Planned Parenthood notes that when a woman always uses the birth control pill correctly, meaning she takes her pill at the same time every day, she has a one percent chance of becoming pregnant. Regardless of what hormones are in the birth control pill, all forms of birth control are effective in preventing pregnancy, as well as providing other benefits.
Types of Birth Control Pills
Birth control pills contain synthetic female hormones, which prevent an unwanted pregnancy by interfering with sperm-egg interaction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that besides being the leading birth control option among 15 to 29 year old women, the birth control pill is used by 19 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 44. Depending on what type of birth control pill a woman chooses, she takes one type of hormone or multiple hormones. Combination pills, for example, contain both estrogen and progestin. The mini pill, however, contains only progestin.
How Birth Control Pills Prevent Pregnancy
During the 28 day menstrual cycle, a woman's ovaries release an egg around day 14. The egg travels from the uterus down the fallopian tubes, where it can be fertilized. The hormones in the birth control pill, however, prevent the egg from being released; without a released egg, a woman cannot become pregnant. Besides suppressing ovulation, the hormones in the birth control pill also thicken the cervical mucus, which acts as a barrier between the egg and the sperm. Planned Parenthood notes that the hormones in the birth control pill may also thin the lining of the uterus, which would prevent implantation of a fertilized egg; however, not enough evidence is available to prove that this mechanism exists. As the Mayo Clinic's website points out, the birth control pill only suppresses ovulation, not a woman's fertility. If a woman chooses to stop using the birth control pill, ovulation can restart within two weeks.
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