The Pill?

The pill, have you ever walked down the street and heard a bunch of girls talking about the pill? If you have then I’m sure that you’ve asked yourself what is the pill? Vitamins? Drugs? Well that is not it; this so called pill that they are referring to is actually Birth Control pills. The famous pills that help regulate a girl’s hormone and give her protection even if she goes raw. The pill was once taboo to the world culture, people never spoke about it but they still used it none the less. The birth control pill was nicknamed as the pill to throw people off when talking about it in the dead open. This is a daily pill that has hormones they are used to change the way the body works and acts, of course this is to prevent pregnancy. The hormones are chemical substances that control the functioning of the body’s organs; in this case the hormones in the pill are those that govern the uterus and the ovaries, the main reproductive organ of the female.


The birth control pill works as combination pills, this means that the pill contains a combination of hormones, estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation. A woman will of course not get pregnant if there is no egg to fertilize. The hormones in the pill prevent ovulation which means that it prevents the release of an egg during the monthly cycle. The pill also works by thickening the mucus around the cervix; this makes it difficult for sperm to travel up to the fallopian tube or uterus where conception takes place. Also at times it may affect the lining of the uterus, making it difficult for an egg to attach to the wall of the uterus, therefore preventing pregnancy. Most birth control pills are "combination pills" containing a combination of the hormones estrogen and progesterone to prevent ovulation (the release of an egg during the monthly cycle). A woman cannot get pregnant if she doesn't ovulate because there is no egg to be fertilized.


Most combination pills come in either a 21-day pack or a 28-day pack. One hormone pill is taken each day at about the same time for 21 days. Depending on your pack, you will either stop taking birth control pills for 7 days (as in the 21-day pack) or you will take a pill that contains no hormones for 7 days (the 28-day pack). A woman has her period when she stops taking the pills that contain hormones. Some women prefer the 28-day pack because it helps them stay in the habit of taking a pill every day.


Another kind of pill that may change the number of monthly periods is the low-dose progesterone pill, sometimes called the mini-pill. This type of birth control pill differs from the other pills in that it only contains one type of hormone — progesterone. It works by changing the cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus, and sometimes by affecting ovulation as well. The mini-pill may be slightly less effective at preventing pregnancy than combination pills. For the first 7 days of taking the any of the birth control pills, a girl should use an additional form of contraception, such as condoms, to prevent pregnancy. After 7 days, the Pill should work alone to prevent pregnancy. But continuing to use condoms will protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).


If pills are forgotten, a girl is not protected against pregnancy and she will need a backup form of birth control, such as condoms. Or she will need to stop having sex for a while. Do not take a friend's or relative's pills, some pills may be for you some are not always play safe, always consult your OB-GYNE if you have any concerns or problems.