No two people are exactly alike. What may be right for one person may be unacceptable to another. The same goes with birth control medications. Because no two women have the exact same body composition, what may work effectively for one woman may not work or work less effectively for another. With this thought in mind, how does one choose the best birth control pill to use?
To be able to pick the best birth control pill to take, women must first get a better understanding of how oral contraceptive pills work and the different kinds of pills available in the market.
The oral contraceptive pill
Birth control pills, more commonly called as “the pill”, contain one or both of two synthetic female hormones, progestin and estrogen. These synthetic female hormones were copied from the female body's naturally occurring hormones estrogen and progesterone. Contraceptive pills work by altering hormone production to create a more consistent hormone level. Without a peak in estrogen, the ovaries would not get a signal to release an egg. Without a high level of progesterone, the uterine lining is not prepared to receive implantation of a fertilized egg.
The different kinds of oral contraceptive pills
1. The combination pill. This kind of birth control pill has both estrogen and progestin in it. These two synthetic female hormones stop pregnancy by suppressing the pituitary gland, which in turn stops the maturation and release of the egg from the ovary during ovulation. There are three different kinds of combination pills, and these are:
1.1. Monophasic or 21-day pill. Twenty-one pills with the same amount of hormones are taken daily for twenty-one days, and then no pills are taken on the next seven days after the twenty-first day.
1.2. Phasic pill. Twenty-one pills are divided into two or three different colors corresponding to the amount of hormones they contain. This pill is taken for twenty-one days according to packet instructions, and then no pills are taken on the next seven days after the twenty-first day.
1.3. Everyday pill. This pill is taken for twenty-eight days straight. It contains twenty-one active pills and seven placebo pills which are to be taken according to packet instructions.
2. The progestin-only pill or the “mini-pill”. As the name implies, this oral contraceptive contains only progestin. Progestin is important in thickening the lining of the uterus to prevent sperm cells from reaching the egg. This pill is taken at the exact same time daily.
Choosing the best birth control pill
Do you think you're the type of person who can remember to take a pill every day at the exact same time? Birth control is a serious and delicate matter, it requires discipline. One missed pill may end up in accidental pregnancy. You can also try out other birth control methods to use in conjunction with the birth control pill as a means of backup protection. It is most important to consult a health care professional or a pharmacist first before deciding to buy oral contraceptive pills in order to determine if there are any possible drug interactions.