Vaping is becoming an incredibly popular alternative to smoking that is seen as a sort of harm reduction when compared to the massive and costly effects that smoking causes to the body. In the US alone there are more than 9 million regular users of vape devices and this number is quickly increasing in the younger generations, who are also the most likely to be taking birth control regularly.
Most reputable studies have confirmed that, so far, vaping is a far healthier alternative to regular smoking. However, there are still quite a few unanswered questions when it comes to the long term effects. One often overlooked example of these questions is the safety of birth control and vaping.
Will Vaping Make Birth Control Less Effective?
No is the simple answer here. There is nothing in vaped nicotine juice that has anything to do with the efficacy of birth control. Most vape juices are made up of a combination of nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and flavors. Unless you are using something different than this, there is no chance that your vape will counter the effects of your birth control. However, there are some considerations to be made about mixing nicotine in general with hormone pills:
Using Both Birth Control and Nicotine
Estrogen and progesterone levels in the body are the main chemicals that determine when ovulation is going to occur in the body. Birth control pills operate by changing these levels so ovulation does not occur while taking them.
Changing these hormones comes with a small increase in risk of blood clots. This alone is a minor risk that many are willing to take for the benefits and security that birth control brings. However, nicotine also raises the risk of blood clots.
This means that until more research has been done, there is no way to tell if that risk is at a dangerous level.
Is it Dangerous to Use Both Nicotine and Birth Control?
The jury is still out on this one I’m afraid. Though it will not change the main effect of birth control, the blood clotting side effects of both these combined may be too much for some people. If you are prone to blood clots already, definitely reconsider nicotine and birth control. Blood clots can clog up arteries and be potentially fatal, so there is a major problem with increasing the risks here even if they are marginal.
An important note to take with this information is that vaping carries no additional risks when compared to smoking and birth control. In fact, cardiovascular health improves almost immediately when making the switch to vaping.
If you’re questioning whether or not to switch to vaping from smoking, then in almost all cases the harm reduction that vapes provide are worth it. However, when ingesting chemicals into the body there is always a risk. The healthiest option when taking birth control is to not smoke or vape.
My daughter is 20 and in the ICU with bloodclots in both lungs from vaping on birth contol. Its not safe! Please spread the word!