Current:Home > StocksHow does the birth control pill work? What you need to know about going on the pill.-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
How does the birth control pill work? What you need to know about going on the pill.
View Date:2024-12-23 19:03:22
If you’re considering birth control for the first time, or you’re looking to switch up the type of birth control you already have, finding the type of contraception that’s right for your body can feel like a daunting process.
From the implant to the IUD, there’s a wide range of contraceptive options out there. Ultimately, having a conversation with your doctor about birth control options can help you decide what’s best for your sexual and reproductive health.
In conversation with experts, we’ll break down what you need to know about the most commonly prescribed type of contraception in the United States: the pill.
What is the birth control pill?
“The most common and most familiar form of prescription birth control are birth control pills,” says Dr. Jennifer Robinson, MD, MPHTM, PhD, an obstetrician/gynecologist and assistant professor in Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
“The birth control pill is a daily hormone-based medication that's used by a person with ovaries and a uterus to prevent pregnancy,” says Dr. Gina Frugoni, MD, an assistant professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine and obstetrician/gynecologist at UC San Diego Health.
The birth control pill comes in two forms: the combined oral contraceptive pill and the progestin-only pill (also known as the minipill). The biggest difference between the two are the hormones they contain. The combination pill is made up of estrogen and progestin, whereas the progestin-only pill only contains progestin, per Healthline.
The combination pill is the most commonly prescribed type of oral contraceptive, Robinson says. Though less common, the progestin-only pill can be prescribed if you’re breastfeeding, concerned about taking birth control with estrogen, or if you’re at risk for blood clots, high blood pressure or heart problems, per Mayo Clinic.
How does the birth control pill work?
“Each birth control method, for the most part, has multiple mechanisms for how to prevent pregnancy,” says Robinson.
The combination pill prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation. When you take the pill, “hormones temporarily give a signal to the brain that no ovarian stimulation is needed,” preventing the body from releasing an egg, Frugoni says. If there’s no egg, no pregnancy can occur.
Secondly, the combination pill will prompt the body to thicken the cervical mucus, creating a barrier that “interferes with how well sperm function,” Robinson says.
The progestin-only pill also prevents pregnancy by thickening the cervical mucus, per Mayo Clinic. However, key differences exist between the two pills.
While progestin can stop ovulation from occurring, it isn’t consistent. Four in 10 women continue to ovulate while taking the progestin-only pill, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The progestin-only pill also works to thin the endometrium, making it more difficult for an egg to implant into the uterus, per Healthline.
What are the side effects of the birth control pill?
Possible side effects of taking the combination pill include sore breasts, nausea, headaches and spotting, according to ACOG. Rare, serious side effects of the combination pill are blood clots, strokes or heart attacks. It is not common, but still possible to develop high blood pressure from taking the pill, per the FDA.
More:What is an IUD? Answering the birth control questions you were too afraid to ask
According to the FDA, possible side effects linked to the progestin-only pill include acne, sore breasts, nausea, headaches, irregular vaginal bleeding and weight gain.
veryGood! (742)
Related
- Biden funded new factories and infrastructure projects, but Trump might get to cut the ribbons
- The 10 Best Ballet Flats of 2024 That Are Chic, Comfy, and Will Never Go Out of Style
- This Month’s Superfund Listing of Abandoned Uranium Mines in the Navajo Nation’s Lukachukai Mountains Is a First Step Toward Cleaning Them Up
- The long struggle to free Evan Gershkovich from a Moscow prison
- The Daily Money: Inflation is still a thing
- In the Kansas House, when lobbyists ask for new laws, their names go on the bills
- Accidents Involving Toxic Vinyl Chloride Are Commonplace, a New Report Finds
- Deion Sanders issues warning about 2025 NFL draft: `It's gonna be an Eli'
- Apologetic rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine gets 45 days in prison for probation violations
- 4 accused in Russia concert hall attack appear in court, apparently badly beaten
Ranking
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor to step down at end of academic year
- TEA Business College’s pioneering tools to lead the era of smart investing
- Nicky Hilton’s Guide for a Stress-Free Family Day at Universal Studios
- Wendy Williams' guardian tried to block doc to avoid criticism, A&E alleges
- Just Eat Takeaway sells Grubhub for $650 million, just 3 years after buying the app for $7.3 billion
- Titans GM excited for new-look Tennessee featuring Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard and more
- Becky Lynch talks life in a WWE family, why 'it's more fun to be the bad guy'
- When Natural Gas Prices Cool, Flares Burn in the Permian Basin
Recommendation
-
Inter Miami's MLS playoff failure sets stage for Messi's last act, Alexi Lalas says
-
These Top-Rated Amazon Deals are Predicted to Sell Out — Shop Them While You Can
-
4-year-old girl struck, killed by pickup truck near Boston Children's Museum: Police
-
The Bachelorette Alum JoJo Fletcher Influenced Me to Buy These 37 Products
-
What happens to Donald Trump’s criminal conviction? Here are a few ways it could go
-
Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic following a spike in dengue cases
-
Wisconsin Supreme Court lets ruling stand that declared Amazon drivers to be employees
-
High school teacher and students sue over Arkansas’ ban on critical race theory