Birth control how does it work

Oral Contraceptive Pills. Published May 23, The Department of Health of Manila. Kaiser Family Foundation. San Francisco, California; May 23, Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

I Accept Show Purposes. Is There a Right Time to the Pill? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Microgynon, Marvelon and Yasmin are examples of this type of pill.

Phasic pills contain 2 or 3 sections of different coloured pills in a pack. Each section contains a different amount of hormones.

Phasic pills need to be taken in the right order. Logynon is an example of this type of pill. There are 21 active pills and 7 inactive dummy pills in a pack. The two types of pill look different.

One pill is taken each day for 28 days with no break between packets of pills. Every day pills need to be taken in the right order. Microgynon ED is an example of this type of pill. Follow the instructions that come with your packet. If you have any questions, ask a doctor, nurse or pharmacist. It's important to take the pills as instructed, because missing pills or taking them at the same time as certain medicines may make them less effective.

You can also take the combined pill as a tailored regime. This may include taking the pill for 21 days and stopping for 4, or taking the pill continuously without a break. For more information speak to a doctor or nurse. You can normally start taking the pill at any point in your menstrual cycle. There is special guidance if you have just had a baby, abortion or miscarriage. The guidance may also be different if you have a short menstrual cycle.

Get advice from a doctor or nurse if you need it. You may need to use additional contraception during your 1st days on the pill — this depends on when in your menstrual cycle you start taking it. If you start the combined pill on the 1st day of your period day 1 of your menstrual cycle you will be protected from pregnancy straight away.

You will not need additional contraception. If you start the pill on the 5th day of your period or before, you will still be protected from pregnancy straight away. You will not be protected from pregnancy straight away and will need additional contraception until you have taken the pill for 7 days. If you start the pill after the 5th day of your cycle, make sure you have not put yourself at risk of pregnancy since your last period.

If you're worried you're pregnant when you start the pill, take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after the last time you had unprotected sex. If you miss a pill or pills, or you start a pack late, this can make the pill less effective at preventing pregnancy.

The chance of getting pregnant after missing a pill or pills depends on:. Find out what to do if you miss a combined pill. This type of birth control pill differs from the other pills in that it only contains one type of hormone — progesterone — rather than a combination of estrogen and progesterone.

It works by changing the cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus, and sometimes by affecting ovulation as well. The mini-pill may be slightly less effective at preventing pregnancy than combination pills. The mini-pill is taken every day without a break. A girl who is taking it might have no period at all or she may have irregular periods.

For the minipill to work, it must be taken at the same time every day, without missing any doses. Any type of birth control pill works best when it is taken every single day at the same time of day, regardless of whether a girl is going to have sex. This is especially important with progesterone-only pills. For the first 7 days of taking the Pill, a girl should use an additional form of contraception, such as condoms, to prevent pregnancy.

After 7 days, the Pill should work alone to prevent pregnancy. This timing can vary based on the type of Pill and when you start taking it — so be sure to talk about it with your doctor. Also, it's important to continue using condoms to protect against sexually transmitted diseases STDs.

If pills are skipped or forgotten, a girl is not protected against pregnancy and she will need a backup form of birth control, such as condoms. Or she will need to stop having sex for a while. Do not take a friend's or relative's pills. Over the course of 1 year, about 9 out of typical couples who rely on the Pill to prevent pregnancy will have an accidental pregnancy. Of course, this is an average figure and the chance of getting pregnant depends on whether you take your birth control pills every day.

The Pill is an effective form of birth control, but even missing 1 day increases the chance of getting pregnant. Hormonal contraceptives usually contain alternate forms of estrogen and the synthetic form of progesterone called progestin, or just progestin 3, 4. These methods stop the usual production patterns of reproductive hormones and prevent the ovaries from releasing eggs.

These methods work in a different way, but still prevent ovulation in some people 5. Hormonal contraceptives that include both estrogen and progestin are:. Hormonal contraceptives that include only progestin are:. Contraceptive shot or injection typically under the brand name Depo-Provera.

Using emergency contraception as needed is safe and effective at preventing pregnancy if taken within 3—5 days, though it should be taken as soon as possible 9. Users of hormonal contraceptives report both positive and negative side effects.

Period bleeding is different when using most types of hormonal contraception, including COCs. The period changes from the typical shedding of the uterine lining, to a period-like bleeding, called withdrawal bleeding.

Withdrawal bleeding happens in the week when pills contain no hormones, or in the time when a patch or vaginal ring is removed. Because withdrawal bleeding tends to be lighter than typical menstrual bleeding, hormonal contraceptives can reduce menstrual flow People who experience heavy bleeding , prolonged bleeding , menstruation-related anemia or iron deficiency may benefit from hormonal contraceptives These can also reduce painful menstruation, including pain caused by endometriosis Doctors prescribe birth control to make bleeding more predictable, induce bleeding, or induce intentional amenorrhea no bleeding at all This is sometimes the approach used for people with chronic reproductive conditions, like polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS But hormonal contraception doesn't truly regulate periods, it delivers scheduled withdrawal bleeds.

If the underlying cause of the unpredictable menstrual cycles isn't addressed, they will likely return after going off the hormonal method. This can contribute to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Hormonal contraception can affect your skin. COCs can treat acne 10, 13 , due to the acne-reducing effects of estrogen. Conversely, the development of acne, melasma, or negative changes to the appearance of skin are also common side effects of hormonal contraception 14, These negative effects seem to be most strongly related to POCs, so switching to COCs or other forms of combined hormonal contraceptives may help address these concerns.

Nausea, headaches, and breast tenderness are also commonly reported side effects 14, 16 , though there is evidence to suggest these side effects are strongest in new users and diminish over time 14, Hormonal contraceptives may also reduce breast tenderness with long term use Weight gain and changes to libido sex drive are concerns for many people taking hormonal contraceptives 14, Other than the contraceptive shot, which has been found to increase weight in users 14 , most research suggests the average hormonal contraceptive user experiences little or no change Some people might notice their libido is higher or lower overall, though many people report no change