Which pill

Progestin-only pills contain progestin without estrogen. This type of pill is also called the minipill. With these progestin-only pills, all pills in the cycle are active.

There are no inactive pills, so you may or may not have a period while taking progestin-only pills. Not every type of pill is a good fit for every woman. Talk to your doctor about which pill option would work best for you.

Factors that can affect your choice include:. Combination pills work in two ways. First, they prevent your body from ovulating. Second, these pills cause your body to thicken your cervical mucus. This mucus is fluid around your cervix that helps sperm travel to your uterus so it can fertilize an egg. The thickened mucus helps prevent sperm from reaching the uterus.

Progestin-only pills also work in a few different ways. Mainly, they work by thickening your cervical mucus and by thinning your endometrium.

In addition, progestin-only pills may prevent ovulation. Combination pills come in a variety of formats. These include monthly packs, which follow either day, day, or day cycles.

Extended regimens can follow day cycles. For all of these formats, you take one pill each day at the same time of day. Progestin-only pills, on the other hand, only come in packs of Over the course of 1 year, about 9 out of typical couples who rely on the Pill to prevent pregnancy will have an accidental pregnancy.

Of course, this is an average figure and the chance of getting pregnant depends on whether you take your birth control pills every day. The Pill is an effective form of birth control, but even missing 1 day increases the chance of getting pregnant. In general, how well each type of birth control method works depends on a lot of things.

These include whether a person has any health conditions or is taking any medicines or herbal supplements that might interfere with its use for example, an herb like St. John's wort can affect how well the Pill works. Talk to your doctor to check if anything you take could affect how the Pill works for you. How well a particular method of birth control works also depends on whether the method chosen is convenient — and whether the person remembers to use it correctly all the time.

The birth control pill does not protect against STDs. Couples having sex or any intimate sexual contact must always use condoms along with the Pill to protect against STDs. Abstinence the decision to not have sex or any intimate sexual contact is the only method that always prevents pregnancy and STDs.

The birth control pill is a safe and effective method of birth control. Most young women who take the Pill have none to very few side effects. The side effects that some women have while on the Pill include:. Some of these side effects improve over the first 3 months on the Pill. When a girl has side effects, a doctor will sometimes prescribe a different brand of the Pill. The Pill also has some side effects that most girls are happy about.

It usually makes periods lighter, reduces cramps, and is often prescribed for women who have menstrual problems.

Ask your health practitioner or local pharmacists which type you are using. The progestogen makes the cervical mucus thicken. This mucus then acts as a plug and prevents sperm from entering the uterus and traveling to the tube to fertilise the egg.

It is The mini pill is taken daily without a break. It is important not to be more than three hours late when taking the mini pill. Back-up contraception e. Information about the contraceptive pill, and other types of contraception, is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Vietnamese — see Downloads section on this page.

Using a worry free contraception that suits you is your best protection against unplanned pregnancy. For some, the contraceptive pill is an option. This fact sheet discusses the two main types of contraceptive pills. If you're having sex and don't want to get pregnant, you need contraception. Find out how to stop smoking. Your weight will not affect most types of contraception, and most contraception will not make you put on weight.

But the contraceptive injection has been linked to a small amount of weight gain if used for 2 years or more. Find out how to lose weight. Some contraceptives work by using hormones that are similar to the hormones women produce naturally. These hormones are oestrogen and progestogen.

Contraceptives that contain these hormones aren't suitable for some women, such as those who have medical conditions like breast cancer. If you cannot use contraceptives that contain oestrogen, there are plenty of other options, including:. Some contraceptives can be affected if you're taking other medicines, but there are plenty of options.

All methods of contraception can be stopped if you want to have a baby. You can get pregnant as soon as you stop using contraception. A woman's fertility usually returns to normal within the first month after stopping the combined pill , vaginal ring or contraceptive patch. If you want your fertility to return to normal quickly after you stop using contraception, consider these methods:. Most women's fertility will return in a few months, but it can take up to a year for fertility to return to normal.

Page last reviewed: 3 January Next review due: 3 January Which method of contraception suits me? Where to get contraception. What is emergency contraception? Where can I get emergency contraception? Emergency contraception. Things to consider Age, health, lifestyle, side effects How effective is contraception at preventing pregnancy? Combined pill Progestogen-only pill Natural family planning fertility awareness. Condoms Female condoms Diaphragm or cap.