No two people are exactly alike. What may be right for one person may
be unacceptable to another. The same goes with birth control
medications. Because no two women have the exact same body composition,
what may work effectively for one woman may not work or work less
effectively for another. With this thought in mind, how does one choose
the best birth control pill to use?
To be able to pick the best birth control pill to take, women must
first get a better understanding of how oral contraceptive pills work
and the different kinds of pills available in the market.
The oral contraceptive pill
Birth control pills, more commonly called as “the pill”, contain one or
both of two synthetic female hormones, progestin and estrogen. These
synthetic female hormones were copied from the female body’s naturally
occurring hormones estrogen and progesterone. Contraceptive pills work
by altering hormone production to create a more consistent hormone
level. Without a peak in estrogen, the ovaries would not get a signal to
release an egg. Without a high level of progesterone, the uterine
lining is not prepared to receive implantation of a fertilized egg.
The different kinds of oral contraceptive pills
1. The combination pill. This kind of birth control pill has both
estrogen and progestin in it. These two synthetic female hormones stop
pregnancy by suppressing the pituitary gland, which in turn stops the
maturation and release of the egg from the ovary during ovulation. There
are three different kinds of combination pills, and these are:
1.1. Monophasic or 21-day pill. Twenty-one pills with the same amount
of hormones are taken daily for twenty-one days, and then no pills are
taken on the next seven days after the twenty-first day.
1.2. Phasic pill. Twenty-one pills are divided into two or three
different colors corresponding to the amount of hormones they contain.
This pill is taken for twenty-one days according to packet instructions,
and then no pills are taken on the next seven days after the
twenty-first day.
1.3. Everyday pill. This pill is taken for twenty-eight days straight.
It contains twenty-one active pills and seven placebo pills which are to
be taken according to packet instructions.
2. The progestin-only pill or the “mini-pill”. As the name implies,
this oral contraceptive contains only progestin. Progestin is important
in thickening the lining of the uterus to prevent sperm cells from
reaching the egg. This pill is taken at the exact same time daily.
Choosing the best birth control pill
Do you think you’re the type of person who can remember to take a pill
every day at the exact same time? Birth control is a serious and
delicate matter, it requires discipline. One missed pill may end up in
accidental pregnancy. You can also try out other birth control methods
to use in conjunction with the birth control pill as a means of backup
protection. It is most important to consult a health care professional
or a pharmacist first before deciding to buy oral contraceptive pills in
order to determine if there are any possible drug interactions.
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