How do birth control pills work article

[Guest guest]

An interesting article I just read on birth control - nne

When a woman is pregnant, her body naturally prevents her from

getting pregnant again because women's bodies are not equipped to

support fetuses at different stages of development. Birth control

pills take advantage of this natural phenomenon and work by fooling

the body into thinking and acting as if it's already pregnant.

There are two basic kinds of hormonal birth control: (1) the

combination pill which is made up of two synthetic hormones (estrogen

and progestin) and (2) the progestin-only pill (sometimes called the

minipill).

The synthetic estrogen in the combination pill works to prevent the

ovaries from releasing an egg. If no egg is released, there is

nothing to be fertilized by sperm and the woman cannot get pregnant.

In addition, the synthetic estrogen works by suppressing the body's

normal hormonal pattern (which involves one egg being developed per

menstrual cycle and released for possible fertilization).

The synthetic progestin (present in both types of pills) works to:

thicken the cervical mucus which hinders the movement of sperm,

inhibit the egg's ability to travel through the fallopian tubes,

partially suppress the sperm's ability to unite with (and thereby

fertilize) the egg, and

alter the uterine lining so (in the event that an egg is released and

fertilized) the egg will likely not be able to implant into the

uterine wall. (A fertilized egg would then be discharged with the

rest of the menstrual blood.)

Although there are only two basic kinds of hormonal birth control

pills, there are many different brands to choose from! The only

difference between different brands of birth control pills is that

they use different synthetic estrogens or progestin hormones and/or

different proportions of the hormones.

These two kinds of hormonal birth control (the combination formula

and the progestin-only formula) are available in other forms besides

pills. The combination formula is also available in the patch and

vaginal ring forms. The progestin-only formula is also available in

intramuscular shots (ex: Depo Provera) and in Intra Uterine Devices

(IUD's are inserted into the uterus and can prevent pregnancy for 5

years or more).

Some women may prefer these other forms of birth control because they

can be taken less often (and consequently need to be remembered less

often). While birth control pills must be taken everyday, the patch

is only applied once per week, the vaginal ring only once per month,

and the intramuscular shot only once every 3 months. In the US, all

hormonal birth control devices are only available by prescription.

Women will want to speak with their gynecologist or women's health

care provider about these different kinds of birth control and which

form would be best for them personally.

If you choose birth control pills (which are sometimes the cheapest

form of birth control), it is very important to take the pills at the

same time everyday. This creates a more stable level of hormones in

your body. When you forget your pill (or take it 3-4 hours late or

more), this causes a dip in your body's levels of the birth control

hormones. If you forget your pill one day you may need to take two

pills the next day, which will cause a spike in your body's levels of

the birth control hormones. For maximum protection against pregnancy,

pick a time you are more likely to remember (maybe first thing in the

morning or right before bed) and take your pill this same time

everyday.

Finally, birth control pills traditionally come in packs of 21 or 28

pills. Both packs contain 21 active pills. The 7 extra pills in the

28-pill pack are placebo pills which are there to remind you to

continue taking one pill everyday and to remind you when to begin the

next pack.

New brands of birth control pills have been approved by the Food and

Drug Administration (like Seasonale) which allow women to have their

period fewer times per year. Seasonale packs come with 84 active

pills followed by a placebo week so the woman gets her period only 4

times per year. For more info, check out Delaying your period through

oral contraceptives.Delaying your period through oral contraceptives.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/womens-health/WO00069/METHOD=print