Birth Control

Hormonal Birth Control
Today, science is continually arming women with newer, more effective methods of hormonal birth control. Hormonal Birth Control can only be obtained through a physician's prescription. At Women's Health Services, patients wanting this type of pregnancy protection are required to have a pelvic examination and pap smear prior to having their prescription filled.

Hormonal birth control only protects against pregnancy and offers no guard against sexually transmitted infections. To date, only the male and female condoms provide protection against HIV/AIDS and some other STI. If a patient is using hormonal birth control, Women's Health Services strongly suggests women "double up," using their prescribed hormonal method with a condom.

Birth Control Pill

Introduced in the early 1960s, the birth control pill is the most popular form of pregnancy protection in the United States. As new improvements continue to be made to the birth control pill, there seems an never-ending supply of pill options.

Pills can vary in the level and/or type of synthetic hormone they contain. Pills work one of two ways, the most common of which is by stopping a woman's body from ovulating. In other words, the pill sends a signal to a woman's ovaries to stop the release of an egg. In other types of birth control pill, the hormone causes either the lining of a woman's uterus or the mucus in her cervix, to change, making it hard for fertilization to occur. The hormone found in birth control pills (estrogen and progestin) are similar to those a woman's body makes to control her menstrual cycle.

Birth control pills come packaged a variety of ways, depending on its brand. Typically pills come in monthly, 28-day packets and a single pill is taken daily at the same time everyday. At Women's Health Services, once a woman has been examined and receives her prescription, she waits until her next period begins. The pill should be taken at the same time every day, according to the provider's instructions.

Remember: the pill only protects against pregnancy, it offers no disease protection. The first 3 weeks of a packet contains the hormone needed to stop ovulation, while the fourth week consists of a series of 7 placebo pills that allow the body to menstruate. The hormone from the first 3 weeks, however, has made it so no egg has been released during that fourth week.

In the event a pill is missed, a woman should take it as soon as she realizes the mistake. If she misses 2 days, take 2 pills for 2 days. If more is missed, she should contact Women's Health Services and practice a backup method of protection. If a woman loses a pill, contact Women's Health Services a she will receive a replacement pill.

The pill, when used correctly, has an effectiveness rate of 99%. Woman can experience failure, i.e. pregnancy, if they miss a pill, forget to take it at the same time every day, or fail to use a back-up method of protection when taking antibiotics.

There are many benefits to taking the pill, the first of which it is a completely reversible form of birth control. When a woman decides she no longer wants to use the pill, she simply stops taking it. Women's Health Services recommends if a woman wants to become pregnant, she stop her birth control pills and use a backup barrier method of protection for 3 months before she begins attempting to become pregnant. This ensures the hormone from her birth control pills are completely out of her body.

Not only is the pill highly effective against a pregnancy, but it is a very easy method of birth control to use. In addition, the pill can ease and regulate a woman's periods with less cramps, blood loss, and anemia, while also decreasing premenstrual tension.

The pill can also decreases a woman's risk for ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, infections of the upper reproductive tract, non-cancerous breast tumors, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) while possibly helping to protect against osteoporosis (brittle bones) and colon cancer.

Like all kinds of medication, the pill can cause problems for some women. Minor problems typically stop within a few months of taking the pill.

Such minor problems include:

Women who take the pill are at increased risk for blood clots, strokes, heart attacks and liver tumors. Chances may increase with age, if she smokes, and her health history.

Immediately call Women's Health Services if the following signs occur:

By being frank with your healthcare provider, the two of you can work together to determine the birth control and disease prevention methods that best suits your health, your preferences and your lifestyle.

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