These hormones occur naturally in women. Birth control pills (BCP) contain artificial forms of two hormones called estrogen and progestin. These hormones are naturally produced in a woman's ovaries. BCPs can contain both hormones or have only progestin.
Birth control pills are contraceptives that use hormones to prevent pregnancy. There are many methods of contraception. You may hear that this specific medication is simply known as the pill. The combination pill contains two hormones and prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg each month. The progestogen-only pill (minipill) has only one hormone and works by changing the mucus at the entrance to the uterus (uterus) so that sperm cannot pass through to fertilize the egg.
Progestin is a form of progesterone, the hormone involved in the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Contraception: pills: hormonal methods; hormonal contraceptive methods; birth control pills; birth control pills; BCP; OCP; family planning: BCP; estrogen: BCP; progestin: BCP. The hormone contained in the pills also changes the lining of the uterus, making it much less likely that an egg will implant fertilized. Hormones in the body control the release of the egg from the ovary, called ovulation, and prepare the body to accept the fertilized egg.
All hormonal contraceptives (the pill, the patch, and the vaginal ring) contain a small amount of hormones. Both of these hormones prevent a woman's ovary from releasing an egg during her menstrual cycle (called ovulation). Regular menstrual cycles will return 3 to 6 months after a woman stops using most hormonal birth control methods. Oral contraceptive pills consist of the hormones progestin and estrogen or only progestin, and should be taken once a day to prevent pregnancy.
HOWEVER, if these seven days run out in the package, skip the seven inactive pills and start taking the hormone pills from the next pack. People who have unprotected sex or who think their birth control method may have failed can use levonorgestrel or ulipristal, which are emergency contraceptive pills that work with or without hormones to prevent pregnancy.
