Women's Health Articles

Many women today want to hold their pregnancy or they look for a planning and because of this they take help of birth control pills. A birth control pill is an effective means to avoid unwanted pregnancy each time after having an intercourse.

There are various forms of birth controls methods found such as condoms, contraceptive patches or contraceptive pills. Other methods include contraceptive sponge, vaginal ring, diaphragm or other fertility awareness methods.

Amongst these, oral contraceptive pills are found to be quite effective and much in used by women around the world. A contraceptive pill contains the hormones estrogen and progesterone that prevent pregnancy.

Broadly classified there are four types of pills known as combined pills that are normally used on a daily basis. An emergency control pill helps to avoid unwanted pregnancy when there has been an unprotected intercourse but this pill has to be taken within three days of the act. Other include are mini pill and phased regime pills that are not much common in use.

Emergency contraceptive or "morning after" pill can be also said to be a backup method to prevent pregnancy but it should not be used in routine. There are chances that while using a condom it broke or a woman fails to take the hormonal birth control pill on time then emergency control pill is very effective if taken within 72 hours of the intercourse.

While taking an emergency control pill some women can have their period earlier or later than the usual cycle. The main difference between a combination pill and an emergency pill is that it holds larger amount of levonorgestrel that works to avoid pregnancy. Emergency contraceptives such as plan b should be used within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. The first dose should be taken as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, and the second dose is taken 12 hours later. The sooner it is used, the more effective it is.