how does birth control periods work?
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Your “period” on the contraceptive pill is actually called withdrawal bleeding. It happens when the levels of hormones in your pills drop. Withdrawal bleeding is usually lighter and slightly different than the period you had before taking the pill.
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The birth control pill functions primarily by preventing ovulation. The pill elevates the body's levels of progesterone, which mimics pregnancy. The body behaves as though it is pregnant, disrupting the normal menstrual cycle and the release of additional hormones that cause a woman to ovulate.
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The pill is one method of hormonal birth control that helps to prevent pregnancy. Because of the hormones that alter your menstrual cycle, you don't ovulate on the combination pill if it's taken properly.
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The bleeding you get when you're on the pill is not the same as a menstrual period. Your period on the pill is technically called withdrawal bleeding, referring to the withdrawal of hormones in your pill, and in your body. The drop in hormone levels causes the lining of your uterus (the endometrium) to shed (1).
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Not only do birth control pills make your period regular, but they help with menstrual cramps and often make periods lighter, too. And your local Planned Parenthood can definitely help you find the right pill for you. It's as simple as calling them to make an appointment, or making an appointment online.
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Because low-dose birth control pills are designed to suppress the growth of the uterine lining — most of which the body expels during menstruation — this usually means a lighter, shorter period that's more regular.
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Do You Ovulate on the Pill? People who take oral contraceptives, or birth control pills, generally don't ovulate. During a typical 28-day menstrual cycle, ovulation occurs approximately two weeks before the start of the next period. But cycles can vary widely.
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Birth control pills can be an effective way to regulate periods. But the only way to find out what's causing your irregular periods (and to see if treatment is needed) is to visit your doctor.
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Many forms of birth control use progestin and/or estrogen hormones to prevent ovulation and/or implantation. These hormones also affect the uterine lining, and can lead to some spotting in between periods, and they do reduce your menstrual bleeding.
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It may sound strange, but when these methods don't work, birth control pills can actually help with cramps — and are often prescribed for this reason. Birth control pills work because they decrease the amount of prostaglandins — chemicals your body produces to make the muscles of the uterus contract.
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It's not your most fertile time of the month, but it's still possible. Relying on your menstrual cycle as a means of birth control is definitely risky, because you can indeed get pregnant on your period.
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Do I get a “real” period on the contraceptive pill? Nope. The bleeding you get when you're on the pill is not the same as a menstrual period. Your period on the pill is technically called withdrawal bleeding, referring to the withdrawal of hormones in your pill, and in your body.
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For girls whose menstrual periods are irregular (too often or too late), birth control pills can help to regulate the menstrual cycle to every 28 days. Birth control pills can also reduce the amount and length of menstrual bleeding.
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Nope. The bleeding you get when you're on the pill is not the same as a menstrual period. Your period on the pill is technically called withdrawal bleeding, referring to the withdrawal of hormones in your pill, and in your body.
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The Birth Control Pill Oral contraceptives contain hormones that stop ovulation. If you use them perfectly, they're a great way to prevent pregnancy, with a 99.7% effectiveness rate.
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Hormones in birth control pills prevent pregnancy by: Stopping or reducing ovulation (the release of an egg from an ovary). Thickening cervical mucus to keep sperm from entering the uterus. Thinning the uterus lining so an egg is less likely to attach and get fertilized by sperm.
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You can start taking birth control pills as soon as you get them — any day of the week, and anytime during your menstrual cycle. But when you'll be protected from pregnancy depends on when you start and the kind of pill you're using.