Seasonale

The facts: Seasonale® is the name brand for an extended-cycle birth control pill product, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 5, 2003, for the prevention of pregnancy. Seasonale is made with lower doses of the same hormones (estrogen and progestin) as conventional birth control pills but is packaged and prescribed differently. The pill pack will come with 84 pills to be taken consecutively followed by seven placebo pills, as opposed to the conventional 21/7 regimen. Taking Seasonale will reduce the number of a woman's annual menstrual cycles from the current norm of 13 to 14 times per year to only four times a year. Like other oral contraceptive pills, Seasonale will not protect you from HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

How well it works: Seasonale is very effective in preventing pregnancy, with effectiveness rates as high as 99 percent if taken as directed. The typical effectiveness rate is approximately 95 percent. The effectiveness depends upon how consistently the pills are taken.

Pros:
• Very effective in preventing pregnancy.
• Eliminates the frequency of menstrual discomfort such as cramps, menstrual migraines, heavy or prolonged bleeding, fatigue and mood swings.
• Decreasing the frequency of periods can help to prevent anemia and endometriosis, a common cause of pelvic pain and infertility.
• May reduce the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer.

Cons:
• Does not protect against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
• It can be hard to remember to take a pill each day.
• Side effects are similar to those associated with any type of birth control pill: nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness, weight gain and breakthrough bleeding. Seasonale users may experience more breakthrough bleeding than women using conventional birth control pills, especially in the first few months of use, although it may be less of a problem for women already using birth control pills.
• Not recommended for women who have blood-clotting disorders or already have risk factors for heart disease and stroke such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol or obesity. Seasonale is also not recommended for women who smoke. This risk increases in women over 35 years of age and with the amount of smoking.

Where to get it: Visit your health care provider or a family planning clinic once it becomes available. Like conventional birth control pills, Seasonale requires a prescription.

Cost: Price information for Seasonale is not yet available. Birth control pills ordinarily require an initial visit (followed by regular visits) with a clinician, which can cost from $50 to $150, in addition to the price of the birth control pill, which usually sells for roughly $1 per pill. Medicaid and some private health insurance plans may cover some or most of these costs. Many family-planning clinics provide services and supplies free or on a sliding scale, based on your income.