Combination Pills
- How They Work
- When Are They Effective?
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- What To Do If You Miss A Pill
- Effectiveness
- See Your Doctor Right Away If You Are Experiencing...
How They WorkThese pills contain a combination of estrogen and progestin that prevent pregnancy by preventing ovulation, thickening the cervical mucus, or changing the endometrial of the uterus. These pills come in either 21 or 28 day packs. |  |
When Are They Effective?
Combination pills do not completely protect you during your first cycle. If you are planning of having intercourse during the first week that you start your pills you should use a backup method of birth control because the pills may not protect you from pregnancy during this time.
Advantages
- They do not interrupt sex.
- They are extremely effective when used correctly.
- They can lighten and/or shorten you menstrual flow significantly.
- They decrease or eliminate the pain experienced during menstrual cramps.
- They can decrease PMS symptoms for some women.
- They regulate your menstrual cycle.
- They may cause an increase in breast size.(which might make some women happy)
- They can help clear up acne.
- They
can protect against:
- Ovarian cancer
- Ovarian cysts
- Breast cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
- They are extremely safe to use in most cases.
- This method is reversible. You can stop taking the pill at any time you decide you want to have children.
- There is no need to take a "rest" from taking birth control pills.
- You can skip the placebo pills and continue to take active pills for up to three, sometimes four, months if you wish to have fewer periods. This is especially convenient for people that travel a lot. Discuss this with your doctor before trying it.
Disadvantages
- The pills do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
- They have to be taken every day for maximum protection against pregnancy.
- These pills may cause changes in mood or depression.
- Possible weight gain.
- Headaches.
- Slight chance of getting high blood pressure.
- Nausea. If you do experience nausea it is a good idea to take the pill before bedtime and/or with a meal.
- Slight possibility of developing blood clots. The possibility of this happening is very rare and is most likely to occur in cases where someone is mobilized or confined to a bed.
- Certain prescription medications or antibiotics can decrease the effectiveness of the pill. St. Johns Wort greatly decreases the pills effectiveness. You should speak to your doctor to see if you are taking any such medications. If you are it is a good idea to use a backup method of birth control, such as a condom, while you are taking that medication, or abstain from intercourse.
- You need a prescription from a doctor in order to get birth control pills.
- Breast tenderness.
- They may cause an increase in breast size.(which might make some women unhappy)
- Possible decrease in sex drive.
What To Do If You Miss a Pill
If you miss one active pill...
Take the pill as soon as you remember that you forgot to take it and take your next pill at the usual time.
Two active pills in a row during the first two weeks of the pack...
Take two pills when you remember and take two again the next day. Take one pill every day after that until the pack is finished. It is important that you use another backup method of birth control for seven days after you missed your pills because the possibility of getting pregnant increases when you miss pills.
Two active pills during the third week, or three or more pills in a row during the first three weeks...
What you do depends on whether you are a Sunday-starter or a first day starter:
- Sunday Starters: Keep taking a pill every day until Sunday. Throw away the rest of the pack and start a new one on that same day.
- First Day Starters: You should throw away the rest of the pack and start a new pack on that same day.
- Everyone should also: Use a backup method of birth control for the next seven days. Also, chances are that you will not get your period this month so don't worry. If you miss more than one period you should consult your doctor.
- IF you are still confused: You should continue to take your birth control pill regularly and use another method of birth control until you get a chance to talk to your doctor.
Effectiveness
The combination pill has a failure rate of .1% when women are perfect users. This means that one woman out of 1000 will become pregnant in one year if the pill is used correctly. The failure rate among typical users is 5%, meaning that five women out of 100 will become pregnant within one year in typical conditions. Obviously, it is important to use this method as perfectly as possible.