How Birth Control Pills Affect You

Why should I consider birth control?

The public often stigmatizes going on the pill for its function by assuming the
consumer only wants to become sexually active. Although birth control pills are most
commonly used to prevent pregnancy, there are several other purposes that go
unnoticed. Doctors will often prescribe the birth control pills for advantages such as
mitigating severe menstrual cramps, controlling acne, and regulating irregular cycles.
The female body is a complicated and unique system that even mature adults are not
knowledgeable enough to explain. It is important to be aware of your body and take
the time to understand what is normal for you.

What are birth control pills?

Birth control pills are small tablets containing man-made hormones that act to disrupt
ovulation. Ovulation is the phase before your time of the month or menstruation
when your ovaries release an egg and prepares for fertilization by a sperm. Without
ovulation, pregnancy cannot occur. There are a variety of birth control pills on the market
today, but the most common form of birth control pills are combination pills, which
utilize two different hormones to prevent ovulation.
The synthetic hormones in birth control pills,
estradiol and progestin, mimic the function of
naturally occurring hormones in your body,
estrogen and progesterone respectively.
Estrogen is a sex hormone responsible
for the development of female sex
characteristics.
Progesterone is a hormone that is
released to signal the uterus to prepare
Figure 1. Combination birth control pills1
for pregnancy.
These hormones contribute a crucial role in
regulating the menstrual cycle. By tampering with the doses of normal hormone levels,
the ovaries will receive false signals to not produce an egg.
If you look at Figure 1, the rectangular pill packs contain two different colored pills:
the first 21 pills contain active synthetic hormones (estradiol and progestin) and the last 7
are placebo reminder pills (usually sugar) allowing menstruation to occur. Both hormones
in the birth control pills work together to stop ovulation.

How do birth control pills affect my menstrual cycle?

The reason why birth control pills are an effective way to prevent pregnancy is
because they stop the egg from developing at the source. The hormones in the pills
disrupt signals to the ovaries, but how?
1. When you consume the pill by
mouth every day, the pill is digested
and absorbed into the lining of your
stomach and the hormones move
into the bloodstream.
2. Half way through a normal
menstrual cycle, the pituitary gland
(an organ located at the base of the
brain and part of the endocrine
system) produces a spike in
hormones called follicle-stimulating
hormone (FSH) and luteinizing
hormone (LH), indicated by the
yellow and red lines in Figure 2.
3. The spike in FSH and LH tell the Figure 2. This figure describes the hormones involved and at
throughout different days in a normal
ovary to release the egg. However, what level of intensity
menstrual cycle2
by taking birth control pills, estradiol
and progestin trick the pituitary gland by causing it to interpret the new hormones
as, stop releasing FSH and LH.
4. Lack of FSH and LH no longer provide signals to the ovaries to produce an egg,
ultimately preventing pregnancy.
5. The last 7 placebo pills allow your body to experience menstruation because of the
lack of estradiol and progestin, mimicking the drop in estrogen and progesterone in
a normal cycle, as seen in Figure 2, where you see a drop in the purple and green
lines after day 25 of the cycle.
If birth control pills are taken correctly as instructed by your doctor, the pills are more
than 99% effective in preventing pregnancy.*
To learn more about menstrual cycles or any general information regarding your
health, visit womenshealth.gov or call (800)-994-9662 to speak with a representative.
*Note: Birth control pills do not protect you from sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs). It is important to always use a form of physical protection, such as a
condom, when participating in sexual activity.

What are the side effects?

With any prescription drug, it is important to be aware of your
family health history and personal habits such as smoking or
current medications, as it may cause harm to your body.
Although very rare, you should be aware of serious side effects
such as blood clots, heart and liver disease, or even cancer. These
side effects are mostly found in women who are at risk prior to
going on the pill and can be prevented by talking to your doctor.
Once on birth control pills, new hormones enter the body, creating an imbalance that
could cause the body to behave differently. For new users, the first month on the pill
is when the most prominent side effects may be experienced.
This includes:
Breakthrough bleeding/spotting
Headaches
Nausea
Bloating
Mood swings
Sore breasts
Weight gain

Figure 3. Woman experiencing cramps3

How do I know what is right for me?

Every womans body is unique and requires special attention. One type of birth
control may work for your friend but it is hard to make the assumption that it will
work out the same way for you. It is important to be understanding and patient as you
make the journey to discovering the best contraceptive for you.
Combination pills:
As mentioned before, these pills utilize both
progestin and estradiol to prevent ovulation from
occurring. There are different doses of hormones
available, depending on what your body is able to
handle.
Figure 4. Combination pills6

Progestin-only pills:
Some women are not able to consume excess estradiol due
to allergies and negative symptoms, so those individuals
would be recommended progestin-only pills. Although
experts say it is not as effective as combination pills, these
pills are still able to fulfill the purpose of contraception.
Figure 5. Progestin-only pills6

Intrauterine Devices (IUD):

For those who do not want to worry about
taking the pill everyday, this plastic device is
inserted into the uterus and serves as a
spermicide for several years before replacement.
Figure 6. IUD before and after application4

Figure 7. Implant before and after application5

Implant:
A small rod is inserted into the arm and releases
progestin and estradiol into the body and serves
the same function as the pill, but without the
responsibility of remembering to take it. These
last several years before replacement.

Patch:
A less invasive form of birth control is a sticky
patch that can be placed anywhere on the skin, with
exception to the breasts. Hormones will diffuse
through the skin and into the blood stream to
prevent ovulation.
Why should I care?

Figure 8. Birth control patch placed on

various parts of the body4

Womens health is often ignored or thought of as an uncomfortable topic but your

health is not something to shy away from or be embarrassed about. As explained
above, there are many forms of birth control available to you. The female anatomy
sounds like a scary thing, but educating yourself about this matter makes it much less
overwhelming. It is extremely important to be aware of your body and take care of it.
Women do not realize what is happening to their body until something is wrong or
too late, especially because everyones body does not always behave the way a
textbook or website might say it should. Promoting health awareness for young
women like you and encouraging one another to embrace your bodies will make for a
healthier and happier lifestyle. Whether or not you decide to go on the pill, visit your
healthcare provider to learn more about your options and what is best for you.

References
1

University of California, Santa Barbara. (2016). Birth Control Pill Overview.

Menstrual cycle summary based on a 28-day (average) menstrual cycle. (2006).

Retrieved 2016, from Biology-Forums website: http://biology-forums.com/
index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=49

Janet. (2010). Stomach ache - why? Retrieved from Digestive Health website:
http://edigestive.com/stomach-pain/stomach-ache-why/

Anonymous. IUD: Are the Health Risks Worth the Benefits [Blog post].
Retrieved from The Holy Kale website: http://www.theholykale.com/2013/01/
iud-is-the-health-risk-worth-the-benefits/

Healthwise Staff. (2014). Subdermal implant for Birth Control. Retrieved from
WebMD website: http://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/
subdermal-implant-for-birth-control

Discount Prescription Cards. Retrieved July 24, 2016, from http://programs.ccmct.org/Plugs/discount-prescription-cards.aspx