Oral contraceptive

Oral contraceptives are chemicals taken by mouth to inhibit normal fertility. All act on the hormonal system. Female oral contraceptives have been on the market since the early 1960s, and enjoy great popularity. They are used by millions of women around the world, though the acceptance varies by region: approximately one-third of sexually active women in the United Kingdom, but much less in countries such as Japan. Male oral contraceptives remain a subject of research and development, and are not widely available to the public.

Principles

Female oral contraceptives, colloquially known as the Pill, are the most common form of pharmaceutical contraception. They are used to prevent pregnancy. The pill can also be used to control dysfunctional bleeding or symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome. They consist of a pill that women take daily and that contains doses of synthetic hormones (always a progestin and most often also an estrogen). In some types of pill the doses of hormones are adjusted to be in synchrony with the menstrual cycle (two- or three-phase pills), while others keep a constant level of the hormones.

Related Topics:
Contraception - Pregnancy - Dysfunctional bleeding - Polycystic ovary syndrome - Progestin - Estrogen - Menstrual cycle

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