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Birth control pills (oral contraceptives).
- Article from:
- Clinical Reference Systems
- Article date:
- May 24, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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What are birth control pills?
Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) are a method of birth control that uses hormones to prevent pregnancy. The man-made female hormones in the pills change a woman's natural hormone levels and prevent her ovaries from releasing an egg each month. The hormones also help prevent pregnancy in 2 other ways. They cause a thickening of the mucus on the cervix and they change the lining of the uterus. The thickened mucus on the cervix makes it hard for sperm to enter the uterus. The change in the lining of the uterus helps prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus.
The most commonly used pills are "combined" ...