Does Birth Control Pills Work ?
August 24, 2009 – 11:30 am
The development of the birth control pill in the 1960s was proclaimed a medical breakthrough by feminists and offered women a practical solution to prevent conception. The initial opposition ‘the pill’ faced from government and other organizations no longer stands and its use has become commonplace in modern times.Birth control pills are the most popular female contraceptive and are said to be used by more than 80 million women worldwide to prevent pregnancy.In order to understand how do birth control pills work, one first needs to have a proper understanding of the female reproductive cycle.
The Female Reproductive Cycle
The rising level of estrogen in the blood indicates to the pituitary gland that the follicle has achieved a certain size and development, which means that the ovary is ready to release the egg. The pituitary gland in turn releases a high level of the hormone L.H (Luteinising Hormone), which alerts the ovary to release the egg. Thus the follicle bursts to release the egg, which then makes its journey through one of the fallopian tubes to the uterus. Once in the uterus, it may be fertilized by sperm, resulting in pregnancy.
Birth Control Pills: How Do They Work?The way in which birth control pills work, is that they induce a slow release of reproductive hormones that suppresses ovulation. As we have seen, when ovulation takes place, the egg is released from the ovaries. However, if ovulation is suppressed, there is no egg, and without an egg to be fertilized, there is no possibility of pregnancy.
The Mini pill needs to be taken daily and one is not likely to have a period while on the pill. However, if you do have a period, it means that you are still ovulating, which increases the chances of pregnancy. The combination birth control pills are available in 21 or 28-day packs. For women using the 21 day pack, they have the option of not taking the pill for 7 days after the pack ends and then resuming them. 28-day packs contain 21 pills containing reproductive hormones and 7 placebos. A woman’s period will occur during the week she takes the 7 reminder pills.
