Many women use some form of birth control like birth control pills to prevent pregnancies. More often than not, women are not fully aware of what happens to their body while on the pill, just that it helps prevent pregnancies.
So, what is the pill?
The pill is a form of hormonal contraceptive that contains two forms of man-made hormones – estrogen and progestin – which are naturally produced by the body as estrogen and progesterone.
What happens when you take birth control pills?
Birth control pills work in two ways:
1. Prevent your body from ovulating – the release of an egg from the ovaries during your cycle.
2. Causes your body to thicken the cervical mucus.
During your regular cycle, your body produces hormones (estrogen and progesterone) at different levels. When the estrogen levels in your body rise, the thick mucus inside cervix thins out to allow sperm to pass to the uterus and fertilize the egg released during ovulation. The uterine lining also thickens to receive the fertilized egg while the glands in the lining produce fluid to feed the fertilized egg.
While taking the pill, your body receives constant levels of the hormones preventing your body from releasing an egg during ovulation. Without an egg to be fertilized, you cannot get pregnant. Progestin, the man-made hormone, helps keep the cervical mucus thick enough to prevent sperm from reaching the uterus. Additionally, it thins the uterine lining to prevent a fertilized egg to stay in the uterus.
Taking an oral contraceptive will create an artificial bleeding that is often lighter than your regular period, will stop ovulation and will help your body keep the cervical mucus thick enough to prevent sperm from reaching the uterus.
The search continues to find newer and better options to prevent pregnancies. If you are a woman between the ages of 18-35 and you require a contraception, you might be eligible to participate in a research study. Women’s Health Care Research is testing a new birth control pill option, to find out more, contact us to see if you might qualify to participate. Volunteers are seen by a board-certified gynecologist, receive study-related exams and testing, investigational birth control at no cost and compensation for time and travel. Click HERE to see our studies!
For more general information, I suggest the following links:
https://youtu.be/lCYqLtmo670
http://blog.helloclue.com/post/161312054291/do-you-ovulate-while-on-the-pill
http://blog.helloclue.com/post/155486134861/cycle-science-hormonal-contraception-and-your
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007460.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150870.php
http://www.healthline.com/health/birth-control-pills#how-they-work3