Popping the Pill

Are Birth Control Pills for You?

By Shel Franco

"Never again."

Most women utter these words sometime after giving birth. Is it the experience of childbirth? Is it the loss of sleep? Whatever the reason, birth control becomes an urgent and serious matter.

Truth be told, "never again" is probably an exaggeration. That's why you can't bring yourself to do something permanent. Someday you might want another baby. In the meantime, all you need is peace of mind.

The Food and Drug Administration approved combined oral contraceptives for use in 1960. In the United States, the birth control pill leads all other contraceptives in popularity. The reasons are simple: "There is a 40-plus year experience with oral contraceptives," says Paul D. Burstein, M.D., FACOG, clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in Milwaukee, Wis. "They are well-studied, safe and effective."

The effectiveness depends on the Pill taker. Women using oral contraceptives ingest one tablet each day. Estrogens and progestins in the Pill stop the development of eggs. These hormones also produce physical changes in the uterus. Increased cervical mucous hinders the sperms' entrance into the uterus, and changes in the uterine lining prevent the egg from attaching to the uterine walls. Missing a dose affects this process and leaves a woman susceptible to pregnancy.

Kathy McConnell of Baltimore, Md. didn't find it difficult to remember her doses. After two years of taking the Pill, she only has favorable remarks: "I had no side effects. It was easy and convenient. And even though I was married, I was not ready for children. I got to control that by continuing to take the Pill."

McConnell's feelings of control come from the Pill's high effectiveness rating. When taken consistently and without fail, less than one of every 100 women using oral contraceptives becomes pregnant. And avoiding pregnancy isn't the only plus to oral contraceptives. "There are actually more benefits that are not contraceptive in nature," Dr. Burstein says.

Want to see more?

• Popping the Pill
• Deciding on Diaphragms
• Cover Up! Are Condoms For You?
• The Inside Scoop on IUDs
• The Facts on Foam
• The Results are In! What is Your Preferred Method of Birth Control?