The Pill is made of synthetic (chemically made in a lab) hormones and comes in a couple of different forms. You must go to a doctor to know what kind is best for you. But we are going to give you a little 411 on the kinds and what they do before you go, just so you look a little smarter when talking to your doctor. There are basically three kinds of the Pill:

The Combination Pill: The combination pill is the most widely used form of the Birth Control Pill and is made of estrogen and progestin. These come in a couple of different types of prescriptions. The first is a 28 day cycle container where there are 28 pills that must be taken at the same time every day. 21 of these pills have the hormones in them and the other 7 (which are just made of sugar) are just there to keep you on track for taking the pills. Then there is the 21 day cycle container, which (yeah you guessed it) has 21 pills. This cycle doesn’t include sugar pills, and they just rely on you remembering to take it. The combination pill works by stopping an egg from being released from the ovaries and also by thinning the lining of the uterus.

The “Mini-Pill”: The mini-pill is a pill that only consists of progestin. Doctors prescribe this pill to the women who have been advised not to take estrogen. People with diabetes, heart disease, migraines, and other types of health conditions are prescribed to the mini-pill. The drawback to these pills is that they can be less effective because of the lack of estrogen. The mini-pill works in a different way from the combined and triphasic pills. It works by thickening the mucus at the cervix, which makes it difficult for sperm to get through. It also changes the lining of the womb so that it will not accept a fertilized egg. In some women it also prevents ovulation.

The Triphasic Pill: The triphasic pill is made of the same ingredients as the combination pill and the only difference is the amount that is delivered in each pill. It is called triphasic because there are three phases in which these different amounts of estrogen and progestin are delivered. Sometimes these pills are given instead of the combination pill, because the person might be having side effects from the amount of hormones given in the combo pill. The Tripahsic pill also works by stopping an egg from being released from the ovaries and by thinning the lining of the uterus.

The Good

As a contraceptive: Birth Control Pill is 95-99% effective when used perfectly. That means that if you don’t miss a pill or take a pill late you will be almost sure that you won’t get pregnant. The pill is easy to use and doesn’t interrupt sex, which is why some people don’t use condoms and other contraceptives.

Helping with regularity: Because the Pill controls the amount of hormones in your system it means that it also controls when you get your period. Many women who use the pill have irregular periods (periods that can come randomly, sometimes not one month but then the next month) and the Pill is there way of getting their period to come at the same time every month. Also, many women use the Pill because it can often reduce the amount of flow during a period.

Health benefits: There are a ton of health benefits to the pill. These can range from helping clear up acne to decreasing a chance in developing anemia, pelvic inflammatory disease, and cancer of the uterus and ovaries. And just like my friend, the Pill can also be taken if you have ovarian cysts. There are many other very specific health conditions (like endometriosis) that can be helped by using the pill.

The Bad and the Ugly

There are far fewer drawbacks to the pill than there are benefits, but some people do have them. They can be as small as having bloating, leg cramps, weight gain, breast enlargement (which some people don’t believe is too much of a problem) and nausea. The bigger problems occur mainly in women who already have certain health troubles. Those who have circulatory diseases, migraines, breast disease, and others are at risk for developing complications from taking the pill. If you or your family has any of these problems you should let your doctor know during your appointment. The ugly part of the whole thing is that the Pill does not protect against any STI’s or HIV. It is very important to use a condom or some other form of protection to keep you safe from STI’s and HIV when using the Pill. Some people worry that taking the pill will leave them infertile when they stop using it. The truth is that 24 hours after taking a pill the woman goes back to releasing eggs again.

It is pretty clear that there are far more benefits to the Pill than drawbacks. The biggest of course will be the constant protection from pregnancy. But it is also very important to go to the doctor to get a checkup to make sure that everything is working properly and to see if the Pill might be able to help you cure other ailments. So, if the little voice that tells you to worry about what other people might think is getting overwhelming, just remember that it the Pill is not just for sexually active women.