Birth control pills, also called the Pill, are a type of birth control that regulates your hormones. If you take one pill a day every day, you'll be very well protected against getting pregnant. back to top
How do birth control pills work?
Birth control pills contain hormones that prevent ovulation. Normally, every month your ovaries produce an egg. Birth control pills work by preventing the egg from being produced. If the egg isn't there, the sperm can't fertilize it, and you can't get pregnant.
There are different types of birth control pills, and each contains different kinds and amounts of hormones. Each type has slightly different side effects. If you have side effects from one pill, talk to your health professional about it. He or she can switch you to another type of pill. back to top
Why would I want to use birth control pills?
They do a great job of keeping you from getting pregnant. Birth control pills are really reliable—they're 99.7% effective. But you've got to remember to take them faithfully every day for them to work.
What are the other benefits of birth control pills?
Though their main purpose is to keep you from getting pregnant, birth control pills have other advantages. In fact, many girls take birth control pills just for these other benefits.
- Regulating your periods. If your body doesn't ovulate regularly, you can have irregular periods, heavy bleeding during periods, and bleeding between periods. The hormones in birth control pills help to regulate your menstrual cycle so that your period comes every month.
- Less bleeding during your period. When you ovulate, your body is setting itself up to grow a baby. To do that, the inside of your uterus grows a lining. If you're not pregnant, your body automatically gets rid of the lining every month. That shedding of the lining causes your period. Birth control pills decrease the amount of lining that grows in the uterus. Because there's less lining to get rid of each month, you bleed less. Also, your period may last for only 2 or 3 days. Because they bleed less, girls and women who take birth control pills are less likely to have anemia. Anemia is a condition that people develop when they don't have enough iron in their bodies. Iron is contained in the blood and when you bleed less, you lose less iron and don't develop anemia.
- Treating acne. Some birth control pills are really good for this.
- Less pain and cramping from your period.
- Preventing ovarian cysts. Many painful ovarian cysts are caused by the normal process of ovulation. Birth control pills prevent ovulation, and so they prevent cysts.
- Treating endometriosis. Birth control pills can be taken to shrink endometriosis.
- Reducing the chance of getting ovarian cancer.
If you want to use the Pill, make an appointment with your health professional or go to a clinic. If you both think they're the right form of birth control for you, you'll get a prescription that you can fill at a drugstore.
How do I take birth control pills?
Birth control pills come in special packs that make it easier for you to take them the right way.
You should start your first pack on the first Sunday after your period starts. (But listen to your health professional if he or she tells you a different day of the week.) You should take your pill at about the same time each day. This makes the Pill more effective because it keeps your hormone levels steady. It also helps you remember to take it.
Some pills come in 21-day packs. You take one pill every day for 21 days, and then take 7 days off. Usually, you'll get your period during the week off. But most girls use 28-day packs. The pills for 7 of those days are sugar pills, which help you keep up the routine so that you won't forget to start a new pack on the correct day. Usually, you'll get your period during the week that you're taking the sugar pills.
Do birth control pills start working right away?
No! You're not protected against pregnancy for the first month that you use birth control pills. Be sure to use an additional method of birth control (such as a condom) during the first month.
What should I do if I forget to take a pill?
You should take it as soon as you remember! If you forget to take a pill one day, and you don't remember until the next day, you can take 2 pills the next day. If you forget to take a pill for two days in a row, you can take 2 pills the next day, and 2 pills the day after that. If you forget to take a pill for three days in row, you're not protected that month. Be sure to also use another method of birth control in that case as you finish the pills.
