Recently, I have realized many of the girls I know that are on birth control pills have no idea what the pills are or what it's actually doing to their bodies. They understand that as long as they take the pills everyday-ish, a baby will be prevented. I'm here to tell you there's a lot more to it than that.
The type of pills most girls take are called combined oral contraceptive pills (COCP). These pills contain an estrogen and a progesterone, which work together with the levels you already have in your body. Most pill packets have 21 days of the pills, and seven days on sugar pills.
Birth control pills work against your body's natural functions to prevent pregnancy. This happens in four different ways:
1. By Suppressing Ovulation
The hormones in the pills (estrogen and progesterone) are at levels that tell your body not to release an egg that month. This doesn't always prevent ovulation though.
2. By Changing Your Cervical Mucous
The pills alter it to be thicker and more difficult for sperm to survive in.
3. By Changing The Lining of Your Endometrium (Womb)
Basically, your lining develops improperly by not being thick enough or capable of having an egg attach. Because of these changes, your "periods" are usually lighter.
4. By Changing the Movements of Your Fallopian Tubes.
By changing the movements, it makes it harder for the sperm to make it to the egg.
Keep in mind that while your birth control is supposed to do all four things, it still is not 100 percent effective.
There are also outside forces that prevent the birth control from working. If you have been throwing up or have had diarrhea, the pill may not be as effective. Certain antibiotics and medicines may also prevent effectiveness of the pill. Even with taking the pill exactly as you're supposed to, about 10 of 100 women still get pregnant. That's between a 90-96 percent fail rate.
There are some benefits to taking the pill, though. No more cramping (hell yeah!), lighter or no periods (double hell yeah!) and a stabilization of hormones are all major benefits to the pills.
But with all good things comes bad things. Nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness, mood changes, headaches, weight gain, lowered libido and breakthrough bleeding are all side effects of taking the pill. They also sound like a lot of the same symptoms of early pregnancy, don't they? And yes, you can have every single one of those at the same time.
Birth control pills are not for everyone, and it's important that you find a form of birth control that is best for you and your body. You should always feel comfortable talking to your doctor about your options, and make sure to ask any questions you have.
Visit Planned Parenthood and Pharmacists for Life International for more information about your specific birth control.
