Combined oral contraceptive pill
Birth control method which is taken orally / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP), often referred to as the birth control pill or colloquially as "the pill", is a type of birth control that is designed to be taken orally by women. It is the oral form of combined hormonal contraception. The pill contains two important hormones: a progestin (a synthetic form of the hormone progestogen/progesterone) and estrogen (usually ethinylestradiol or 17β estradiol).[9][10][11] When taken correctly, it alters the menstrual cycle to eliminate ovulation and prevent pregnancy.
Combined oral contraceptive pill | |
---|---|
Background | |
Type | Hormonal |
First use | 1960; 64 years ago (1960) (United States) |
Failure rates (first year) | |
Perfect use | 0.3%[1] |
Typical use | 9%[1] |
Usage | |
Duration effect | 1–4 days |
Reversibility | Yes |
User reminders | Taken within same 24-hour window each day |
Clinic review | 6 months |
Advantages and disadvantages | |
STI protection | No |
Periods | Regulated, and often lighter and less painful |
Weight | No proven effect |
Benefits | Evidence for reduced mortality risk and reduced death rates in all cancers.[2] Possible reduced ovarian and endometrial cancer risks.[3]
[citation needed] May treat acne, PCOS, PMDD, endometriosis[citation needed] |
Risks | Possible small increase in some cancers.[4][5] Small reversible increase in DVTs; stroke,[6] cardiovascular disease[7] |
Medical notes | |
Affected by the antibiotic rifampicin,[8] the herb Hypericum (St. Johns Wort) and some anti-epileptics, also vomiting or diarrhea. Caution if history of migraines. |
COCPs were first approved for contraceptive use in the United States in 1960, and remain a very popular form of birth control. They are used by more than 100 million women worldwide [12][13] including about 9 million women in the United States.[14][15] From 2015 to 2017, 12.6% of women aged 15–49 in the US reported using COCPs, making it the second most common method of contraception in this age range (female sterilization is the most common method).[16] Use of COCPs, however, varies widely by country,[17] age, education, and marital status. For example, one third of women aged 16–49 in the United Kingdom use either the combined pill or progestogen-only pill (POP),[18][19] compared with less than 3% of women in Japan (as of 1950–2014).[20]
Combined oral contraceptives are on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[21] The pill was a catalyst for the sexual revolution.[22]