Recently, a birth control pill for men was tested. It was nixed because the men in the test study did not like the way it made them feel or what it did for their sex drives. It was both funny and controversial, since women have had to put up with the same issues with their own oral contraceptives for the last fifty years. Still, since the male oral contraceptive apparently is not going to hit the market anytime soon, women like yourself will need to choose, take, and use contraceptives to avoid pregnancy. Here are three of the most popular forms of oral contraceptives in use right now.

The Mini Pill

The mini pill was introduced a couple of decades ago. Its original purpose was to help women with PMDD who could not take other oral contraceptives as it caused psychologically and emotionally unstable behavior. Since it also functions as an oral contraceptive, it has since been offered to women who want an oral contraceptive but with fewer side effects of "the pill."

The Pill

This is a general name given to any one of the dozens of oral contraceptives on the market that are not the mini pill. This medication has varying amounts of progesterone and/or estrogen in it, usually a mix, that upsets the natural course of a woman's cycle. Higher amounts of one hormone trick her body into thinking it is already pregnant, while higher amounts of the other hormone make her body think it is in the middle of her cycle still, causing her own body to pump out other hormones to try and balance things out. Some oral contraceptives for women may also use testosterone, which also throws off the body's natural production of eggs.

The "Morning After" Pill

If you forget to take your oral contraceptives regularly, or if you do not take oral contraceptives at all, you are at risk of becoming pregnant if you have sex. That said, many women fall back on the "morning after pill." This pill is not just one pill, but typically two to three cycles of high dose oral contraceptives taken several hours apart to induce a period.

Any fertilized eggs that exist are then flushed out of the body during this forced menses. It is very uncomfortable, painful, and tends to cause lots of cramping, crying, irritability and mood swings. Still, if you want to make sure you are not pregnant and you did not use protection during sex, this is a very effective contraceptive.

For more information, contact a specialist like Abortion Care.

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