Birth control pills, or oral contraceptives, are the most common method of pregnancy prevention in women younger than 30 years according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the early 20th century, birth control pills consisted of traditional, once-daily doses; more recent developments have provided women with flexible options for birth control pills instead of skin injections or vaginal inserts.
Dual-Hormone Pill
Birth control pills most commonly contain estrogen and progestin hormones in preset doses to regulate the menstrual cycle. Pills are traditionally started on a Sunday and are taken for approximately 3 weeks, followed by a week without hormones for menstruation. In addition to pregnancy prevention, dual-hormone pills may be used to reduce heavy bleeding or acne associated with hormone peaks during the menstrual cycle.
Progestin-Only Pill
The mini-pill is an oral contraceptive with only progestin, the hormone that can induce menstruation and change the thickness of the uterine lining. Although the mini-pill is commonly used for women who are breastfeeding, anyone who wishes to prevent pregnancy and avoid estrogen supplementation can use the mini-pill. A typical side effect of the progestin-only pill is breakthrough bleeding.
Alternative Pill Schedules
In addition to the traditional birth control dosage, women can choose to take birth control pills continuously or just in emergency situations. Seasonale is an extended-use birth control pill that contains the same hormones as traditional pills but is taken for 3 months, thus providing seasonal menstruation. Conversely, women who do not take birth control pills or whose form of contraception may have failed can take a two-dose morning-after pill to prevent pregnancy. The morning-after pill provides high doses of estrogen and progestin to override natural hormone levels, and these high doses may cause excessive side effects like nausea. Unlike all other forms of birth control pills, the morning-after pill is available without a prescription for women 18 years of age or older.
