If you need to take a contraceptive pill, there are considerations to make. Sure, it is easier than having to go to abortion clinics in the future, but you should choose wisely. Read more
Introduction
Oral contraception prevents you from going to abortion clinics in case you have an “accident” and not want to become a mother yet. You might think that it is just about buying it at a store and taking it just like that. You have to consider that you are going to put it in your body, which is why you have to make a wise decision.
Here are the considerations you need to make before buying a contraceptive pill:
Know the Types
There are 2 main kinds of contraceptive pills. Both are based on whether the tablet has a single hormone know as progestin or a combination of progestin and estrogen.
Combination pills – It has a mixture of 2 hormones working to prevent pregnancy. The estrogen and progestin hormones are found in this pill.
Progestin-only pills which contain only either progestin or estrogen.
The combination pills are extended or conventional. These 2 are divided into multiphasic or monophasic packs.
Active and Inactive Pills
The combination pills have active and inactive pills, which depends on your period cycle:
- Conventional – This normally has 21 active pills and then 7 inactive pills. It could also be 24 inactive pills and 4 are active pills. If you use the inactive pill, bleeding happens every month.
- Extended cycle – These packs normally have 84 active pills and 7 inactive ones. You will bleed only 4 times a year, whenever you use inactive pills. The formulations that only have active pills that eliminate bleeding can also be bought.
They are also categorized based on whether the hormones in active pills are the same or are varied:
- Monophasic – This kind of birth control pill contains both estrogen and progestin.
- Multiphasic – The amounts of hormones here vary when it comes to active pills.
The majority of combination pills have 10 to 35 mcg of ethinyl estradiol, which is a type of estrogen. Women with hormone sensitivity could benefit from the pill that has estrogen but at the lower end. However, the low dose pills could result to breakthrough bleeding between periods compared to pills with higher doses.
How Does it Work?
Both types of pills prevent pregnancy by using hormones. The combination pill has 3 significant causes:
- Prevents your ovaries from releasing any eggs
- The cervical mucus thickens
- Your uterine lining becomes thin
With these changes, the sperm has a harder time reaching the egg and the fertilized egg will have a hard time attaching to your uterine lining.
The progestin pills cause:
- Thicker cervical mucus
- Thin uterine lining
This will not prevent ovulation, but there is a small percentage of progestin pills
that can do this.
If you use the right pill, you do not have to think about having an in clinic abortion in the future in case it will be necessary.
