Birth Control 101: The Pill

With so many options out there it’s hard to know where to start. Use this guide to get you started in your search for the perfect pill.

First, who should use oral contraception, or “the pill”?
If you are having sex on a regular basis, then you may consider getting a prescription for birth control pills. If you take the pill everyday, around the same time everyday, then you’ll reduce your chances of getting pregnant to less than 1%. If you skip a dose, however, than that number starts to grow.

How does the pill work?
Birth control pills contain hormones that stop ovulation from occurring. That means that your monthly egg doesn’t drop, ensuring that no fertilization and pregnancy can occur.

What are your pill options?
There are three types of birth control pills on the market. The first is the combined pill which contains estrogen and progestin. These pills are the most effective and the most popular pills. The next type is called a progestin-only pill (or POP or minipill) because it contains only progestin. Women usually take the minipill if they are nursing because estrogen can adversely affect a nursing baby. The third type of pill is emergency contraception, or the “morning after pill”. This pill is taken post-coitally (within three days) if there’s concern that the intercourse was unprotected. It works by preventing a fertilized egg from implanting on the uterine wall, thus preventing pregnancy.

What are the side effects and benefits of oral contraceptives?
Side effects include possible weight gain, mood swings, and some breakthrough bleeding, but many women will experience none of the above. Birth control pills have some medical benefits as well such as reducing menstrual cramps, regulating a period, and transforming acne-ridden skin into smooth skin, among some others.

Will oral contraceptives protect against STDs?
NO! Be sure that if you have multiple partners or are unsure if your partner has been tested, that you use a condom as well.

And that about wraps it up for our lesson on birth control pills.