Re: Student Question: Allergies to soy and oral contraception
From: Ed (ebake@bigfoot.com)
Thu, 28 Mar 2002 10:11:22 -0600 (CST)
Some of your facts are close to correct, but not absolutely correct. It
leaves me with some questions and observations. Specifically, you
mention that "Soy has been shown to be a type of phytoestrogen that is
contained in most combined oral contraception". To be accurate, soy
contains phytoestrogens which are plant estrogens and similar to
estrogen used in birth control pills. Birth control pills almost
exclusively contain ethinyl estradiol which, if I am not mistaken, is
not exactly the same as the phytoestrogen contained in soy.
I am troubled by the assumption that it will cause any problems just
because a similar chemical is found in soy. Soy also has a variety of
other components which might be the allergen causing her problem. And
even if it is the phytoestrogen component, I don't think you can know
that she will have the same problem with OCPs as she does with soy. It
seems that an allergist might be able to help figure this out.
It may also be worth noting that the lion's share of her own circulating
estrogen is estradiol, so by similar logic are we to assume that since
estradiol is similar to ethinyl estradiol which is similar to
phytoestrogens she is allergic to her own natural hormones? I think that
is too many assumptions. She may be a good candidate for OCPs.
At Fri, 30 Mar 2001, Renee Powell wrote:
>
>My name is Renee Powell and I am an undergraduate nursing student at the
>Univerity at BUffalo. Thsi semester was my first clinical rotation at
>an outpatient fmaily planning clinic. This is my first true exposure to
>Women's Health and the issues that arise in this area of healthcare. My
>question is in regards to a patient that came in that had a perplexing
>situation. She was a young woman who was interested in beginning oral
>contraception. The only problem is that she was allergic to soy. Since
>types of oral contraception are a combination of estrogens and
>progesterones and this patient was unable to be a candidate for this
>type of birth control due to her allergies. Soy has been shown to be a
>type of phytoestrogen that is contained in most combined oral
>contraception.
>
>The physician in charge of the clinic ordered her to be put on
>Depo-Provera instead sicne this contains no estrogen and if all works
>well with that type of birth control method than she should stay on it
>even though this patient was rather adamant to be put on oral
>contraception due to anxiety of receiving an injection.
>
>My question to the forum then is, since there are forms of oral
>contraception that contain only progesterone, why is it that the
>physician ordered her to be put right on Depo rather than trying her
>with a type of oral contraception like the progestin-only pill?
>
>I did some research on the progestin-only pill finding that although the
>"minipill" has been associated with higher pregnancy rates in
>adolescents, it is a more than useful form of OC. The only issue that
>would have to be tackled is her compliance to take the pill at the same
>time everyday (which is why adolescents have a difficulty following this
>regimen). This issue would be of little concern since this patient was
>willing to be compliant for taking the combined OC everyday. If the
>minipill is not taken at the same time everyday, the cervix can become
>lose it's impermeability by 22 hours and the cervical mucus plug will
>diminish by 24 hours.
>
>I would really appreciate it if anyone can get back to me regarding this
>issue as it is of great interest to me and my studies here in nursing
>school.
>Thank You,
>
>--
>Renee Powell
>School of Nursing
>University at Buffalo
>rmpowell@acsu.buffalo.edu
>
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