-It contains a combination of estrogen and progesterone, both inhibitors of the ovulation. Without ovulation there is no chance of pregnancy.

-It thickens the cervical mucus preventing the sperm from entering the uterus.

-It changes the lining of the uterus, thus preventing the nesting of the egg.

The birth control pill has to be taken daily, preferably at the same hour, for twenty one days. During the seven days when there is no hormonal administration, the period appears. The pills are available either in 21 or in 28 pill packages. For the 28-pill package, the last seven pills are inactive, meaning that they contain no hormones at all.

As for the advantages of the birth control pill, they are pretty numerous.

-The bleeding is consistently reduced.
-The pre-menstrual discomfort disappears.
-Fertility is preserved, and it is totally reversible when you stop taking the pill.
-It solves hormonal imbalances.
-It prevents some forms of cancer.

There is one special kind of birth control pill that contains active hormones for 12 weeks and then inactive pills for a week. This means that the frequency of the period will be reduced to one in three months.

The mini-pill is another type of hormonal contraceptive we should mention in the category of the birth control pill. It contains progesterone only, and it requires continuous administration daily, on the same hour, without the monthly break. The efficiency of the mini-pill is considered inferior to the combined birth control pill.

The efficiency range of the birth control pill is very high, although 8 out of 100 couples face an unexpected pregnancy yearly, despite the use of this treatment. The chances of getting pregnant increase if you fail to take the pill daily, or you take it at random hours. Plus, the efficiency of the medication also depends on some individual factors too.

For example, the birth control pill may not work properly when drugs or herbal supplements are administered in parallel. Moreover, the incidence of adverse reactions should not be overlooked. Read carefully about the possible adverse reactions to the birth control pill, as well as the health conditions that make the use of the pill very risky. Stick doctor’s orders for the administration of the birth control pill!

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Clinical studies indicate that only one antibiotic is proved to impair the action of the hormonal pill: rifampin, yet exceptions do exist. Generally speaking, when antibiotics and birth control are used in parallel, the efficiency of the contraceptives gets lower in for a limited number of women. Even if the incidence of such occurrences is reduced doctors advise for the use of an extra birth control solution such as condoms. It is impossible to tell who will experience decreased efficiency, until it is too late.

Modern hormonal products seem to be more affected by the interactions between antibiotics and birth control. The problem is that modern birth control products have very low hormonal combinations for a reduction of the side effects. Besides rifamin, you should also be cautious when using amoxacillin, penicillin, sulfonamide, ampicillin, minocycline, tetracycline and barbiturates.

Antibiotics and birth control pills do not make a good association because of the chemical reactions that take place in the liver. The antibiotics stimulate a more rapid breaking down of estrogens, and without a proper level of these chemicals in the blood, the efficiency of the birth control pills drops considerably. Caution is the best course of action under the circumstances, even if the incidence of unplanned pregnancies is not too high.

So as to avoid future complications, drug manufacturers have developed the practice of specifying the potential problems of the antibiotics and birth control association in all usage instructions. It is also important to talk to the doctor whether you have to continue using the extra birth control method after the cessation of the antibiotic treatment or not.

Some women choose to stop taking their birth control pills while following a treatment with antibiotics, but this is hardly a solution given how difficult it is for the body to adapt to these sudden hormonal changes. Talk to the doctor before taking any drug specifying the fact that you are on birth control pills. There are lots of other drugs that could impair the efficiency of birth control. It’s better to seek information than be sorry later.

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