How Does Hormonal Birth Control Prevent Pregnancy
Hormonal birth control works by
- Preventing ovulation
- Changing the lining of the uterus to prevent pregnancy from developing
- Thickening the cervical mucus so that sperms cannot travel to the uterus or the fallopian tubes to fertilize the egg
Pregnancy can be prevented when there are no eggs or no sperm to fertilize the released eggs.
Lots Of Women Take Birth Control Incorrectly
If women follow the exact instructions for taking birth control pills every day, at the same time they prevent pregnancy in 99 percent of all cases. But lots of people don’t do that. In real life, birth control pills have a 9 percent failure rate. That means nine of every 100 women using birth control pills as their only means of contraception become pregnant in any given year.
“It’s hard to actually when you’re living a busy life,” Cullins says. “If you take these pills every single day, the chances of getting pregnant is 1 percent. But typically the chance is much higher than that, because people miss pills. This isn’t just true with birth control pills. It’s true with any prescription medication.”
Birth control pills have a higher failure rate than other contraceptives, like intra-uterine devices or birth control rings.
The main difference: Pills have to be taken every day, which leaves more room for human error.
When Is The Pill Not A Good Option
The pill may not be a good option for you if you:
- find remembering to take a daily tablet difficult
- have certain types of migraine or headache
- are very overweight
- have a close family member who has had a deep vein thrombosis
- are taking certain types of medication which might stop the pill from working
- have had some health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart or liver disease
- are over 35 years and smoke
- have been treated for breast cancer
- are unable to move around for a long time .
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What Is Birth Control
Birth control is anything that is used to prevent pregnancy from occurring. There are various methods of birth control, including barrier methods, timing methods, and hormonal methods.
Barrier methods, like condoms, block sperm from entering the vagina so an egg wont be fertilized. To use timing methods, couples identify a fertile window and use a barrier method or abstain from sex during it.
Hormonal birth control uses hormones to prevent ovulation and sometimes also to thicken the cervical mucus to prevent sperm from getting through. You can take hormonal birth control in pill form or in continuous release from, such as a patch, ring, or implant.
The combined pillarguably the most common form of hormonal birth control, works by preventing ovulation, explains Dr. Perkins. It provides you with a fixed amount of estrogen and progestin, replacing the hormones your ovaries would normally be making.
When Can I Resume Taking Birth Control
You can resume taking birth control after giving birth. Your healthcare provider may discuss birth control options with you at your six-week postpartum check-up. If you are breastfeeding, there are some types of birth control that you should not use. Ask a healthcare provider if you have questions about using hormonal birth control while breastfeeding.
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The Oral Contraceptive Pill
Its the little tablet taken once a day. The oral contraceptive pill is the most commonly reported method of contraception used by Australian women. There are a few different types of pill to choose from, so its about finding the one thats right for you. The combined pill contains estrogen and progestin and mini pill contains only one hormone, a progestin. The pill can have many benefits, however remembering to take it on time is a must.
Pros of taking the pill include: Highly effective when used correctly permits sexual spontaneity and doesnt interrupt sex some pills may even reduce heavy and painful periods and/or may have a positive effect on acne.
Cons include: Forgetting to take your pill means it wont be as effective it can only be used by women is not suitable for women who can’t take oestrogen-containing contraception it does not protect against STIs.
The pill is only available by getting a prescription from a medical professional so visit your local doctor or sexual health clinic.
How Well Does The Ecp Work
If 100 women have unprotected sex just one time, eight of them will get pregnant. Using the ECP, one to three will get pregnant.
The ECP is only for emergencies. It is not a good form of regular birth control. Things that work better include the birth control pill, the shot or the needle , an intrauterine device , condoms or abstinence .
The ECP wont protect you against sexually transmitted infections. If you are worried about sexually transmitted infections , please talk to your doctor or visit a clinic.
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When Do I Start Another Birth Control Pill Pack
Youâll start each new birth control pill pack on the same day of the week that you initially started it. If you are on the 21-day pill pack, start the new pill pack 7 days after you finished the old pill pack. If you are on the 28-day pill pack, begin the new pack after taking the last pill in the old pack.
Start your new pill pack on schedule, whether or not you get your period or are still having your period.
Missing A Period On The Pill Doesn’t Mean Something’s Wrong
Missing a period while on the pill doesn’t indicate anything abnormal, Cullins said, as long as you have been taking the pill consistently and correctly each day.
“It’s not dangerous not to have your period while on the pill,” she says. “What happens is, over time, the uterine lining can become very thin if you take the pill regularly. All that means is if you stop bleeding on the pill, the lining has become so thin that you don’t have anything to bleed from.”
This is not permanent: When a woman stops taking birth control pills, the ovaries start making more estrogen, the uterine lining gets thicker, and women start to bleed again.
Missed periods after taking your pills incorrectly, however, could indicate a pregnancy. In that situation, it’s worth taking a pregnancy test.
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What To Drink To Stop Periods
There are a few natural ways you can try too . These include regular exercise, which helps relax the uterine muscles to reduce period flow. Meanwhile, many women swear by herbal teas containing valerian root and chamomile, while raspberry and nettle leaf tea are also thought to slow down menstrual bleeding.
What If I Am Already Pregnant
Emergency contraception will not make your pregnancy go away. It is not an abortion pill. However, if you find out after you have taken it that you are pregnant, it will not harm the fetus. Many women have taken estrogen and progesterone in early pregnancy and have gone on to have normal babies. If you find out you are pregnant, you should discuss your options with a health care provider as soon as possible.
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How Does Birth Control Stop Ovulation
Hormonal birth control prevents ovulation by inhibiting the signal that triggers the two key hormones that are involved in ovulation: follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone . These two hormones will begin to be produced if your body notices a shortage of estrogen and progesterone.
Hormonal birth control provides just enough synthetic estrogen and progesterone hormones to prevent the stimulation of FSH and LH production.
- Normally, the hypothalamus in your brain detects when your estrogen levels are low, typically during the first days of your menstrual cycle.
- During certain phases of your menstrual cycle, your hypothalamus releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone . This is the hormone that signals the pituitary gland in your brain to make FSH and LH.
- Since birth control prevents the hypothalamic message from being sent to your pituitary gland, the pituitary gland does not produce FSH. Without the release of FSH, there is no signal to trigger the growth and development of egg follicles in the ovaries.
- Ovulation normally takes place in response to a surge of LH that triggers an egg to be is released from the ovary. With hormonal birth control, there is no LH surge, so the egg’s release is not activated and ovulation does not take place.
Hormonal birth control basically keeps you in the same phase of your menstrual cycle on a continuous basis, skipping the release of GnRH and preventing ovulation from taking place.
Does It Cause Side Effects
Emergency contraception may cause some side effects.
- Emergency contraception may cause spotting or mild symptoms like those of birth control pills. It usually doesn’t cause nausea.
- Birth control pills can cause nausea or vomiting. In some women, they can also cause sore breasts, fatigue, headache, belly pain, or dizziness.
- An IUD may cause cramping and bleeding during the first few days after insertion.
If you are already pregnant, most pills won’t harm the fetus. But some pills, such as ulipristal, may cause problems with the pregnancy. More research is needed to know for sure. An IUD could cause problems with the pregnancy.
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Not Starting A New Pack Right Away
It is essential to start a new pack of pills the day after finishing the previous one. However, sometimes a person may not have their new package yet. Missing a few days between packs can make the pill less effective at preventing pregnancy.
According to the , anyone who misses two or more pills in a row should use a backup contraceptive method or avoid sexual intercourse until they have taken the birth control pill for 7 consecutive days.
Do Birth Control Pills Have Other Benefits
It is important to keep risks such as blood clots in mind if you are considering to use birth control pills to regulate your period or for reasons other than preventing pregnancy. Is the risk of potentially fatal blood clots worth it to reduce cramping, or might Tylenol or other pain killers be equally effective without the increased risks? Since birth control pills dont actually regulate a womans period, they should never be used for that purpose. If the goal is to reduce menstrual bleeding, then birth control pills can accomplish that, but with risks that may outweigh the benefits.
While all FDA-approved oral contraceptives are proven to prevent pregnancy, some have also been approved for other benefits. However, the benefits of birth control pills approved for PMDDhave mostly been evaluated by comparing them to placebos and not to other birth control pills. They may not be any more effective than safer, less expensive birth control pills for PMDD. So, why didnt the FDA approve these other pills for PMDD? The answer is simple: money. Yaz and other relatively new birth control pills are very expensive, which is why the company selling them was willing to spend the extra money to apply for FDA approval for PMDD. Older birth control pills that are widely available in generic forms cost much less, so their companies have no incentive to pay the millions of dollars it would cost to apply for FDA approval specifically treat PMDD.
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Perfect Use Vs Typical Use: Contraception Theory Vs Reality
“Perfect use” refers to how well a specific form of birth control will prevent pregnancy in 100 women after a year has passed, if that method is used correctly every single time sex happens.
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In the case of a condom for a man, for example, this means the condom is put on the penis as it is erect, but not when pre-ejaculate appears. The condom must completely cover the penis, and it cant be stretched, torn, or ripped before it is put on or while it is in use. It also needs to be removed properly, away from the vagina, so no collected sperm can accidentally spill or leak into the vagina accidentally.
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How Effective Is The Pill
The pill has the potential to be 99% effective at preventing pregnancy if you take it without fail meaning you dont forget to take the pill for even a day or two. However, taking the pill perfectly can be difficult, which is why nine out of 100 women who use the pill will have an unintended pregnancy every year. The pill is most reliable when you take it consistently at the same time each day. Being consistent helps keep hormone levels from fluctuating.
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How The Pill Works To Prevent Pregnancy
Have you ever wondered how the pill works to prevent pregnancy? After all, the pill is one of the most effective forms of contraception, with 41% of women between the ages of 15 and 24 and 22% of women between 25 and 34 using it, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Here are some facts that can help you decide if the pill is the right option for you.
What Are Minipills
These are pills that contain only one hormone, progestin. They donât have estrogen and may be prescribed for people who are breastfeeding or have nausea or other side effects of estrogen.
Minipills work by thickening the cervical mucus so the sperm canât reach the egg. The hormone in the pills also changes the lining of the uterus so that implantation of a fertilized egg is much less likely. In some cases, minipills prevent the release of an egg. You take a minipill every day.
If minipills are used consistently and correctly, they are about 95% effective — somewhat less effective than standard birth control pills.
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How Do You Get It
A doctor or a nurse practitioner must prescribe the Pill. He or she will ask about a girl’s health and family medical history, and do a complete physical exam, which might include a pelvic exam. If the doctor or NP prescribes birth control pills, he or she will explain when to begin taking the Pill and what to do if pills are missed.
The doctor or NP will usually ask the girl to come back in a few months to have her blood pressure checked and to see if she is having any problems.
After that, girls who are having sex should get routine exams every 6 months to a year, or as recommended.
How Hormonal Birth Control Prevents Pregnancy
Hormonal birth control is designed to prevent ovulation by supplying a steady level of estrogen and/or progestin every day. For pregnancy to occur, an egg must be present in the fallopian tube for the sperm to fertilize. So, when hormonal contraceptives stop ovulation, an egg is not released from the ovary. With no egg for the sperm to join, pregnancy is prevented.
Combination birth control methods prevent ovulation, and progestin-only birth control can also do this.
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Does Newer Mean Better Or Safer
New birth control pills are introduced to the market all of the time, but newer does not always mean better. For instance, the synthetic progestin levonorgestrel, which has been on the market for decades, is safer than several newer synthetic progestins, such as drospirenone. The latest research on drospirenone, which is in Yaz, Yasmin, and Beyaz , shows that these pills are significantly more likely to cause potentially fatal blood clots. Several studies show them to have twice the risk of other combined hormonal contraceptives.
To find out more about the risks of drospirenone , read Are Bayers Birth Control Pills Too Risky? You can learn about one young womans tragic experience on LettersToAnnie.org. Why not save yourself some money and reduce your risk of blood clots, which can travel in the body and become fatal, by choosing a birth control pill with a synthetic hormone that has been on the market for a longer time and proven to be safer?
Where Can I Get Emergency Contraceptive Pills
They can be acquired at health centers, drugstores, family planning clinics, hospitals etc. Levonorgestrel is an over the counter drug, whilst Ella needs prescription.
Conclusively, emergency contraceptive pills can be taken within 72 hours or 120 hours to prevent unwanted/ unintended pregnancy. Take the pill as soon as possible for it to be more effective.
Do you have something to share? Leave your comments below, contact us on our social media platforms: , , , and TikTokfindmymethod.org
About the author: 23-year-old Naffie Mustapha is a Sierra Leonean youth advocate who believes in access to information about sexual reproductive health and right. She is the author of the book Girlz Planete: Teenage Pregnancy and the editor of Nafisa Magazine.
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Emergency Contraceptive Pills And Women With High Bmi
Theres this controversy about the use of levonorgestrel by high BMI women. According to research, the weight of a woman may determine the effectiveness of the emergency contraceptive pills.
This is a very delicate issue and there are many researches that suggest but not confirm that emergency contraceptive pills with levonorgestrel dont work so well for women with high BMI.
