Know about Birth Control Pills

Overview

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved “the pill” in 1960, it’s become the foremost well-liked and one among the foremost effective types of reversible contraception ever unreal. According to The Guttmacher Institute, among U.S. women World Health Organization use contraception, over twenty seven p.c use the pill. A 2013 National Health Statistics Report says that 82 percent of women who use contraceptionhave used the pill at some point.e most popular and one of the most effective forms of reversible birth control ever invented. According to Planned Parenthood, among U.S. couples World Health Organization use contraception, more than 30 percent use the pill.

In recent years, birth control pills have changed to include less hormones, resulting in fe

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved “the pill” in 1960, it has become th

wer side effects. In fact, the majority healthy girls World Health Organization do not smoke could use contraception pills, regardless of their age. Unlike the initial oral contraceptives, low-dose pills have few health risks for most women and even offer some health benefits, such as lighter periods (which reduce risk of anemia), less severe menstrual cramps and lessening of acne breakouts.

Birth control pills do carry some health risks. For example, if you are over 35 and smoke or have certain medical conditions such as a history of blood clots or breast orendometrial cancer, your health care professional may advise against taking oral contraceptives. Also, birth control pills do not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus that causes AIDS, or HPV, the human papillomavirus that can cause cervical cancer.

Unlike types of contraception oversubscribed over the counter, you need a health care professional’s prescription to purchase birth control pills, and many health insurers cover their cost. The one exception is that the emergency contraception pill, set up B ballroom dance, that is oversubscribed over the counter.

Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle

At the beginning of each menstrual cycle, levels of the hormone estrogen begin to rise. Estrogen helps thicken the bloody lining of the female internal reproductive organ (endometrium) to arrange for a brute. Once sex hormone levels peak, regarding fourteen days into the cycle, one of the ovaries releases one or more eggs—this release is called ovulation.

After biological process, levels of another fruitful hormone—progesterone—rise to assist prepare the female internal reproductive organ to receive a brute by thickening its lining. The egg travels through the fallopian tubes toward the female internal reproductive organ, and if the egg is inseminated and with success implants itself within the female internal reproductive organ lining, conception (pregnancy) takes place. If conception doesn’t occur, each sex hormone and progestogen levels drop, communication the currently thickened female internal reproductive organ bloody lining to slough off or shed, and catamenia begins.

How Birth Control Pills Work

Birth control pills ar an artificial sort of the hormones progestogen and oestrogen. They prevent ovulation by maintaining more consistent hormone levels. Without a peak in oestrogen, the ovary doesn’t get the signal to release an egg. Remember that no egg means that no risk for fertilization and physiological condition.

The pill additionally thickens cervical secretion therefore the sperm cell cannot reach the egg. It makes the liner of the womb closed to the implantation of a animate being.

How to Take Birth Control Pills

There area unit many other ways you’ll begin to require contraception pills. Discuss the pros and cons of the following methods with your doctor:

• You can start taking them on the first day of your period, in which case you won’t need backup birth control.
• You can start taking them the Sunday after your period starts, in which case you will need backup birth control for seven days.
• You can begin taking contraception pills on the day they’re prescribed, within which case you may ought to confirm you are not pregnant and you may ought to use backup birth control for the first month. If you have got a negative bioassay and it’s been a minimum of ten to eleven days since you last had intercourse, you’ll be able to be nearly positive you’re not pregnant and it’s okay to begin the pill.

No matter after you begin taking contraception pills, you’ll got to begin every new gain a similar day of the week that you just began your initial pack. For example, if you begin taking your contraception pills on a Monday, you’ll perpetually begin taking them on a Monday. Keep in mind that contraception pills solely work if you’re taking them on a daily basis. They do not accumulate or collect in your body, that is why you want to take a pill each day! You shouldn’t skip pills (on purpose or by accident) or stop taking them, although you are not having sex typically. Also be aware that bound medications, like certainantibiotics taken for an extended time, will build your contraception pills less effective. If you frequently have symptom or expulsion, which will interfere with absorption of the pill. If you miss a pill or have channel issues or area unit taking medication that would interfere together with your contraception pills, use a backup methodology for the remainder of your cycle. Just remember, don’t stop your birth control pills.

Types of Birth Control Pills

The 3 commonest varieties of contraception pills square measure combination pills and progestogen solely pills (POP). Combination pills contain both estrogen and progestin. Each pill within the pack contains a mix of those 2 hormones. Progesterone Only Pills contain no estrogen. Called the progestin-only pill, or “mini-pill,” it’s ideal for breastfeeding ladies as a result of steroid hormone reduces milk production. It’s also ideal for ladies WHO cannot take steroid hormone. Both sorts square measure equally effective, and you must work along with your doctor to work out the one that is right for you. There also are and emergency contraceptive pills, that don’t seem to be meant to be used often as a contraceptive. They are designed to forestall maternity when unprotected sex (when customary contraceptives fail or no technique was used).

Health Benefits of Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills give bound health edges additionally to preventing maternity. Before you begin taking oral contraceptives, discuss the health edges with a health care skilled. Some of the main health benefits of birth control pills include an improved menstrual cycle (less bleeding and cramps), decreased risk of certain types of cancers, protection from ovarian cysts and an improved complexion.

Risks & Side Effects of Birth Control Pills

Despite the actual fact that they’re safe for many ladies, BCPs do carry some health risks. For example, if you’re over thirty five and smoke or have sure medical conditions like a history of blood clots or breast or endometrial carcinoma, your health care professional may advise against taking BCPs. Also, birth control pills do not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), the virus that causes AIDS, or HPV, the human papillomavirus that can cause cervical cancer.

Unlike different varieties of contraception sold over-the-counter, you wish a health care professional’s prescription to buy BCPs, and many health insurers cover their cost. The one exception is that the emergency contraception pill, set up B ballroom dancing, which is sold over the counter.

Types of Pills

The 3 commonest kinds of contraception pills are:

1. Combination Pills. Combination Pills. When you hear the term “birth management pill,” it most frequently refers to oral contraceptives containing steroid and progestogen. Each pill within the pack contains a mixture of those 2 hormones.

Combination contraception pills is also monophasic, wherever every of the active pills contains identical quantity of steroid and progestogen and every one the pills are identical color, or multiphasic wherever the active pills contain varied amounts of hormones designed to be taken at specific times throughout the pill-taking schedule. The multiphasic pills are totally different colours to point the secretion dose changes.

There are a few different ways you can take combination pills—for 21 days, 28 days, 91 days or continuously.

• 28-day pills (21 active; 7 inactive): With 28-day pills, you take a pill at the same time each day for 28 days. Usually, the primary twenty one pills contain hormones, and therefore the last seven pills ar placebo pills. During the week when you take the last seven pills, you will get your period. Once you’ve got finished all the pills in your pack, you will begin a brand new pack of twenty eight pills.

• 28-day pills (24 active; 4 inactive): And now tIncreasingly popular are thehree pill packs containing 24 days of hormone pills and four days of placebo pills, sometimes resulting in a shorter, lighter period. s The secretion pills could contain a mixture of drospirenone, a progestogen, and ethinyl oestradiol (Yaz, Beyaz, Gianvi, Loryna, and Nikki) or a mixture norethandrolone, another progesterone, and ethinyl estradiol (a combination of drospirenone, a progestogen, and ethinyl estradiol; Beyaz, which contains the same hormones as Yaz plus a daily dose of folic acid; and Loestrin 24 Fe, Generess Fe and Minastrin twenty four atomic number 26)a combination of ethinyl oestradiol and norethandrolone, another progesterone) contain 24 days of hormones and four days of placebo pills, usually resulting in a shorter period.

• 21-day pills: If your birth control pack contains 21 pills, you will take one pill at the same time each day for 21 days and then wait seven days to start a new pack. During these seven days, you will get your period. It may not begin till you have got taken 2 or 3 of the placebo sugar pills.

• 91-day pills: additionally referred to as extended-use pills, they are marketed under the brand names Seasonale, Seasonique, LoSeasonique, Jolessa and Quasense. This dose regimen calls for taking a pill at the same time every day for 91 days. The first eighty four pills contain hormones, and therefore the last seven ar placebo (sugar) pills or a really low dose of steroid to assist management some amount symptoms. You get your period when you take the sugar pills, so you if you opt for extended-use pills, you only get your period four times a year. But you will have some lightweight hemorrhage or recognizing of blood as your body adjusts to the extended-use pills.

• Continuous birth control pills: Lybrel is the firstThe FDA has -approved continuous-use birth control pills that contain ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel. Brand names embody Lybrel, Alesse, Lessina, Nordette, Triphasil-28, Triphasil-21, and others. It is a monophasic pill (containing identical levels of steroid and progestogen throughout the whole pill-taking schedule) that comes in an exceedingly 28- or 21-day pack and is meant to be taken unceasingly, with no break between pill packets. That means you won’t have a period. You may have some spotting or breakthrough bleeding, particularly when you first start using Lybrelcontinuous birth control pills. But most women will have no bleeding (or hardly any) by the end of a year.

In order to skip their periods (in other words, to create continuous birth control pills on their own), some women take their 21-day pills continuously or refrain from taking the sugar pills within the 28-day pack in order that they ar solely ever taking pills that contain hormones. This may work best for girls victimization monophasic pills. If you are considering this feature, discuss it first with your health care provider. Additionally, remember that insurance might not cowl pills utilized in this fashion.

Advantages of combination pills:

• reduce risk of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer

• prevent ectopic pregnancy (pregnancies that occur outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube)

• decrease menstrual blood loss, pain and cramps

• make premenstrual symptoms less severe

• help regulate menstrual cycles

• improve acne

• prevent bone density loss in women who have attained their peak bone mass (generally women over 30)

• decrease risk of ovarian cysts

• improve excessive body hair, particularly on the face, a condition called hirsutism

• improve endometriosis

• decrease benign breast disease or breast cysts

• effects are reversible with quick return to fertility

• treat the emotional and physical symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of PMS. Only 2 combination OCs—Yaz and Beyaz—have been shown to be clinically effective for this use. Both contain the progestogen drospirenone and ethinyl oestradiol, a style of sex hormone, and Beyaz contains an additional daily dose of B.

Disadvantages:

• could cause nausea, vomiting, headaches and/or spotting, particularly with the first few cycles

• may lead to high blood pressure/hypertension (very small increased risk)

• may cause blood clots in a small percentage of users

• may cause a slight increase in stroke risk

• may contribute to the formation of gallstones and rare benign liver tumors

Possible side effects:

• nausea and vomiting

• headaches

• irregular bleeding

• weight gain or weight loss, if you change your eating habits after you start taking the pill

• breast tenderness

• increased breast size

Ask yourself the following questions to determine if combined birth control pills are a good option for you:

• Are you the type of person who can remember to take a pill every day?

• If you are at risk for sexually transmitted infections, will you use condoms?

• Do you need relief from endometriosis, severe menstrual pain or anemia?

• Do you suffer from PMDD?

• If you smoke, are you under 35?

• If breastfeeding, is your baby six months or older?

• Do you have high blood pressure?

• Have you done well with combination pills in the past?

2. Progestin-Only Pills (POP).This type of pill contains no estrogen. Called the progestin-only pill, or “mini-pill,” it’s ideal for breastfeeding ladies as a result of steroid reduces milk production. It’s also ideal for girls United Nations agency cannot take steroid. Progestin-only pills primarily work by preventing biological process, dilution the mucosa and thickening the cervical secretion, thereby preventing gamete from coming into the female internal reproductive organ. However, with progestin-only contraception pills, biological process is not systematically suppressed, therefore the actions on cervical secretion and therefore the mucosa area unit the crucial factors. To work effectively, they have to be taken at a definite time each twenty four hours.

Advantage of POPs:

• decreased menstrual blood loss

• decreased menstrual cramps and pain

• can be used by breastfeeding women immediately after delivery

• an option for women who cannot use estrogen, such as those who are over 35 and still smoke

• easily reversible

Disadvantages:

• irregular bleeding patterns, spotting or breakthrough bleeding

• must be taken at the same time every day

• do not protect against sexually transmitted infections; women at risk must use condoms

• increased risk of follicular cysts on the ovaries

• may be slightly less effective than combination oral contraceptives

Possible side effects:

• amenorrhea (absence of a monthly period)

• irregular bleeding

• tender breasts

• nausea

• headaches

Ask yourself the following questions to determine if POPs are the right choice for you:

• Are you the type of person who can remember to take a pill at exactly the same time every day?

• Will irregular bleeding or spotting bother you or interfere with intimacy?

• Are you breastfeeding, but feel that you need contraception?

• If you are at risk for sexually transmitted infections, will you use condoms for protection?

• Do you need to avoid taking estrogen?

3. Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECP). ECPs don’t seem to be meant to be used often as a contraceptive. They are designed to forestall maternity when unprotected sex (when commonplace contraceptives fail or no technique was used). There ar 3 FDA-approved emergency birth prevention pills within the United States: set up B ballroom dance and Next selection, all of which contain the progestin levonorgestrel, and ulipristal acetate tablets, sold under the brand name “ella.”

ella will stop maternity once taken orally among 5 days (120 hours) when unprotected sex. It is a progestogen agonist/antagonist whose seemingly main result is to inhibit or delay organic process. ella cuts the possibilities of changing into pregnant by regarding simple fraction for a minimum of a hundred and twenty hours when unprotected sex, studies have shown.

Plan B ballroom dance ought to be taken among seventy two hours of unprotected sex. Recent analysis shows that the levonorgestrel pills is also effective up to a hundred and twenty hours when unprotected sex however ar simpler the earlier they’re taken. Next Choice works similarly to Plan B One-Step, but consists of a two-dose regimen, with the first dose taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex and the second 12 hours later. Newer studies indicate that each pills is also taken along as shortly as potential when unprotected sex.

You can get the levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pills over the counter while not a prescription. You must evoke them at the pharmacy counter. ella is accessible solely by prescription, however girls might keep a provide reception.

For data on emergency birth prevention, visit www.not-2-late.com or call 1-888-NOT-2-LATE or 1-800-230-PLAN to locate a health care professional who can help you. The website and hotlines additionally give data on that pharmacies sell emergency contraceptives as a result of not all pharmacies carry them.

In addition, certain regular oral contraceptive pill packs can be used for emergency contraception if you take several pills at the same time (the exact quantity depends on the brand), but confirm you sit down with your health care skilled for correct dose and temporal order.

To learn additional regarding however ECPs work and the way to urge them, raise your health care skilled or chemist. Or visit the Internet site for emergency contraception operated by the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and the Office of Population Research at Princeton University (ec.princeton.edu).

Advantages of ECP:

• reduces the chance of unintended pregnancy

• can be obtained easily—Plan B One-Step is available over the counter

• can be obtained in advance and kept handy in case of an emergency such as condom breakage, missed oral contraceptives, late contraceptive injections or forced sex

Disadvantages:

• timing, because you must take ella within 120 hours of having unprotected sex or Plan B One-Step or Next Choice within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. The sooner you take emergency contraception after unprotected intercourse, the more effective it is. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a supply of emergency contraceptive pills available should the need arise.

Possible side effects:

• nausea and vomiting

• dizziness and fatigue
• headache

• an earlier next period, or, in rare instances, a later next period

• breast tenderness

• abdominal pain during menstruation

Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you should have ECPs on hand or know where to find them:

• Have you ever made love unexpectedly, without protection?

• Have you ever been forced to have sex?

• Has a partner had a condom break, slip or come off?

• Have you ever forgotten to take several birth control pills?

• Has a partner ever told you it was OK to have unprotected sex because he would pull out before ejaculation? (Pregnancy is still possible without ejaculation.)

• Has your diaphragm slipped?

• Have you been late for your birth control shot (Depo-Provera) and had unprotected sex?

Benefits

Birth control pills offer bound health advantages additionally to preventing physiological state. Before you begin taking oral contraceptives, discuss the health advantages and risks with a health care skilled. Like any alternative medication, contraception pills will cause aspect effects; they will act with alternative medications you will take; or they will not be a decent alternative for you because of your personal health history. Some of the most health advantages and risks related to contraception pills area unit listed below:

• Prevent pregnancy. First and foremost, contraception pills area unit one in all the foremost effective kinds of reversible contraception. If used properly, the percentages area unit that only {1} in 1,000 girls is probably going to urge pregnant within the 1st year of use. However, the particular failure rate is eight in one hundred due primarily to lost pills or failure to resume pills once the seven-day pill-free amount.

• Improve your menstrual cycle. Birth control pills can improve your menstrual cycle in at least four ways, including:
  • less bleeding during periods; one product is designed to eliminate your periods entirely
  • more regular and consistent menstrual cycle patterns
  • relief from pelvic pain during menstruation
  • relief from primarily mood-related symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a condition that causes many of the same symptoms as PMS, but with more intensity. Two combination oral contraceptives, referred to as Yaz and Beyaz, are approved by the FDA to be used as oral contraceptives and as treatments for the emotional and physical symptoms of PMDD. Both contain drospirenone, a sex hormone and ethinyl oestradiol, a style of steroid, and Beyaz contains an additional daily dose of B-complex vitamin

• Prevent cancer. Birth control pills have been shown to protect women from ovarian and uterine cancer, and possibly from colorectal cancer.

• Protect you from ovarian cysts. If you take birth control pills, you may have a lower risk for developing ovarian cysts than women using nonhormonal methods of contraception, such as diaphragms or condoms. Women using low-dose pills (20 mcg of estrogen) or multiphasic pills may not get the same benefit.

• Improve acne.

Risks

• Heart attack and stroke. A June 2012 study printed within the geographical region Journal of medication found the danger of suffering a attack or stroke is incredibly low in girls WHO take low-dose oral contraceptives, however that risk rises with age and with pills containing higher steroid hormone doses. The researchers concerned within the study conjointly explicit that new-generation lower-dose steroid hormone contraception pills square measure way safer than earlier versions of the pill. However, the researchers said women age 35 or older who have risk factors for heart attack and stroke, such as obesity or high blood pressure, might want to consider a variety of contraception apart from the pill.
• Migraines and stroke. Women who take oral contraceptives and have a history of migraines have an increased risk of stroke compared to nonusers with a history of migraine. Your risk is greatest if you’ve got migraines with “aura”—neurologic symptoms associated with vision, such as blurred vision, temporary loss of vision or seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that women with migraines with aura should not take birth control pills. For women over age thirty five WHO get migraines while not aura, the risks of oral contraceptive use usually outweigh the benefits. For women beneath thirty five, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization state that combined birth control pills may be considered for women with migraines only if they are doing not expertise aura, do not smoke and are otherwise healthy.
• Venous thromboembolism (VTE). This rare condition causes clots to form in your blood vessels and can cause symptoms including pain, swelling and varicose veins, and may block the flow of blood. The risk could vary with the sort of sex hormone utilized in the pill. Smoking and obesity may also increase this risk.
• Worsen severe diabetes. The steroid hormone in contraception pills could increase aldohexose levels and reduce the body’s hypoglycemic agent response, whereas the sex hormone within the pills could encourage overrun of hypoglycemic agent. Use of contraception pills by diabetic girls ought to be restricted to people who don’t smoke, square measure younger than thirty five and square measure otherwise healthy with no proof of persistent high force per unit area, kidney disease, vision problems or other vascular disease.
• Possible acceleration of gallbladder disease. Estrogen could cause digestive juice to become oversaturated with sterol, which can lead to gallstones.
• No decreased risk of sexually transmitted diseases. Birth control pills don’t shield against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). But women who use birth control pills are less likely to develop symptomatic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes or other reproductive organs. PID is a complication of STDs, especially chlamydia or gonorrhea, and may make you infertile or cause chronic pain. If you are at risk for contracting an STD, you should also use condoms.

Possible drug interactions

Some drugs can reduce the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. Likewise, oral contraceptives can interfere with the effects of some drugs.

These include:

• Seizure medications: phenytoin, carbamazepine, primidone, phenobarbital, topiramate, oxcarbazepine, barbiturates
• Tuberculosis medication rifampin
• Antifungal drug griseofulvin
• Bronchodilators such as theophylline
• St. John’s wort

If you are taking any medication either on a short- or long basis, take care to raise your health care skilled or pill pusher concerning doable interactions with contraception pills and how you should avoid or manage them.

For example, you’ll ought to use an extra contraceptive (such as condoms) as a backup family planning or take the next or lower-dose pill formulation.

Facts to Know

1. Birth control pills area unit extraordinarily effective at preventing physiological state if used properly and systematically. For example, only one in 1,000 women who use the pill as prescribed is likely to get pregnant in the first year of use.
2. The pill works chiefly by preventing organic process or by thickening the secretion close the cervix, which helps block sperm and thins the lining of the uterus so if an egg is fertilized, it would have trouble implanting.
3. The pill is one in all the foremost common sorts of contraception. Among U.S. couples WHO use contraception, more than 27 percent currently use birth control pills.
4. The most serious aspect result of the pill continues to be associate degree increased risk of upset. This risk is especially high in bound teams, like women who smoke and are over 35.
5. You may not realize it, but the pill can help your health. For example, birth control pills can improve menstrual problems like heavy bleeding, pelvic cramps and pain, premenstrual syndrome and irregular cycles. They can stop loss of bone density and cut back the danger of sex gland cysts. Pill use may also defend you from female internal reproductive organ and sex gland cancer.
6. Newer low-estrogen contraception pills don’t carry the danger of increased carcinoma that higher-dose steroid hormone pills did. An August twenty14 study printed inCancer analysis that checked out carcinoma risk and contraception pill use in girls ages 20 to forty nine found carcinoma risk was higher in girls WHO had antecedently taken high-dose steroid hormone contraception pills, however not in girls WHO had taken low-dose steroid hormone pills.

Key Q&A

1. I’d like to use the pill for contraception, but I’m worried. Are they safe?Birth control pills can be used safely by most women and can even provide health benefits other than pregnancy prevention. The most serious aspect result of the pill continues to be associate degree increased risk of upset in bound teams, like girls over thirty five WHO smoke.
2. I’ve heard that birth control pills “trick” the body into thinking it is pregnant. What does that mean?The most widely used birth control pill is composed of estrogen and progestin, the two key hormones of pregnancy. A pregnant woman’s placenta produces high amounts of each these chemical messengers, sending the body a signal to stop ovulating. After all, if the lady is already pregnant, why is there a need for another egg? This same signal is sent when a woman takes birth control pills because the levels of estrogen and progestin are constant—remember, it is the peak in estrogen that causes ovulation. When a girl is thru together with her 3 weeks of active pills, the hormones drop as they would naturally and she begins her period.
3. My health care professional gave me the mini-pill as I was leaving the hospital with my newborn and said to start right away. I thought I had to wait six weeks after giving birth? Confusion over this is understandable, because health care professionals don’t all agree about when breastfeeding women should start taking progestin-only pills (POP), or the “mini-pill.” According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), you can start using progestin-only birth control pills immediately after childbirth. If you decide on a contraception pill that contains steroid hormone, you must wait till you’ve got established breastfeeding for a minimum of one month. Keep in mind a lactating woman whose baby’s sole nutrition is from breast milk won’t ovulate in those first six weeks. Many women discontinue full breastfeeding within the first six weeks, which means they can ovulate before six weeks postpartum. Because many women don’t return to their health care professional at this time, they wouldn’t be able to get a prescription for birth control when they need it.
4. I’ve been using birth control pills for several years. Do I need to stop for a while and give my body a break? Because the hormones in pills don’t build up in the body, there’s no need to take a break from using them. There also are some health advantages that may finish if you discontinue taking the pills.
5. When do missed pills matter the most?The pills you have to worry most about missing are the ones right before and right after those seven placebo pills in your pack. Known as the pill-free interval, the placebos are designed to be taken the week you have your period to help you stay in the rhythm of taking a pill every day. If you start a new pack late or take longer than seven days “pill free,” you might ovulate and could become pregnant. Read the package insert that came along with your pills; it’ll make a case for what to try and do concerning uncomprehensible pills, or decision your health care skilled. In the meantime, use backup contraception just to be safe. In general, if you miss a pill, take it as soon as you remember and then continue taking one pill each day as prescribed (depending on when you missed your pill, you may take two pills on the same day). If you miss 2 or a lot of pills within the initial week of your pill cycle and you’ve got unprotected intercourse throughout on, think about using emergency family planning.
6. How do emergency contraceptive pills work? Do they cause an abortion?Scientists have known many ways in which emergency contraceptive pills possible stop physiological condition. How they work in your case will depend on where you are in your monthly cycle and the emergency contraceptive you choose. They may prevent or delay ovulation just as regular birth control pills would if they are taken early in a woman’s cycle. If ovulation has already occurred, they may interfere with fertilization of an egg or the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. ECPs won’t work if implantation has already taken place, which is why it’s important to take them within 72 hours of unprotected sex, if possible. That is also the reason ECPs are not considered an abortion; they have no effect on a pregnancy already established.
7. I’m 48 and getting close to menopause. Can I still use the pill?Unless you smoke or have risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity or high blood pressure, yes. If you do not have any of those risk factors, low-dose birth control pills (those with 20 mcg of estrogen) are a good option for the years just prior to menopause-called the menopause transition or “perimenopause. Irregular or serious periods is common throughout perimenopause, and pills can help regulate them. Low-dose contraception pills conjointly could stop bone loss, potentially providing protection from bone disease.
8. Are chronic headaches a reason NOT to take birth control pills?Not necessarily. Migraine headaches square measure the kind of headaches that cause health care professionals the foremost concern once it involves exploitation contraception pills, and even then only if the patient has migraine with “aura”-a type of migraine that causes visual disturbances. Some women find their migraines improve once they start on birth control pills, especially if those migraines precede their menses. But keep in mind that pills users with a history of migraine headache have an increased risk of stroke compared to nonusers with a history of migraine. Your risk is greatest if you’ve got migraines with “aura”-neurologic symptoms associated with vision, such as blurred vision, temporary loss of vision or seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that women with migraines with aura should not take birth control pills. For women over age thirty five United Nations agency get migraines while not aura, the risks of oral contraceptive use usually outweigh the benefits. For women underneath thirty five, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization state that combined birth control pills may be considered for women with migraines only if they are doing not expertise aura, do not smoke and are otherwise healthy.
9. A friend of mine got pregnant while using the pill, and she said it was because she was taking antibiotics. What’s the deal?Often, the blame for contraceptive failure is placed on a short stint of antibiotic use. Anecdotal reports abound regarding the reduction in pill effectiveness caused by antibiotics such as ampicillin and tetracycline, and some studies find lower levels of estradiol (a form of estrogen) in the blood of women taking these antibiotics, but no studies have been able to prove these claims. Studies are clear, however, regarding drug interactions between birth control pills and some other medications, such as anti-seizure medications and drugs used to treat tuberculosis. Ask your health care skilled or health care provider concerning doable drug interactions that will alter the effectiveness of either your contraception pills or another medication {you square measure|you’re} taking or are prescribed.
10. I’ve heard that it’s possible to skip the placebo pills and start a new pill pack right away. Is that true?

Yes, there are several reasons to consider skipping the pill-free interval. You could actually skip the placebos and take only the hormone pills for these reasons:

• unacceptably heavy or painful periods

• severe premenstrual side effects including depression

• endometriosis

• convenience (for example, if you want to avoid having a period during vacation)