, weight change, breast tenderness, acne, abdominal pain, anxiety, and depression.

Birth control pills do not protect you against any sexually transmitted disease, including HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Please see the full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, and Patient Information.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

If you are having difficulty paying for your medicine, AbbVie may be able to help. Visit AbbVie.com/myAbbVieAssist to learn more.

Brought to you by AbbVie, maker of Lo Loestrin® Fe.

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