Birth Control Pills: How Do They Work?

Contraceptive methods and products, since its earliest form, were aimed and designed to be used by women. One of the most commonly used contraceptives and the first ever birth control product created for women is the birth control pill.

But a lot of women do not understand how the birth control pill really works. All they know is that it is most recommended by doctors as an effective means of protection against unwanted pregnancies.

The oral contraceptive pill is a pill which contains synthetic hormones that are designed to change how the body works which prevents conception. These synthetic hormones are man-made copies of naturally occuring hormones estrogen and progesterone. These two sex hormones are in charge of the way the ovaries and the uterus function.

Combination birth control pill
The most commonly used birth control pills are what they call combination pills. Combination pills contain both estrogen and progesterone. Combination pills work by thickening the cervical mucus, making it difficult for sperm to reach the egg. Also, using the combination pill will help ovulation. No egg cell released from the ovaries means there is no egg cell to fertilize. These pills are taken daily at the exact same time, with a 7-day placebo break to remind you to take the pill at the same time. An example of a good combination contraceptive pill is Ortho Tri Cyclen.

Progestin-only contraceptive pill
The other kind of contraceptive pills is the mini-pill or the progestin-only pill. As the name suggests, this contraceptive product contains only the synthetic hormone progestin. Aside from thickening the mucus lining of the cervix, it also changes the uterine wall to make it difficult for fertilized egg to implant itself to the uterus. The only problem with the mini-pill is that there is no assurance that you won't ovulate every month. You may have your monthly period while you're using the mini-pill, which means you will ovulate for the month and have a chance of getting pregnant. Just like the combination pill, the mini-pill is taken daily at the same time. An example of a mini-pill brand is Orvette.

Emergency contraceptive pill.
The only brand of emergency contraceptive in the market right now is Plan B. It is a two-dose emergency contraceptive pill used for instances where primary birth control methods or products could not be obtained. Emergency birth control pills are taken within 72 hours of the unprotected intercourse, this is before the egg cell has a chance to get fertilzed by a sperm cell.

These contraceptives may bring about side effects that can be potentially hazardous to a woman's health. This is why birth control pills require prescription letters, to ensure that only those who need it will use it.

It is important, though, that contraceptive pills users understand that this will not provide any form of protection against sexually transmitted diseases. It only serves as a means to prevent pregnancy from happening before women are ready for the responsibility.

The writer, Abbey Grace Yap, is an active advocate for health consciousness and disease awareness. She possesses a deep passion in discovering new health-related information and sharing it to her readers.Visit DrugstoreTM.com for more details. And also you can visit Drugstoretm- Articles for more health related articles.

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