The pill
| Combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background | |
| Type | Hormonal |
| First use | 1960 United States |
| Failure rates (first year) | |
| Perfect use | 0.3% |
| Typical use | 9% |
| Usage | |
| Duration effect | 1–4 days |
| Reversibility | Yes |
| User reminders | Taken within same 24-hour window each day |
| Advantages and disadvantages | |
| STI protection | No |
| Periods | Regulates, and often lighter and less painful |
| Weight | No proven effect |
| Benefits | Reduced mortality risk. Reduced death rates in all cancers. Reduced ovarian and endometrial cancer risks. May treat acne, PCOS, PMDD, endometriosis |
| Risks | Possible small increase in some cancers. Small reversible increase in DVTs; Stroke,Cardio-vascular disease |
| Medical notes | |
| Affected by the antibiotic rifampin, the herb Hypericum (St. Johns Wort) and some anti-epileptics, also vomiting or diarrhea. Caution if history of migraines. | |
The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), often referred to as the birth control pill or colloquially as "the pill", is a birth control method that includes a combination of an estrogen (estradiol) and a progestogen (progestin). When taken by mouth every day, these pills inhibit female fertility (with reversibility).
They were first approved for contraceptive use in the United States in 1960, and are a very popular form of birth control. They are currently used by more than 100 million women worldwide and by almost 12 million women in the United States. As of 2012, 16% of U.S. women aged 15-44 reported being on the birth control pill, making it the most widely used contraceptive method among women of that age range. Use varies widely by country, age, education, and marital status. One third of women aged 16–49 in the United Kingdom currently use either the combined pill or progestogen-only pill, compared with only 1% of women in Japan.
Two forms are on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system. The pill was a catalyst for the sexual revolution.
Combined oral contraceptive pills should be taken at the same time each day. If one or more tablets are forgotten for more than 12 hours, contraceptive protection will be reduced. Most brands of combined pills are packaged in one of two different packet sizes, with days marked off for a 28-day cycle. For the 21-pill packet, a pill is consumed daily for three weeks, followed by a week of no pills. For the 28-pill packet, 21 pills are taken, followed by a week of placebo or sugar pills. A woman on the pill will have a withdrawal bleed sometime during the placebo week, and is still protected from pregnancy during this week. There are also two newer combination birth control pills (Yaz 28 and Loestrin 24 Fe) that have 24 days of active hormone pills, followed by 4 days of placebo.
The placebo pills allow the user to take a pill every day; remaining in the daily habit even during the week without hormones. Placebo pills may contain an iron supplement, as iron requirements increase during menstruation.
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