What Is The Minipill
The minipill is a type of oral contraceptive that contains pills that only have progestin.
None of the pills in the pack have any estrogen. The dose of progestin varies and is dependent on the formulation used in the birth control pill.
A minipill package consists of 28 pills, all of which contain the hormone progestin. It doesnt contain any placebo pills.
To maximize the minipills effectiveness, youll need to take the pill at the same time every day.
If you miss a dose even by as little as 3 hours youll need to use a backup method of birth control for at least 2 days to be on the safe side.
Theres a new FDA-approved progestin-only pill called Slynd. It can be taken within a 24-hour period and still not be considered a missed dose, unlike the current progestin-only pill.
Because this pill is so new, there may currently be limited information and access. To learn more about Slynd, talk to your doctor.
Where Are Birth Control Pills Available
A doctor or a nurse practitioner must prescribe the Pill. They’ll ask about a girl’s health and family medical history, and will do an exam, which may include a pelvic exam. If the doctor or NP prescribes birth control pills, they will explain when to begin taking it and what to do if pills are missed.
The doctor or NP might want to do a blood pressure check a few months later and make sure there are no other problems. After that, girls who are having sex should get routine exams every 6 months to a year, or as recommended.
What Are The Types Of Birth Control
Before you choose a method, you should discuss birth control with your partner and your healthcare provider. Birth control methods are only effective if you use them properly. Make sure that you understand how to use the method you choose.
Birth control methods include:
- Barrier methods: Barrier methods block sperm from getting into your uterus. You use a barrier method each time you have sex.
- Hormonal medication and devices: These methods use hormones to prevent ovulation or change the conditions in your uterus and cervix. There are some hormonal medications that require daily use and others that your provider inserts into your arm or your uterus .
- Sterilization: Surgery to permanently prevent pregnancy is sterilization. There are male and female sterilization methods.
- Fertility awareness: Fertility awareness uses natural methods to prevent pregnancy. This is also called natural family planning.
- Emergency contraception: Emergency contraception provides protection against pregnancy if your birth control fails. You can think of this like your last safety net against pregnancy.
- Abstinence: Refraining from sexual intercourse to prevent pregnancy.
Recommended Reading: Is Birth Control Hormone Replacement Therapy
Estrogen And Birth Control Pills
The birth control pill is 99% effective with perfect use, which makes it one of the most popular options for contraceptives. However, some women dont realize that all birth control pills are not alike. In fact, the makeup of the pills you take can determine what types of side effects and benefits you experience.
Do you know how much estrogen is in your birth control pills? Learn more about how hormones prevent pregnancy and the pill options according to hormone content.
What Are The Types Of Progestin
Progestin is also used in several birth-control methods. Those include:
- The mini pill: The mini pill is a small, progestin-only pill thats designed to be taken at the same time each day, per ACOG. With typical use, this pill is 91 percent effective, ACOG says.
- The shot : The shot contains the hormone depot medroxyprogesterone acetate, which protects against pregnancy for 13 weeks, ACOG explains. Its 94 percent effective when typically used, per ACOG.
- Certain intrauterine devices : There are different types of IUDs â one type that contains copper and others that contain progestin. The progestin-only IUDs are a T-shape device that is implanted in your uterus, per ACOG. There, the IUD prevents the fertilization of an egg with sperm. Its 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, ACOG says.
- The implant : The implant is a flexible, plastic rod about the size of a matchstick thats inserted just under the skin in the upper arm. There, it releases progestin in the body, ACOG explains. Like the progestin IUD, the implant is 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.
Recommended Reading: What Is The Dhea Hormone
Effectiveness Of Emergency Contraception
The effectiveness of the morning after pill varies depending on how quickly you take it after having unprotected sex. For example, if you take Plan B One-Step within 24 hours, it is about 95% effective, however if taken within three days of unprotected sex, the morning after pill can reduce the chance of pregnancy by 75-89%
Why Are Recommendations Around Blood Pressure And Birth Control Being Updated
When US blood pressure guidelines changed in 2017, many more people were diagnosed with high blood pressure. That happened because the new guidelines tightened standards, as follows:
- normal blood pressure is less than 120 /80 mm Hg
- elevated blood pressure is between 120 and 129 mm Hg and less than 80 mm Hg
- high blood pressure is 130 mm Hg and 80 mm Hg or higher.
With these updated definitions, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. Black women are at particularly high risk: more than half of Black women over the age of 19 are diagnosed with high blood pressure.
If a woman has high blood pressure, the JAMA update recommends weighing three factors before starting an estrogen-containing birth control: a womans age, control of blood pressure, and any other risks for heart disease.
The JAMA update reviewed evidence based on an older definition of high blood pressure in the context of birth control use. Further research is needed to better understand how different ranges of blood pressure might affect women using birth control that contains estrogen. However, its unlikely that these recommendations would change further based on the newer definition of high blood pressure.
You May Like: Why Doesn T Melatonin Work
Which Form Of Birth Control Does Not Introduce Hormones Into The Female
atcanatdoes nothormones
Similarly, it is asked, who should not use oral contraceptives?
You should not take Combination birth control pills if you have any of the following:
- Blood clots or history of blood clots.
- History of stroke or heart attack.
- Coronary artery disease.
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding.
Similarly, how do oral contraceptives work in females? Oral contraceptives are used to prevent pregnancy. Estrogen and progestin are two female sex hormones. Combinations of estrogen and progestin work by preventing ovulation .
Beside this, what is the hormonal method of birth control?
Hormonal methods of birth control contain either estrogen and progestin, or progestin only they are a safe and reliable way to prevent pregnancy for most women. Hormonal methods include an implant, an intrauterine device , injections, pills, a vaginal ring, and a skin patch.
What birth control does not have hormones?
There are many other birth control options that do not contain hormones, that are effective if used correctly, and that are affordable. Barrier methods, such as the condom, sponge, cervical cap, or diaphragm, spermicide, the copper IUD, and natural family planning are all hormone-free methods of birth control.
Why Do Birth Control Pills Contain Estrogen
As Ive mentioned, combined birth control pills with estrogen and progestin, trick your pituitary gland into thinking you are pregnant. The constant doses of estrogen each day are pivotal to this trickery because of the estrogen:
Prevents your pituitary gland from producing the follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone so that ovulation doesnt take place.
Thickens the lining of your uterus, making the environment more hostile to conception.
Dont Miss: What Is Hormone Replacement Treatment
Read Also: Where Can I Get Testosterone Pills
Where Can I Get Birth Control For Acne
Birth control for acne needs to be prescribed by a medical professional, like a dermatologist, doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. It can be prescribed following an in-person doctor visit or through an online healthcare service.
There are several companies available that offer online birth control services, like Pill Club or Nurx. With these services, youll review options virtually with a medical professional, and the birth control pills are sent to your home.
If youre prescribed a birth control pill to treat acne, you should be aware of the pills side effects.
Side effects of birth control pills include:
Rare but serious side effects of birth control include deep vein thrombosis , heart attack, and stroke.
People who smoke, are older than age 35, and have risk factors for cardiovascular disease are at a higher risk of these severe side effects.
Treatment for acne depends on its severity and your reaction to different methods. The first line of treatment includes over-the-counter options, such as cleansers, lotions, and other topical treatments.
Prescription-based options include both topical and pill-based medications in the form of antibiotics, retinoids, and others.
The Underlying Of Cause Of Breast Cancer Failure Of Apoptosis
Molecular biologist, Dr. Ben Formby of Copenhagen, Denmark and Dr. T.S. Wiley at the University of California in Santa Barbara have researched two genes, BCL2 and P53, and their effect on female-specific cancers and prostate cancer.
Cells of breast, endometrium, ovary and prostate, were grown in the laboratory. Estrogen was added to the cells. The estradiol turned on the BCL2 gene, causing the cells to grow rapidly and not die . Then, progesterone was added to the cell cultures. Progesterone turned on the P53 gene. The result? Cell reproduction stopped and the cells died on time .
What is the result of cells not dying on time? Cysts, benign tumors, malignant tumors
This methodology was applied to all the above types of cancer. The BCL2 gene, therefore, blocks apoptosis, stimulates the growth of these cells and the risk of cancer. Conversely, the P53 gene promotes apoptosis or programmed cell death and thereby, reduces the risk of cancer.
Estradiol upregulates or stimulates the production of the BCL2 gene, while progesterone upregulates or stimulates the production of the P53 gene.
Further investigation revealed transdermal estradiol increased the cell proliferation rate by 230%, while transdermal progesterone decreased the cell proliferation rate by > 400%.
In his best selling book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer Dr. John Lee states, estrogens promote breast cancer, progesterone prevent breast cancer.
Recommended Reading: Side Effect Of Growth Hormone
These Are The Birth Control Options You Can Use If You Have High Blood Pressure
You’ve probably heard that birth control pills and high blood pressure don’t mix, but that doesnt mean you need to swear off birth control entirely. High blood pressure happens, and it happens a lot: One in three American adults struggles with the condition, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you have high blood pressure , your doctor has probably recommended you make certain lifestyle tweaks and may have even put you on medication for your condition. They may have also told you that you can’t be on birth control, which isn’t entirely true.
Its not a one size fits all kind of thingdifferent forms of birth control have different effects on blood pressure, cardiologist Nicole Weinberg, M.D., tells SELF.
If you have high blood pressure, its best to have a conversation with your doctor about the best form of contraception for you. But here are a few things you should know in advance:
There are certain types of birth control that people with hypertension should avoid, and they largely center around combined hormone methods, i.e. those that contain the hormones estrogen and progesterone, Kristina Tocce, M.D., a contraception researcher and ob/gyn at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, tells SELF. Most birth control pills are likely an estrogen and progesterone pill, she says. But the estrogen component is the issue.
Related:
How Is The Pill Taken
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 the pack, the birth control pills are either stopped for 7 days or a pill that contains no hormones is taken for 7 days. During the week that a person takes no pills or pills that don’t contain hormones, she has her period. Some women prefer the schedule in which pills are taken every day of the month because it helps keep them in the habit of taking a pill every day.
Also available is a combination pill that makes periods happen less often by supplying a hormone pill for 12 weeks and then inactive pills for 7 days. This reduces the number of periods to 1 every 3 months instead of 1 every month.
Another kind of pill that may change the number of monthly periods is the low-dose progesterone pill, sometimes called the mini-pill. This differs from other birth control pills in that it only contains one type of hormone progesterone rather than a combination of estrogen and progesterone. It changes the cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus, and sometimes by affects ovulation. It may be slightly less effective than the combination pills at preventing pregnancy.
The mini-pill is taken every day without a break. Someone who takes the mini-pill may have no period at all or may have irregular periods. For the mini-pill to work, it must be taken at the same time every day, without missing any doses.
Recommended Reading: What Do Testosterone Pills Do
How Does The Progestin
This contraceptive does three things. First, like regular birth control pills, the progestin-only pill makes your body think that you are pregnant and stops your ovary from releasing an egg. Second, the mini-pill causes changes in your uterus. Because of the changes caused by progestin, your uterus is less likely to let a pregnancy get started even if an egg is released.
What Is Birth Control
Birth control is any activity, medicine, or equipment used to prevent pregnancy. There are many types of birth control available for women who do not wish to become pregnant. The decision on which method is right for you should be made with your healthcare provider, as well as with your partner.
Birth control methods work in different ways to prevent pregnancy, including:
-
Creating a barrier that blocks sperm from reaching the egg
-
Preventing eggs from being released by the ovaries
-
Changing the cervical mucus to hinder sperm from moving into the uterus
-
Altering the tissue lining the uterus so that a fertilized egg cant implant
Recommended Reading: How To Boost Estrogen Levels
What You Need To Know About Estrogen
Like progesterone, estrogen is a sex hormone naturally produced in the body and is responsible for developing female sexual characteristics. For example, during puberty, estrogen contributes to the development of mammary ducts. During pregnancy, it supports functions that secrete breast milk.
Estrogen is commonly found in birth control products, such as oral contraceptives and vaginal rings. It is also found in products that treat symptoms during menopause, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and itching.
Some side effects of taking estrogen products include nausea, cramps, headaches, weight gain, and abnormal uterine bleeding.
If youre experiencing any adverse side effects when taking oral contraceptives, make sure to talk to your doctor.
Read Also: Do Catholics Believe In Birth Control
When To See A Dermatologist
Its best to see a dermatologist if you have persistent acne. This means it doesnt go away after 4 to 6 weeks of drugstore acne treatments. Its also a good idea to see a dermatologist for any moderate to severe acne.
A dermatologist can help determine the cause of your acne and recommend the best treatments to try for your skin. Their recommendations could include prescription-strength creams, gels, cleansers, or oral medications like hormonal birth control.
You May Like: Why Does Estrogen Make You Gain Weight
Who Is Phexxi Best For
Phexxi is great for those who are looking for contraceptive alternatives, dont desire hormones, and are possibly not sexually active consistently, Jessica Shepherd, MD, ob-gyn, CEO and founder of Sanctum Med Wellness, tells Health. Phexxi can be a good fit for women who arent interested in taking a daily pill or using a long-acting form of birth control like an implant, IUD, or ring, she says.
Phexxi may also be an important choice for women who cant use hormonal forms of birth control. Not every woman can use a hormonal birth control-women who are at risk for blood clots, hormone-driven cancers like certain forms of breast cancer and other gynecological cancers may be advised to use a non-hormonal method, Dr. Wider says.
For women who use lifestyle methods-like fertility awareness of the withdrawal or pull-out method-Phexxi may be a good addition to their routine, Julie Levitt, MD, an ob/gyn at The Womens Group of Northwestern, in Chicago, tells Health. At worst, its 86% effective, but it could be much better if women are watching their cycle, she says.
Theres also this to consider, Dr. Wider says: Non-hormonal methods would likely eliminate some unwanted side effects that women can experience on hormonal birth control like mood swings and weight gain. So if a woman is especially concerned about any of those things, she and her doctor may consider Phexxi.
Dont Miss: How To Improve Hormonal Imbalance
More Serious Side Effects
Serious side effects are rare with the non-hormonal barrier method of birth control, like with the condom, diaphragm, or cervical cap although allergies can rarely occur, especially if latex is present. Toxic shock syndrome may rarely occur with the contraceptive sponge.
Serious side effects with the copper IUD may include: pelvic inflammatory disease , uterine perforation, ectopic pregnancy, and IUD expulsion.
Other warnings and side effects may occur with the use of non-hormonal birth control. It is important to review the specific consumer information for your birth control choice. Discuss these serious side effects with your healthcare provider. Tell your healthcare provider about all other medications you take, including prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin and herbal supplements.
Read Also: High Estrogen Birth Control Side Effects