Q: I am a 24 years old married woman. I don't want to conceive. On consulting a doctor, I was asked to take Elogen. There wasn't any test conducted before prescribing this pill. It's been 4 months since I have been using this pill. After taking 21 pills, I am getting my periods by seventh day. I don't have any problems like irregular periods or stomach pain. Recently one of my friends told me that one should never take Elogen without getting oneself tested. Is this true? Please tell me.

A:Elogen is the brand name of an oral contraceptive (OC) pill that contains oestrogen, a female hormonal agent. There are several side effects of hormonal contraceptives including increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, water retention leading to weight gain, clot formation, inflammation of optic (eye) nerve, etc. Unless there are some pre-existing medical problems, oral contraceptive pills can be prescribed without any tests. All in all, the use of barrier methods such as condoms by male partners is the best choice.