Birth control pills – pros and cons

When you hear about “the pill”, it generally refers to a combined oral contraceptive pill, taken to prevent unwanted pregnancy. ‘Combined’ means the pills contain two hormones – estrogen and progesterone, which work in your body to prevent pregnancy. You must take a pill every single day for it to be effective. There are usually 3 weeks of active pills and one week of sugar pills. Although the pill is one of the most available and affordable contraceptive methods, it is important to understand pros and cons before choosing it.

The pros of the birth control pills are:

• They are 99% effective when used correctly. If you miss a day, it will be less effective.
• It is a method that you can use to skip your period by simply skipping that week of sugar pills.
• They can help you to reduce painful and heavy periods

The cons of the birth control pills are:

• You must remember to take them every single day, ideally, at the same time.
• Some people experience nausea. To avoid that, take the pill with your largest meal of the day or you take it before you go to bed.
• You may notice some acne.

There are so many different types of birth control pills, so if one is not right for you, you can always change it and try another.