Birth control pill package icon

Birth control pill 

  • 91% effective
  • Take daily
  • Prescription required
  • Contains hormones
  • No STI/STD protection
  • Lighter periods

  

What is it?
  • The birth control pill is a small tablet with a combination of hormones that you take daily to prevent pregnancy.

  • Birth control pills come in a pack, and you swallow 1 pill every day.

  • There are multiple types of birth control pills.

  • If used perfectly, the pill is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. But people aren’t perfect. So, in reality, the pill is 91% effective.1
How it works
  • The pill contains the hormones estrogen and progestin to stop you from getting pregnant.

  • The hormones in the pill work by:

    • Stopping your ovaries from releasing eggs. When eggs aren’t released, you can’t get pregnant.

    • Making the mucus in your cervix too thick for sperm to pass through. This prevents sperm from meeting an egg.
How to get it
  • You can get a prescription for birth control pills at your medical facility.
  • Make sure you fill your prescription for the pill on time, so you don’t miss a day. Getting a full 12-month supply of your prescription may help you continue your birth control without running out and having a risk of unplanned pregnancy.2 So be sure to ask your pharmacist about a 12-month supply. Depending on your coverage, you may be eligible to get a 12-month supply when filling your prescription.
Cost
  • Because of the Affordable Care Act, Kaiser Permanente members can get certain types of birth control methods at low or no cost. Check with Member Services or your provider for details.
How to use it
  • Swallow 1 pill each day at the same time.

  • After you finish the pack of pills, immediately start a new pack the next day.
  • Make sure you fill your prescription for the pill on time, so you don’t miss a day. Getting a full 12-month supply of your prescription may help you continue your birth control without running out and having a risk of unplanned pregnancy.2 So be sure to ask your pharmacist about a 12-month supply. Depending on your coverage, you may be eligible to get a 12-month supply when filling your prescription.
  • If you forget to take 1 pill, take it as soon as you can.
  • If you forget to take 2 pills, take 1 as soon as you can and take your next pill at the usual time. You should also use condoms for the next 7 days.
Benefits
  • The birth control pill is 91% effective in preventing pregnancy. That’s because people don’t always use it correctly or take it on time.

  • You may have more regular, lighter, shorter, or less painful periods.

  • The pill helps prevent or lessen acne, body hair, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), anemia, and ovarian cysts.

  • It’s temporary. You can stop using it whenever you want to try getting pregnant.

  • The pill decreases your risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers.
Risks
  • The birth control pill doesn’t protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs/STDs), including HIV. Even if you take the pill, you should use a condom every time you have sex to reduce your chances of getting or spreading STIs.

  • In the first few months, you may have nausea, spotting between periods, or breast discomfort. This usually goes away after 2 to 3 months.

  • The pill can change your level of sexual desire.

  • Some people may experience mood changes, bloating, or headaches.

  • If you don’t take the pill on schedule every day, you’re more likely to get pregnant.

  • Blood clots in the veins or arteries are a serious, but uncommon, side effect of using the birth control pill. Blood clots can lead to serious conditions, such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus.

  • If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, you shouldn't use the birth control pill. It can increase your risk of stroke.

  • Smoking and taking the pill can increase your risks for blood clots in your veins and arteries, high blood pressure, and stroke.

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© 2020 Kaiser Permanente

1 "Birth control pill,” Planned Parenthood, plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill/how-effective-is-the-birth-control-pill, accessed August 13, 2019.

2 "Oral contraceptive pills,” KFF.org, https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/oral-contraceptive-pills/, May 23, 2019.