Must Know Facts About the Pill

Your Chances of Getting Pregnant May be Higher Than You Realize

If you take the pill at the same time every day, you have a super low chance of becoming pregnant (0.3% meaning that of every 100 women who use the pill for a year, less than one will become pregnant). But, let’s face it, how many of us are perfect? When you really look at it, it can be very difficult to remember to take the pill every day let alone at the same time.

So with less-than-perfect use—like popping a pill late one day or forgetting to take it altogether—the effectiveness drops to 91% (of every 100 women who do not use the pill perfectly for a year, nine will become pregnant). Never fear: You just need to find a way to remember to take the pill at the same time each day.

There are some tricks to helping you do this. Make the pill a regular part of your morning routine (take it after brushing your teeth or when you’ve finished your morning coffee). You have a better chance of remembering to take the pill in the morning because at night, you may be too tired and be more likely to forget. You can also try to use a birth control app or alarm to remind you to take your pill. Also, make sure to keep your pill pack in a place where you are guaranteed to see it every day, like next to your toothbrush or cell phone.

The Pill May Impact Your Sex Drive

Some women who use the pill find that their sex drives go into high gear since they’re no longer panicking about getting pregnant. Other pill users report that the pill has the opposite effect—that it lowers libido and makes it harder to climax. One reason why the pill may lessen your sexual desire is because the pill can reduce your testosterone level (this is the hormone that fuels sex drive in all genders).

Even if you stop the pill to improve decrease libido, it could take several months to recover from a pill-related testosterone decline. In some cases, it may never recover because the levels of sex hormone binding globulin never fully return to their baseline levels, so levels of free testosterone remain low.

If you notice your libido is taking a nosedive, talk to your healthcare provider to see if you can switch to another pill brand (one that will hopefully allow your sexual desire to reignite). Remember, you have to give your body three months to adjust to the new pill brand before determining that your sex drive is still in the dumps. Also, think if there is anything else going on in your life that may be affecting your libido (like stress or any medications you are taking). If all else fails, you may ultimately decide that the pill isn’t the right birth control for you.

The Pill Has Some Pretty Cool Health Benefits

Think about it for a second… How many other meds can actually help you prevent cancer? The pill can!

When compared to women who have never used the pill, a 2021 study found that taking the pill for five or more years is linked to a more than 20% lower risk of developing ovarian cancer and an almost 30% lower risk of developing endometrial cancer. For women who took the pill for more than 15 years, the reduction in risk is close to 50% for both cancers. This protection is still seen in women who have stopped taking the pill. There is also an 18% drop in the risk of developing colorectal cancer among women who use the pill.

However, there is some increased risk of breast and cervical cancers associated with the pill, so be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks.

Besides some cancer protection, the withdrawal bleed that you get when you use the pill is usually less painful than your normal period (and doesn’t last as long). The pill can make your period more regular (no more surprises on days that you are wearing white shorts), and it may even lead to a clearer complexion.

The More You Weigh, the Less Effective the Pill May Be

If you are overweight or obese, your risk of getting pregnant while using the pill might be higher, though research results are inconsistent. Some research has found a large reduction in effectiveness for women who are overweight or obese (60–70% higher), while other studies found more modest effects, and yet others found little or no effect.

If you’re concerned that your weight might affect how well the pill works for you, talk to your healthcare provider. A higher-dose pill might be called for, or another form of hormonal contraception, such as an implant.

You May Have to Try Many Pill Brands Before Finding the Right One

The pill is definitely not one size fits all. There are so many kinds and formulations available, and each may affect your body in a different way. Here’s a crash course on pill types:

• Combination Pills: these have a formulation of estrogen and progestin. Monophasic pills have a fixed dose of these hormones in every pill. In biphasic and triphasic pills, the ratios and/or amount of these hormones change throughout each pill pack.
• Progestin-Only Pills (also called the mini pill): these pills do not contain any estrogen.

Even among these types of pills, each has a different estrogen dose and type (and dose) of progestin. This means that each brand can affect you differently. This is why it’s very important that you talk to your healthcare provider if you are dealing with bothersome side effects from the pill. Certain side effects have to do with the amount of estrogen or progestin in the pill, so switching to a different formulation may solve the problem. Keep in mind, you need to be patient. It takes about three months for your body to adjust to the hormones in the pill, so you’ll need to let at least this amount of time to go by before you make the decision to switch again.