Birth Control - Know The Common Types

It depends on the type of pill you are using. If it is a combined pill, that is, a pill that contains both estrogen and progesterone, it's okay if you take one tablet daily. The exact time does not matter. But if you are on a progestin-only pill, then you should ideally take it at the same time every day. This pill may be less effective if it is taken 3 hours or more earlier or later than usual.

Contraceptive pills do not increase the risk of miscarriages: Made up of hormones, the pills avert pregnancy by impeding ovulation. However, the fertilized embryo or its subsequent development is not affected by the consumption of contraceptive pills. A note of caution is that progestin-only pills are associated with increased risk of tubal pregnancy. So, the best thing to do is stop taking pills as soon as you know you are pregnant or missed the period, and see your doctor.

Apart from reducing the chances of conceiving, the use of hormonal birth control methods also has multiple advantages. They significantly reduce the cramps and bleeding during periods. At the same time, the pain during ovulation (only some women experience it) is also drastically lessened. Research has shown that they also reduce the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).

The hormonal methods of birth control have some disadvantages too. When you use oral contraceptives, they may lead to a delay in menstruation, though rarely. If you use them during early breastfeeding, chances are that they may reduce the supply of your breast milk. Use of combination pills does not protect you from HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.