About Oral Contraception

Overview

Oral contraception is better known as birth control pills or simply "the pill." As the name implies, they are used to prevent a woman from getting pregnant. There are many different kinds of oral contraceptives on the market, first approved for use in 1960 by the Food and Drug Administration.

Significance

When birth control pills are used, they are almost always effective. Approximately one in 1,000 women get pregnant in the first year of use, according to healthywomen.org.

Function

Every month in a female's body, ovulation takes place in which an egg travels through the Fallopian tubes toward the uterus. If the egg becomes fertilized with sperm, a woman gets pregnant. Progestin and estrogen are hormones released through this process. Birth control pills are a synthetic form of these hormones that stop ovulation from taking place.

Usage

Oral contraceptives are taken one of three ways. They can be started the day a period begins, the first Sunday after a period starts or the day they are prescribed by a doctor.

Types

Combination pills are the most popular type of oral contraception. These are called "combination" because they have the hormones progestin and estrogen present. These are taken consecutively for 21, 28 or 91 days. For the 21-day pills, you take one pill at the same time every day for 21 days, then take seven off during your period. For the 28-day pills, you take hormone-containing pills for 21 days and then placebo pills for seven days. For 91-day pills, you take hormone pills 84 days in a row, then placebo pills for seven.

Effects

Taking oral contraceptives can be effective, but they can also come with harmful side effects--especially if you're older than 35. Headaches, irregular bleeding, weight gain, nausea and mood swings can all take place. Interactions with other drugs can reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. Antibiotics, seizure medications, migraine medications and tuberculosis medications are examples of these.

Benefits

Oral contraceptives also come with a number of benefits. You can experience less bleeding during periods, menstrual cycles can be more regular and the risk for ovarian and uterine cancer can be lowered.

Identification

Oral contraceptives can also be used for purposes other than birth control. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which menstrual cycles become irregular, acne appears and excessive hair can grow in unwanted areas. Birth control pills can be used to balance hormones and reduce these symptoms.