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Birth control pills are a really common method of birth control. When people think about
birth control, they often first think about the pill.
There are two different types—there’s a kind that has both hormones progesterone
and estrogen in it, and that’s most commonly what people think of as the pill. And then
there’s a kind that just has progesterone in it—different women choose that pill for
different reasons.
Both of them are very effective. Less than 1 out of 100 women will get pregnant every
year taking the pill. It just does have to be taken every day at around the same time.
Most women don’t notice any real difference when they start the pill other than the shorter,
lighter periods. Some women do experience some stomach upset or nausea when they first
start it. Some women will experience irregular bleeding for the first month or two on the
pill. Some women get some breast tenderness or kind of feel like they’re getting their
period when they first start on the pill. Usually by the first three months of being
on the pill, everything is normal.
The estrogens in the pills are the same, but the progesterones are all different and they
can have different effects for people.
Whether you have insurance or are concerned about the cost of care, you can see if you’re
eligible for any of the programs that help pay for birth control and preventative care
visits at our website at ppmns.org.