Oral Contraceptive Pills

Excerpt

Currently, 3 types of oral contraceptive pills are broadly prescribed: combined estrogen-progesterone, progesterone-only, and continuous or extended-use pills. The birth control pill is the most commonly prescribed form of contraception in the US. Approximately 25% of women aged 15 to 44 who currently use contraception reported using the pill as their method of choice. The most commonly prescribed pill is the combined hormonal pill with estrogen and progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone that prevents pregnancy, and the estrogen component controls menstrual bleeding. Birth control pills are widely used to avoid pregnancy; however, given their side effects in populations at risk, several other methods of contraception are in use as well. Each of these methods is considered based on prior history, medications in use, and concurrent medical diseases such as clotting disorders.