Birth Control Pill
Birth Control Pill or Oral Contraceptive is a drug that prevents pregnancy. Birth control pills are the most popular form of reversible contraception—that is, temporary birth control that, once discontinued, allows a woman to become pregnant. Two types of birth control pills are available today: combination pills, containing the female sex hormones estrogen and progestin (a synthetic version of the female hormone progesterone), and progestin-only pills. Combination pills are the most popular. A woman takes a combination pill once a day for 21 days, followed by 7 days of a placebo (an inactive pill, often a sugar pill) or no pill. Combination birth control pills prevent ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovaries); thicken the mucus of the cervix (opening of the uterus) to make it difficult for sperm to enter the uterus; and keep the endometrium (lining of the uterus)from thickening so that a fertilized egg cannot implant in it. Combination pills provide health benefits in additi