how exactly does the birth control pill work?
44904
The birth control pill works by stopping sperm from joining with an egg (which is called fertilization). The hormones in the pill stop ovulation. No ovulation means there's no egg hanging around for sperm to fertilize, so pregnancy can't happen. The pill's hormones also thicken the mucus on the cervix.
24802
It may sound strange, but when these methods don't work, birth control pills can actually help with cramps — and are often prescribed for this reason. Birth control pills work because they decrease the amount of prostaglandins — chemicals your body produces to make the muscles of the uterus contract.
139982
The good news is that being on birth control for a long period of time will not hurt your chances of getting pregnant in the future. Birth control pills are made of hormones that keep your eggs from ovulating and make your cervical mucus thicker, in order to keep sperm away from your eggs.
182009
Plan B works like other birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. Plan B acts primarily by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary (ovulation). It may prevent the union of sperm and egg (fertilization). If fertilization does occur, Plan B may prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the womb (implantation).
497445
Birth control pills can help even out your period so you know exactly when it's coming. Traditional birth control pills contain the hormones estrogen and progestin, which are similar to the hormones your ovaries make. You take hormone-containing "active" pills for 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of inactive pills.
1402203
Birth control pills make use of the fact that both estrogen and progesterone are regulated by negative feedback loops. By adding an excess amount of estrogen and progesterone in the body, birth control pills activate the negative-feedback loop and prevent the body from secreting estrogen and progesterone.
1020484
Birth control pills prevent pregnancy through several mechanisms, mainly by stopping ovulation. If no egg is released, there is nothing to be fertilized by sperm, and the woman cannot get pregnant. Most birth control pills contain synthetic forms of two female hormones: estrogen and progestin.
306224
If you start taking the birth control pill in the first five days of your menstrual cycle (i.e., the first five days of bleeding), then it's effective right away. But if you start the pill at any other time in your cycle, you need to use condoms for a week, to let the pill reach full effectiveness.
554555
The birth control pill, often referred to as "the pill," is a form of birth control used by women that is taken by mouth. When taken correctly, it is 98% effective. However, because many women do not take it correctly, on average about 9% of women have an unintended pregnancy each year while on the pill.
98806
How effective is the birth control pill? If you use it perfectly, the pill is 99% effective. But people aren't perfect and it's easy to forget or miss pills — so in reality the pill is about 91% effective. That means about 9 out of 100 pill users get pregnant each year.
304893
The morning-after pill works by delaying the increase in the hormone that starts ovulation, the release of an egg. By delaying or stopping the egg from being released, the sperm can't reach the egg and pregnancy can't occur.
737733
The Birth Control Pill Oral contraceptives contain hormones that stop ovulation. If you use them perfectly, they're a great way to prevent pregnancy, with a 99.7% effectiveness rate.
848329
The Pill (and other hormonal methods of birth control, like the patch and the ring) basically tricks your body into thinking it's pregnant. The medicine takes control of your reproductive processes, pulsing progesterone and estrogen to suppress ovulation.
85963
Birth control methods work in different ways to prevent pregnancy, including: Creating a barrier that blocks sperm from reaching the egg. Killing sperm. Preventing eggs from being released by the ovaries.
1243418
When to expect your period The birth control pill birth regulates the menstrual cycle. Most types of pill work in 4-week cycles. A person on one of these pills can expect a period about every 28 days. Depending on the type of birth control, some people may experience periods more frequently than usual.
926276
Birth control can make your period irregular — at first Hormonal contraceptives like birth control pills and the hormonal intrauterine device (IUD) work to prevent pregnancy by interfering with the natural fluctuation of hormones in your cycle that form eggs and ovarian follicles.
588775
The pill works mainly by preventing ovulation or by thickening the mucus surrounding the cervix, which helps block sperm and thins the lining of the uterus so if an egg is fertilized, it would have trouble implanting. The pill is one of the most common forms of birth control.