Birth Control Pill Types

Birth control pills, or contraceptive pills, are the medications used for preventing conception or pregnancy. Use of birth control pills is an effective method of family planning. The history of oral contraception goes back to the year 1951, when it was invented by Carl Djerassi along with Luis E. Miramontes and George Rosenkranz. Previously, birth control pills used to contain a high level of hormones, due to which many side effects were reported. However, modern birth control pills are much safer due to the comparatively lower concentration of hormones. The wide range of birth control pills that are available can be classified into three main categories. But, before going into the details of birth control pill types, let's take a brief look at how birth control pills work.

How do Birth Control Pills Work
Birth control pills mainly rely on the hormones estrogen or progesterone in order to prevent ovulation and conception. Ovulation refers to the discharge or release of an egg from the ovary that takes place each month. Pregnancy takes place when this egg is fertilized by sperm. So, birth control pills stop ovulation, without which fertilization and pregnancy cannot take place. The entire process of menstruation and ovulation is controlled by two hormones, estrogen and progesterone.

Generally, at the beginning of the menstrual cycle, the level of estrogen in the body gradually rises, which contributes towards the thickening of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus), in order to prepare it to hold the fertilized egg. When estrogen reaches its peak level, ovulation takes place, after which the level of progesterone increases to thicken the lining of the uterus. Now, if the released egg is fertilized, it is implanted in the uterine lining and results in conception. But, if conception or pregnancy does not occur, then the level of both the hormones drop, which leads to menstruation. Menstruation is nothing but the shedding of the thickened uterine lining. Now, birth control pills help to maintain both the hormones at a constant level, so that ovulation does not take place.

Birth Control Pill Types
As mentioned already, there are three main types of birth control pills: combination pills, progestin-only pills or POP, and emergency contraceptive pills. Here is a brief account of these three types of birth control pills along with the possible side effects and benefits of oral contraceptives.

Combination Pills: It is the most common type of birth control pills, which contains both the hormones, i.e. estrogen and progesterone. Each of the active pills may contain the same or varied amounts of both the hormones and accordingly, they are classified as monophasic, biphasic and triphasic birth control pills. Each of the 21 active monophasic birth control pills contain the same level of estrogen and progesterone, while biphasic birth control pills contain two different levels of these hormones. On the other hand, triphasic birth control pills contain three different levels of both the hormones.

It has been found that use of combination birth control pills can significantly lower the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer, prevent the risk of ectopic pregnancy, provide relief from menstrual pain, cramps, and excessive blood loss during menstruation, regularize menstrual cycle, and lower the risk of ovarian cysts. However, certain side effects like nausea, irregular bleeding, headache, and breast tenderness have been observed in some women. This type of birth control pill may also increase the risk of hypertension and strokes in some women.

Progestin-Only Pills: As the name suggests, this type of birth control pills contains only progesterone and not estrogen. It is also known as mini pills. These pills inhibit ovulation and thicken the cervical muscles to prevent the entry of sperm. As they do not contain estrogen, they can be used by nursing or breastfeeding mothers. It has been found that estrogen can reduce milk production, for which the use of combination pills is usually not recommended for such women. Like combination pills, progestin-only pills have also shown effectiveness in reducing menstrual pain and cramps as well as blood loss. But, it can cause irregular bleeding, nausea, headache, and amenorrhea or absence of normal menstrual flow. But these pills are ideal for those women who cannot take estrogen for some health related issues.

Emergency Contraceptive Pills: Emergency contraceptive pills, or ECPs, are birth control pills specially designed to prevent pregnancy in case of unprotected sex. But they are certainly not recommended for daily use. These pills can prevent conception only if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex. One may experience some minor side effects like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, as well fatigue and headache after taking this type of contraceptive pill. Sometimes, one may also get the next period either earlier or later than usual. However, the main advantage is that it can prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

All contraceptive pills can be classified into these three main birth control pill types. Todays birth control pills are much safer than their earlier counterparts, and they can have several health benefits as well. Still, some side effects of birth control pills seem to be quite unavoidable. Therefore, it is always better to consult your health care professional before taking any type of birth control pills. You can also talk to your health care professional to find out which type of birth control pill would be suitable for you.