Contraceptive pills have been around for quite some time. Along with the condom, they are the most common methods to avoid a pregnancy.
Contraceptive pills are hormonal preparations that may contain combinations of the hormones estrogen and progestin or progestin alone. Combinations of estrogen and progestin prevent pregnancy by inhibiting the release of the hormones luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland in the brain. The said hormones play key roles in the development of the egg and preparation of the lining of the uterus for implantation of the embryo. Progestin also makes the uterine mucus that surrounds the egg more difficult for sperm to penetrate and, therefore, for fertilization to take place. In some women, progestin inhibits ovulation or the release of the egg.
Put simply, contraceptive pills work by regulating your hormones to prevent ovulation, the release of an egg each month. If there is no egg available to be fertilized, you can't get pregnant.
These contraceptive pills, when taken as directed, fail in less than one in every 200 users over the first year of use. Contraceptive pills also are prescribed to treat mid-cycle pain which some women experience with ovulation. These pills, while regulating the menstrual cycle, reduce menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding, and, because of the reduced bleeding, they may prevent the anemia that can develop in some women. For this reason, they contraceptive pills are sometimes prescribed for a number of conditions that are characterized by excessive bleeding or painful menses.
Doctors often prescribe higher doses of contraceptive pills for use as a "morning after" pill to be taken up to 72 hours after unprotected intercourse to prevent fertilization and pregnancy. Many of the contraceptive pills come in easy to use dispensers in which the day of the week or a consecutive number (1, 2, 3, etc.) is written on the dispenser with a corresponding tablet for each day or number.
For contraceptive pills that use consecutive numbers, the first tablet (#1) is taken on the first day of the menstrual period (the first day of bleeding). Tablet #2 is taken on the second day, and so on.
Still other packages instruct women to begin on day five of the cycle. For such products, women count from day one of their menstrual cycle (day one is the first day of bleeding). On the fifth day, the first tablet is taken. Tablets then are taken daily.
Most contraceptive pills are packaged as 21-day or 28-day units. For 21-day packages, tablets are taken daily for 21 days. This is followed by a 7-day period during which no birth control pills are taken. Then the cycle repeats.
For more information about contraceptive pills, please visit the website at www.ContraceptivePills.org.
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