More than 50 hormones circulate in people’s bloodstream. These chemicals carry messages throughout the body to control metabolism (the process of converting food into energy), growth and development, sexual function, and more.
Estrogen and progesterone help women get pregnant. Estrogen helps release eggs (ova) from the ovary. Progesterone prepares the uterus to support pregnancy after ovulation.
How do birth control pills work?
Birth control using estrogen and progestin (a type of progesterone) prevents a woman’s ovaries from releasing eggs and changes the lining ofthe uterus so that it cannot support an implanted egg. Birth control pills also prevent pregnancy by changing the quality of cervical mucus, which prevents the egg from entering the uterus.
Are there birth control pills that do not contain estrogen?
The most commonly used birth control pills are called combination pills. These contain estrogen and progestin. However, estrogen-free pills are available for people who cannot or do not want to take estrogen. Here are some reasons you may want to avoid estrogen:
Possible results
Some women experience mild or no side effects from estrogen, but you may need to avoid estrogen if:
Tits
Inflatable
Weight gain
Blood was shed
Age and tobacco
If you are over 35 and smoke, you should avoid birth control pills containingestrogen.
Health problems
Women with certain diseases or conditions cannot use estrogen. These include:
Heart disease or high blood pressure
Migraine with aura
Breast cancer
Liver or gallbladder disease
Coronary artery disease
Tobacco
A higher BMI is associated with blood and heart diseases
Breastfeeding women should avoid estrogen because it may reduce the amount of breast milk.
Do estrogen-free birth control pills work?
Estrogen-free pills work very well. They have lower effectiveness than combination pills but are still effective: up to 99% when used ‘correctly’. However, since humans are imperfect and it is easy to forget or skip pills, the accuracy of such pills is about 91%.
There is not much data on the effectiveness of oral contraceptives in overweight or obese women because women with a high BMI are often not included in clinical trials. However, there are some estrogen-free pills (Slynd) that have been taken by women with a higher BMI in clinical studies and have proven effective for different body types.
How long does it take for a birth control pill to prevent pregnancy?
If you take the
Combination pill within five days of starting, birth control begins immediately. For non-estrogen pills, pregnancy protection begins a day or two after you start taking them, depending on the pill you use and where you are in your cycle.
How do you take birth control pills?
It is important to take the birth control pill every day. For the combination dose, you can take it at any time of the day as long as you take it every day. You should take non-estrogen pills at the same time every day.Most non-estrogen pills have a three-hour window to take the missed pill. But there’s a new type of estrogen that doesn’t give you a 24-hour window if you miss a dose. Ask your pharmacist about your medications and read the instructions on the prescription.
No matter what type of birth control method you use, it is important to use a backup method such as a condom until the pill wears off. Also remember that hormonal contraception does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.How does birth control affect your fertility?Many women who stop taking birth control pills can become pregnant shortly after stopping using the pill or ring or after removing (insertion) the pills. This can last from a few weeks to a few months because the estrogen in birth control pills prevents ovulation.
On the other hand, non-estrogen pills only affect the uterus, so if you stop taking them, the uterus will return to normal and can support pregnancy. This may happen within a few days or a few weeks.How does birth control affect your period?When you use birth control pills, your period usually comes at the same time each month. Mixed hormone pills are available in packs of 28, but only 21 contain hormones. Others are where you can take them (called sugar pills) so you don’t get into the habit of taking them or forget when you last took them. It’s time to live your moments.
Prescriptions for non-estrogen birth control pills are generally not available. However, there is a brand that does not contain estrogen and it has 24 hormone pills and 4 pills. You may experience bleeding while usingbirth control, especially when you start taking the pill.While some women stop menstruating while taking estrogen-containing birth control pills, others may menstruate during the last week of the pill. Birth control pills can help women who have irregular or heavy periods every month.How do I change my birth control method correctly?If you are using one birth control method and want to switch to another, ask your healthcare provider about your options. This is the best time to switch.This resource was created with the support of Exeltis, USA.