The Contraception pill
A Safe Method

There are many women who take already the contraception pill, particularly married women, but also many young people who do not. When I was single, the pill was not a practical birth control method for me. I did not want my family to know that I was having sex. If you are in the same situation like me, do not worry, there are other types of birth control you can use. But, if you want to plan your family, married or not, this method is highly accurate. However it requires a commitment on your part because you have to take the pill everyday, without missing one.

What is the pill?

How effective is it?

The pill has effectiveness about 99% if it is taken properly. This number may decrease if taken incorrectly. What does it means taking it incorrectly? It means that you must follow a strict schedule for taking it. You should not take the pill from a friend or someone else because at one time you may lose control.

It is considered that about 5 in every 100 women can get pregnant with this type of birth control. Why they get pregnant? They do not follow a strict schedule or miss a pill, and consequently decreases the percentage of effectiveness. If you forget one or more pills per cycle, YES you are on risk, and of course, you can get pregnant

The contraception pill is not effective against sexually transmitted infections, so to avoid getting pregnant you should use a condom, for example.

How it works?

The hormones in the pill (estrogen and progesterone) prevent ovulation. If a woman does not ovulate, you can not get pregnant because there is no egg to fertilize.

How can I use it?

The pill must be taken daily, beginning the first day of menstruation, preferably at the same time for 21 days. You must take the next pack of pills at the end of the 21 pills plus 7 days of rest. In the days of rest, the menstruation will occurs. I recommend you to take the pill everyday at the same time, regardless if you are having sex or not. You can usually do it at any time of day, but is better if you have an habit, and take it at one specific time, for example: after brushing your teeth, after eating, etc. The important thing is to have the habit in order to avoid forgetting to take it. Remember, if you forget to take a pill, its efficacy will decrease.

What can I do if I miss to take a pill?

If you have missed taking a contraception pill at the usual time, you can take the pill within the first 12 hours. If it is after 12 hours, skip that pill and wait to take the next pill at the same time as usual. Medical experts say that forgetting a pill within the first 12 hours, there is no problem and you can have sex as usual, even without another alternative contraceptive method. But if you forget to take the pill after 12 hours, you should start using another method of birth control during the rest of the cycle, for example condoms, and continue taking the remaining pills regularly.

Does it have any side effects?

In some women it can cause some headache, dizziness, nausea and breast pain, which can occur in the first three months of use. After this period, the effects are reduced and may even disappear. In fact, the pill reduces the problem of irregular periods and may reduce as well the disgusting menstruation pains. You may also reduce your acne problem.

In the old times it was said that the pill could cause cancer. This is a myth and the reality is that it may helps with some cancers that affect the uterus.

Another tip, if you want to get pregnant, just stop taking the contraception pill, it sounds trivial but it is worth to comment.

Read about other types of birth control:

Aviane | Shot | Patch | IUD | Condoms | Nuva ring | Seasonal | Natural | Emergency pill