Title: Summary
Course: Level 3 - Family Planning > Section: Oral contraceptive methods

In this Study session, you have learned that:

- When a woman takes a birth control pill at the same time every day, this method is one of the most effective ways to avoid pregnancy. The pill works mainly by changing the body's hormonal balance so that the woman does not ovulate. Also, the pill causes the mucus made by the cervix to thicken and form a "mucus plug" in the cervix which makes it difficult for sperm to get through to the uterus to fertilise an egg.
- Based on their hormone content, oral contraceptives are divided into two types. The first is combined oral contraceptives (COCs), which contain the hormones oestrogen and progesterone and the second is oral contraceptives with a single hormone, known as and progestin-only oral(POP).
- Combined oral contraceptive is one of the effective methods to be used by all women of reproductive age except on certain conditions like breast feeding mothers.
- If a woman is using a 28-day packet, she should take one pill every day at about the same time every day. Women will usually have light monthly bleeding during the last seven days of a pill packet. As soon as she finishes one packet, she should begin taking a new one.
- If a woman is using a 21-day packet, she should take one pill every day for 21 days. She should then wait seven days before starting a new packet.
- One of the advantages of COCs is that when taken consistently and correctly, they are very effective contraceptives that give women control over their own fertility. Most women can safely use pills throughout their reproductive years as long as they want to prevent pregnancy.
- The major advantage of the mini-pill is that it can be used by breast feeding mothers, beginning six weeks after childbirth, and the quality and quantity of breast milk are not affected where as combined oral contraceptive decreases milk production and not recommended for breast feeding mothers.