- Birth control
- Birth control pill
Birth control pill
What is the birth control pill?
Quick Facts
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Effectiveness
The pill’s really effective when taken perfectly, but most don’t take it perfectly.
Perfect use: 98 to over 99% effective
Typical use: 93-96% effective
What does perfect vs typical use mean?
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Side effects
Most common are sore breasts, nausea, spotting, and decreased sex drive.
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Effort
Every. Single. Day.
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Easy to get
Gotta get a prescription.
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Cost
As low as $0 or as high as $113 a month. Yeah, that’s a big range. Read why.
Types of birth control pills
The combination pill
This type of pill uses a combination of two types of hormones—estrogen and progestin—that work with your body to prevent ovulation. For most brands of combination birth control pills, a pill pack contains a series of pills that contain hormones followed by placebo pills, which don’t contain any hormones. How many pills with hormones and how many placebo pills are included in each pack depends on the brand of combination pills you’re using. Most people have bleeding that resembles a period when taking the placebo pills.
The mini-pill
Better known as the “mini-pill,” progestin-only pills have no estrogen in them. They are a good option if you’re sensitive to combination pills and having side effects or can’t take estrogen for some other reason. With the mini-pill, you take a small amount of progestin every day of the month—there are no placebo pills. You may have irregular bleeding while on the mini-pill.
Most brands and generic versions of the mini-pill require a prescription, but Opill is a type of mini-pill that will be available over the counter. It contains the same type of hormone and works the same way as other progestin-only pills.
We can help you find an in person provider or online birth control delivery service.
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