Frequently asked questions. Potential side effects. Nappi, R. Extended regimen combined oral contraception: A review of evolving concepts and acceptance by women and clinicians. American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Noncontraceptive benefits of birth control pills. Updated Food and Drug Administration. Highlights of prescribing information: Lo Loestrin Fe norethindrone acetate and ethinyl estradiol, ethinyl estradiol and ferrous fumarate.
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We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Before Taking. Side Effects. Weight and Birth Control Failure. Choosing the Right Contraceptive. Was this page helpful? The pill works by making it harder for sperm to reach the egg. Specifically, it prevents the egg from being released from the ovaries.
It also thickens the cervical mucus and changes the uterus' lining. Each pack of birth control contains "active" pills and "inactive" pills, meaning pills that have hormones, and ones that don't. You would typically have your period when taking the inactive pills. Each brand varies, but you will usually see 21 active, 7 inactive; or, 28 active, 4 inactive pills. In general, all birth control brands are found to be an incredibly effective method of pregnancy prevention.
The pill has a very low failure rate, meaning it is successful at preventing pregnancy. The effectiveness drops if you skip, miss, or switch the times when you take pills. For example, if you are on the pill but miss more than 3 pills that month, you should use emergency contraception if you have unprotected sex.
If you know taking a pill every day is going to be a struggle, you may want to consider using a different method of contraception. For some women, an IUD, shot, arm implant,vaginal ring, or patch could work better with their lifestyle. If you want to know more about the specifics, ask your doctor. A monophasic birth control pack means that the same amount of hormones are delivered throughout the month.
If you have a multiphasic pill pack, the levels of hormones would vary throughout the month to simulate the body's natural hormone cycle. The two main categories of birth control pills are combined oral contraceptive pills COC and mini-pills. Both types of pills have hormones that interact with a woman's ovulation cycle to prevent pregnancy. A combination pill combines the two hormones estrogen and progestin, while a mini-pill also known as a progestin-only pill, or POP only contains progestin.
The mini pill contains only 1 hormone, progestin. A progestin-only pill POP may be suitable for:. The combination pill for some women has other advantages besides contraception like:. However, the combination pill is not recommended for women over the age of 35 that smoke, as they are at an increased risk of more serious side effects. Each birth control pill on the market is named by either a brand name or a generic brand name. This can be confusing, but for now, think of the brand name and generic name as referring to the same thing.
If you're confused, you can always look at the active ingredient in the pill. If you see that two names have the same active ingredients, then they're essentially the same hormones going into your body, regardless of the name. The active ingredients they all have in common are the hormones drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol. Because every woman is different, your body may tolerate some brands of birth control pills better than others. Here are a couple of steps we suggest you consider when thinking about what birth control is best for you:.
What are the side effects? Most doctors recommend staying on a new birth control pill for at least months. However, different women experience different side effects, so if you try one and it's not the right fit, be sure to tell your doctor so you can try a different pill. What hormones would work best in my body? Most doctors will probably recommend a combined contraceptive, but if estrogen is a concern because of health concerns or other reasons , you may want to consider a progestin-only pill.
Is it name-brand or generic? In general, when you are looking at name-brand birth controls, they will be more expensive. Depending on your insurance or budget, you may want to ask about the generic version of birth control good news is almost every ingredient combo has a generic brand! Why do I want to be on birth control? If you are simply looking for a contraception method, the pill you choose may be different from if you are looking for birth control for acne, or PMDD, etc.
Be mindful of the fact that the pill does not protect against STDs. What if I'm still not sure? Birth control is different for everybody, if you have any questions you should contact your doctor, or sign up for Pill Club to get in touch with an expert. Most women who want to protect themselves from pregnancy get a prescription for the pill. Yet there are other forms of contraception, like the IUD for example, that last longer and are even more effective.
The pill is a short-term method that suits many people, though you'd have to remember to take the pill every day. Ultimately, the best birth control for you depends on many things and could change over time. The Office on Women's Health says there is no best method of birth control for every woman, but that you should consider things like:. We've come a long way from one birth control pill option. The number of brands of pills might be a little overwhelming, but we hope that this article will give you confidence when you talk to your doctor.
With so many brands of pills and combinations of different ingredients, there is truly a birth control option out there for almost everybody who's eligible to take it. The best birth control pill is the pill that works best for you!
National Library of Medicine. Estrogen and Progestin Oral Contraceptives. Revised September 15, Stewart M and Black K. Choosing a combined oral contraceptive pill. Australian Prescriber. Published February Schindler A. Non-contraceptive Benefits of Oral Hormonal Contraceptives. Published December Gallo M et al. Cochrane Library. As shown above, Lo Loestrin Fe contains only 10 mcg of estradiol for 26 days, the lowest amount of estrogen contained in any combined hormone birth control pill.
This is compared to the 20 or 30 mcg of estrogen contained in Loestrin Fe. However, the trade-off may be that it is less effective in preventing pregnancy than birth control pills that contain more estrogen.
In addition, low estrogen content increases the risk of breakthrough bleeding. As Lo Loestrin Fe contains a low amount of estrogen, it is especially important to take the birth control pills consistently, at the same time every day. Taking pills late or missing doses decreases the efficacy of the pills. He has been featured in numerous publications including the Huffington Post as well as a variety of health and pharmacy-related blogs.
Please feel free to reach out to him directly if you have any inquiries or want to connect! He's answered thousands of medication and pharmacy-related questions and he's ready to answer yours! Questions Articles Drugs Interactions Ask a pharmacist. Published: Jun 04, Last Updated: Oct 28, Lo Loestrin Fe Vs.
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