Contraceptive pills: An effective form of birth control - By: Tom Howarth.

Put simply, contraception refers to any scientifically proven method of preventing an unwanted pregnancy. Contraceptive is a device or drug used for the purpose of contraception. A contraceptive in the form of a pill to inhibit ovulation and thus preventing conception is called a contraceptive pill. They are also called oral contraceptive pills since they are taken orally. The contraceptive pill is the most frequently prescribed birth control method to women across the world. Contraceptive pills have recently gained popularity over barrier forms of contraceptives like condoms because users believe that barrier contraceptives steal the natural pleasure.

Oral contraceptive pills have become quite popular with women due to their reliability and ease of use. These pills are administered as daily pills and have shown great results for women. There are two types of contraceptive pills – combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) and progestogen-only pill (POP). COCP contains two artificial female hormones, an estrogen and a progestogen while POP contains only one, a progestogen. Both the types are very effective in birth control. POP contains only progestogen and produces fewer side effects; hence it is known as a milder form of contraception. The COCP has almost 99.5% effectiveness while the POP has 97-99% effectiveness. Yasmin and Cilest are some of the popular forms of oral contraceptive pills, both being of the COCP type.

How do contraceptive pills help in birth control?

Contraceptive pills have found widespread use in birth control for women globally. The working of these pills follows a three step process. Each step acts as a successive line of defense for birth control. These steps include:

Stopping the ovaries from releasing an egg during the menstrual cycle
Thickening the mucus in the cervix, making it difficult for the sperm to meet an egg
Altering the lining of the womb, so that an egg cannot embed itself there to grow.

Conception is a process where a sperm successfully meets an egg and combined form places itself on the womb to grow into life. The contraceptive pills attacks each step of the conception process to help in birth control.

The combined oral contraceptive pill is administered as a part of a three-week-on, one-week-off dosage schedule whereas the progestogen-only pill should be taken each day of the menstrual cycle. Both the pills are started on the first day of the cycle and one dosage taken each day. COCP is not suitable for certain groups of women who are allergic to oestrogen. POP, a milder form of contraception producing fewer side effects, is suitable for certain groups of women. Yasmin is a monophasic pill of low dosage and is suitable for women looking for a reliable form of birth control for long term use. Cilest is a COCP pill and has found popularity with women who experienced severe period pains and premenstrual syndrome.

What are the available contraceptive pills?

Several contraceptive pills are available for birth control. Contraceptive pills are classified on the basis of the ingredients of the pill. The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) or the pill contains an oestrogen and a progestogen. Yasmin, Microgynon and Cilest are some of the most popular forms of the combined oral contraceptive pills. The progestogen-only pill (POP) or the mini-pill contains only a progestogen. Cerazette is a popular progestogen-only pill. The contraceptive pills, regardless of their ingredients, have to be taken correctly without missing a dosage to find maximum effectiveness in preventing against pregnancy. The contraceptive pills have other health benefits for women- treating painful periods, heavy periods, premenstrual syndrome and endometriosis. Some pills have been found to treat severe cases of acne.

Yasmin contains two active ingredients ethinylestradiol and drospirenone; which are synthetic versions of the naturally occurring female sex hormones, oestrogen and progestogen. Both of them help stop conception by overriding the menstrual cycle. Yasmin has become a very popular choice in women as it is known to have fewer side effects than most pills. These mild side effects include headache, menstrual changes, breast pain, abdominal pain and nausea. Cilest is found to be 99% effective if taken correctly. Cilest has been known to clear bad cases of acne and cases of endometriosis. Certain precautions have to be taken – women above 35 years of age and who smoke are not advised to take Cilest, women with circulation problems, heart & liver problems and hypertension are also advised against Cilest. The side effects of Cilest include nausea, vomiting, headaches, breast tenderness, weight fluctuations and vaginal thrush. The contraceptive pills provide nearly 99% protection but should be combined with additional protection during the pill-free days to be on the safer side.

About the Author

Tom - Health Adviser and Webmaster of online health clinic ExpressMed.co.uk. He has written many articles on Yasmin Cerazette Qlaira and Microgynon Contraceptive pills. Oral Contraceptive Pills can be got from an online pharmacy over internet

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Tom-Howarth-/194258

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