Birth Control Pills- Mechanism of Action And Side Effects
- Robert Smith
- Feb 19, 2018
- 2 min read
Although there are several options available now, the pill is still the most common birth control method used by women. In spite of being a typical birth control method, a very few women understand the mechanism of the birth control pills. And there’s no way to deduce if it is good or not without actually knowing how it works and what side-effects it may induce. So here we are, assisting you to understand the working of birth control pills!

To Put It Simply, They Stop Ovulation!
Women ovulate to produce an egg every month which is then fertilized by the sperm. This process of ovulation is hindered when you take a birth control pill. The pill stops the process of ovulation which means, no egg is released and if there’s no egg to fertilize, there is no possibility of pregnancy.
That Was A Short Version Of The Working, Here Is The Longer One:
How is an egg produced?
Among the few female hormones, there’s one hormone called estrogen. When the levels of estrogen peak around the 14th day of the cycle, the pituitary gland releases other hormones (let’s not make it more complex by getting into more details) which causes the ovaries to release eggs.
So, what happens when you take the pill?
Birth control pills are made of two synthetic female hormones- estrogen and progestin. The combination of these synthetic hormones balances the hormone levels in a woman’s body and doesn’t let the estrogen peak. When the pituitary gland doesn’t receive the signal of elevated estrogen, it doesn’t release the hormones which cause the ovaries to release the egg.
But we talked about two synthetic hormones, which does what?!
Estrogen
Okay, so the synthetic estrogen in the pill, as we talked, stops the pituitary gland to release the pro-ovulation hormones- Follicle stimulating hormone(FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Also, it maintains the lining of the uterus and prevents the mid-cycle bleeding.
Progestin
Progestin also prevents the secretion of LH hormone from the pituitary gland. But there’s much more than this synthetic hormone can do. It creates an inhospitable environment in the uterus for the egg, limits the ability of the sperm to fertilize and make the mucus of cervix dense which doesn’t let the sperm move properly.
The birth control pills are available in two forms- one is the combination of estrogen and progestin, and the other comprises only the progestin.
But, Side-effects?
Of course, if we induce these unnatural actions in the body, there’s no way they are innocent. These are the side-effects you might observe while you are on a pill:
· Nausea
· Weight gain
· Sore or swollen breasts
· Small amounts of blood, or spotting, between periods
· Lighter periods
· Mood Swings
The other side-effects include all kinds of pain such as stomach pain, headaches, etc. If any of the painful side-effects persist, you must go to your gynecologist because there might be a possibility of something serious
.
Can You Manage These Side-Effects?
There are some natural options which could suppress these side-effects and you must consider them if you are a regular user of these pills. Women are actively using CBD edibles and sour gummies offered by trustable CBD oil suppliers. You can also scan other CBD oil products as there are a plethora of options available!
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