Contraceptive Pill Types Explained

This is an introductory explanation of the different types of oral contraceptive pills that may help you to finally select the one that is best for your body. 50 years on, we have discovered that the oral contraceptive pill for women still prevents pregnancy if it is made up of much lower doses of estrogen and progestin than in the early days. ‘The Pill’ used to contain 50-100 micrograms of estrogen and today it contains only 20-35 micrograms, with researchers trying to reduce this amount further to reduce side effects. Synthetic hormones (estrogen/ethinyl estradiol and progestin) used in contraceptive pills mimic the natural hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) produced by the ovaries, adrenal gland and liver.

Estrogen’s main job in the contraceptive pill is to prevent ovulation (release of an egg from a woman’s ovary). Progestin in the pill, while it does have some intermittent effect on ovulation (about 50% of the time) is relied on mainly to thicken the mucus around the cervix to stop sperm from getting through to an egg.

Contraceptive Pills come in two basic types: single hormone pills (progestin only) and combination hormone pills (estrogen + progestin) Pills are supplied in two basic packs- 28 day pill packs= 3 weeks of active hormone pills +1 week placebo pills and 21 day pill packs= 3 weeks of active hormone pills with no placebo pills.

PROGESTIN only pills (the ‘mini pill’) do not contain estrogen and only have a small amount of progestin in them. Breastfeeding women are often prescribed these ‘mini pills’ (estrogen may cause a reduction in milk supply) as well as women who cannot take synthetic estrogen for medical reasons. Side effects are less than pills containing estrogen and they are not associated with heart disease, however, irregular bleeding /spotting/mood swings may occur. Progestin only pills MUST be taken at the same time each day and are affected by vomiting or diarrhoea. This type of contraceptive pill is not affected by antibiotics.

COMBINATION PILLS– contain estrogen and progestin and can be further categorized as being Monophasic, Biphasic or Triphasic- so what do these terms mean? Pills are put into these categories according to whether or not the levels of hormones they contain stay the same throughout the first three weeks of a woman’s menstrual cycle (in 28 day pill packs, the pills for the fourth week in the pack are placebo or ‘reminder pills’ that are inactive and do not contain any hormones)

MONOPHASIC Pill– is one that contains the same amount of hormones in every ACTIVE pill so you are less likely to have mood swings as your hormone levels do not vary much throughout the month. Popular monophasic pills include:Alesse, Brevicon, Desogen, Levlen, Levlite, Loestrin, Modicon, Nelova, Nordette, Norinyl, Ortho-Cept, Ortho Cyclen, Ortho-Novum, Ovcon, Yasmin. In 2003 the FDA approved a new packaging of a monophasic contraceptive pill called Seasonale. This pill is taken for 91 days, during which no periods occur -so in one year, women taking this pill will only have 4 periods (for the first year though, expect the same no. of menstrual days as with a traditional contraceptive pill till your body adjusts)

BIPHASIC Pill– is one that contains different amounts of hormones throughout the pack. These pills alter your hormone levels once during your cycle by increasing the dosage of progestin about halfway through your cycle and are thought to better match your body’s natural production of hormones- they contain smaller doses of hormones in total than monophasic pills. However, insufficient evidence has been gathered to favour these pills over monophasic ones, where much more reliable data is available so monphasic pills are preferred. Breakthrough bleeding has been reported as a side effect with these pills. Popular biphasic pills include : Jenest, Mircette, Necon 10/11, Nelova 10/11, Ortho-Novum 10/11. Attempts to decrease side effects led to the three-phase pill in the 1980s.

TRIPHASE Pill– is one that contains 3 different amounts of hormones in the ACTIVE pills over three weeks, i.e. a change in hormone levels within the body occurs every 7 days for the first 3 weeks.. The dose of estrogen is gradually increased and in some pills, the dose of progestin is also increased. Whether three-phase pills lead to fewer pregnancies than two-phase pills is unknown. Nor is it known if the pills give better cycle control or have fewer side effects. Look for the ‘TRI’ on the label such as: Ortho Tri-Cyclen, Triphasil, Tri-Levlen, Trivora, Tri-Norinyl, Cyclessa, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7.

The Best Pill to Take? All contraceptive pills are effective if taken correctly, with combination pills (containing estrogen and progestin) being more effective than the low dose ‘mini pill’. Monophasic pills may be the best to start with- they are cheaper and those with lower amounts of estrogen may have fewer side effects (but more breakthrough bleeding)

Always use back up (a condom or diaphragm) for the rest of the month if you miss a pill. Trial and error, side effects and talking to your doctor should help you to find a contraceptive pill that suits your body. Pregnancies occur mainly when women forget to take a pill or take them incorrectly, vomit, get diarrhoea or, in the case of the mini pill, do not take pills at the same time each day. It is very easy to start a pill packet late if you just forget or if you don’t have the next new packet on hand. The most dangerous time to miss a pill is at the end or beginning of a packet because it lengthens the pill free interval beyond seven days which means that you may not have absorbed sufficient synthetic hormones to prevent you from ovulating in the next month.

Mircette

Mircette will make it a tough job for his sperm to reach your uterus

Mircette is an oral contraceptive pill which contains the synthetic female hormones, Ethinyl Estradiol and Desogestrel. These two compounds are commonly used in birth control pills to prevent pregnancy.

In a woman’s body, Mircette does 3 things to help prevent that eager little sperm from reaching his destination- your egg:

• prevents ovulation
• alters the cervical mucous
• alters the uterine lining

Further information about Ethinyl Estradiol and Desogestrel in Mircette
These two active drugs in the Mircette oral contraceptive pill should NOT be used if:

• you are, or think you may be, pregnant or you have recently had a baby. Mircette may be linked to birth defects in an unborn child and can pass through breast milk
• you have previously been diagnosed with a heart condition, have experienced blood clotting, circulation problems or have had a stroke. The hormones in Mircette, like other contraceptive pills, can increase the risk of stroke, especially if you smoke and even more so if you smoke and are 35 or over
• you have liver cancer or a type of hormonal cancer such as breast or uterine cancer
• you have been jaundiced or suffered any type of liver disease

As with any new course of oral contraceptive pill, it is wise to take extra birth control precautions with Mircette initially, until your hormone levels settle down. Condoms and spermicides are popular but consult your doctor if these do not suit you.

Other important factors to discuss with your doctor when taking the oral contraceptive Mircette

Many women take extra vitamin and mineral pills as part of their daily routine without thinking that ingredients in them (eg St. John’s Wort) could affect their contraceptive pill.
Some common ‘over the counter’ pills CAN affect Mircette’s effectiveness overnight so please tell your doctor about ‘all things swallowed’!

Are you suffering from epilepsy, angina, high cholesterol or irregular menstrual cycles?

If so, please discuss the dosage of Mircette that you may still be able to take. If your doctor prescribes Mircette, you will probably be required to have regular check ups.
Don’t forget to mention to your doctor any existing medical ailments you have/have had if you are considering using an oral contraceptive like Mircette.

How to take Mircette
Mircette is similar to most oral contraceptives ie. you take one pill each day, no more than 24 hours apart. Do not take more than one pill for regular use or for longer periods than prescribed.
On the first day of your period take the first pill of the pack (or if you forget, on the first Sunday after your period starts)
Each pack per cycle contains 28 pills but only 21 are ‘active’- the other 7 are ‘reminder’ pills (non active) to keep you in the habit of taking one pill per day.
You should get your period when you are taking the ‘reminder’ pills- if 2 months pass without you getting a period- see your doctor.
For maximum effectiveness, take Mircette regularly (not less than 24 hrs. between pills) or you may fall pregnant.

Breakthrough Bleeding

Breakthrough bleeding within the first 3 months of taking Mircette is quite common and nothing to be alarmed about. Of course, if bleeding becomes heavy or does not disappear, go to the doctor.

Remember- everyone’s BODY is unique– just because a drug may not carry a warning on its leaflet does not mean that it is safe, effective or appropriate for YOUR body- so monitor yourself carefully when you start taking any new drug, including Mircette.

ALESSE

Is Alesse an effective contraceptive for YOU, ladies?

An effective method of contraception- isn’t that what we all want ladies? What a trial and error journey it is though eh? There isn’t any shortcut either as all our bods are unique and until we swallow a pill, even Vitamin B3 (which brings me out in an embarrassing itchy red rash all over!) we just cannot predict what reaction we shall have.

The contraceptive pills I write about are approved by the FDA so that’s a start I guess but today I want to give a basic overview of one in particular, Alesse.

Regardless of which ‘pill’ suits you, for all of them to be most effective, you must use them correctly.

All hormonal contraceptive pills can cause some side effects, in varying intensities, in some women. After all, we are swallowing chemicals that affect our natural hormone levels each month, just like being pregnant does!

Many women who wish to manage their birth control in a convenient way find that Alesse suits them very well (Alesse is also sold under the brand names Aviane, Levlite, Levlen, Levota, Tri-leven, Triphasil, Trivora and Triphasil-28 -the active ingredients in these pills are levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol)

The synthetic female hormones in Alesse do 3 things in your body:

1. stop your egg from escaping from your ovary. This event, which happens once a month (per cycle) is called ‘ovulation’. No egg to fertilize boys? No heir this month!
2. alter the consistency of the mucous around your cervix (neck of the womb)- now this REALLY makes it tough swimming for those eager little spermies. Alesse makes the mucous much thicker than normal so it stops the ‘boys’ from reaching an egg even if one does manage to escape
3. change the nature of the lining layers of your uterus (womb)- this lining becomes much thinner than normal so that a fertilised egg, called a ‘zygote’ at this stage, does not find ‘ a comfortable room at the inn’ to bed down in, no attachment to the uterus means no baby grows to buy yet darling

If you take Alesse make sure that…..

You follow the instructions on the packet or your doctor’s orders. The pills are laid out in a sequence you must follow on each day of your menstrual cycle. Take a pill daily and at the same time if you can for maximum effectiveness and protection. If you miss a pill, there are options to keep you protected, which may mean taking a double dose the next day but check with the doctor first because missing an ‘inactive pill’ (one of the dummy 7) is no cause for concern.

Some warnings to heed

Are you pregnant now or have you just had a child? If so, do not take Alesse.

Do you fall into one of these groups below ? If you do, you should also avoid taking Alesse or any other type of oral contraceptive pill:

• women who have problems with blood clotting, abnormal bleeding every month, circulation or high blood pressure
• women with diabetes
• women who have cancer of the uterus or breast (these are related to hormone problems)
• women with liver problems

Extra precautions to take when you first start taking Alesse

As the Irish say ‘To be sure, to be sure’ and I’m not telling you to use 2 condoms at the same time but even one and maybe a spermicide is good ‘insurance’ against pregnancy during the first few weeks until your body adjusts to the changing levels of hormones caused by Alesse.

We are told that if we take an oral contraceptive, we increase our chances of developing ‘plaque’ in our arteries and subsequently developing a heart disease. This is specially true for smokers and women over 35 years of age. While this does not suddenly appear overnight, it is wise to heed this warning if you plan to take Alesse for years and years without a break and I would be looking for an alternative method of birth control if I smoked.

Are you taking other medicines besides ‘the pill’?

As with all ‘cocktails’ of mixed medications, your doctor MUST be told if you are taking ‘over the counter medicines’ (yes, I know it sounds silly but even vitamins and mineral supplements) or any other prescribed medication as well as Alesse, since they could reduce the effectiveness of this contraceptive and you would unknowingly be putting yourself at a higher risk of getting pregnant.

And last but not least – those side effects!

It would be irresponsible of me not to mention the main side effects that some women have reported when using Alesse. Every BODY is unique remember, so while you should not tempt fate by expecting to have side effects yourself, you should monitor your reactions carefully when taking Alesse and try to distinguish between monthly changes that you usually have with your period and any different ones you get with Alesse. Unfortunately, (well, I suppose that depends on the way you look at it too!) some women seem to have less interest in sex altogether when on ‘the pill’.

Mild nausea is not uncommon but often fades after the first couple of months.
Birth defects have been linked to hormonal contraceptives though no studies have proved this.
The production of breast milk in some women has slowed down but I, for one, do not recommend that you use a hormonal contraceptive, including Alesse, while you are breastfeeding because you don’t know what it will do to your baby.

Some other women have found that they feel depressed, have a little swelling or numbness, notice an increase in hair growth or a darkening of their skin and some women even find that their contraceptive ‘pill’ affects the wearing of their contact lenses. It’s possible that you may have a side effect not listed here too.

Common Sense is the key, trials and careful monitoring will hopefully reward you with an effective contraceptive pill, either Alesse or one of the other popular ones, that you will find convenient, comfortable and will empower you to enjoy your sexuality and manage your birth control successfully.