What are the ingredients in birth control pills?

Let’s face it, ladies. We’ve all been there – that moment when you’re huddled around your phone with your girlfriends, trying to decipher what on earth those birth control pills actually are. It shouldn’t be this hard, right? I mean, if we can understand TikTok dance moves and Snapchat filters, surely we can wrap our heads around some ingredients.

Well never fear, because today we’re going to spill the tea on what exactly goes into those little pills that give us so much peace of mind (and also sometimes make us feel like a hot mess). Get ready for an adventure into the world of pharmacology!

Estrogen

First things first: estrogen is a hormone found naturally in our bodies that is essential for regulating menstrual cycles and supporting pregnancy. In fact, it’s sometimes called the “female sex hormone” – how fancy does that sound? But here’s where it gets interesting: synthetic estrogen is one of two main ingredients in combination birth control pills (no wonder they work so well, amirite?)

What kind of synthetic estrogen are we talking about here? Ethinyl estradiol (say that five times fast), which mimics natural estrogen but has some slight chemical differences. This version helps keep ovulation at bay by keeping a constant level in your bloodstream throughout each month.

Progestin

The other main ingredient present in most combination birth control pills is progestin. Now there are lots of types out there (more options than one would think given something as small as a pill) but here are just a few examples:

  • Levonorgestrel
  • Norethindrone
  • Desogestrel
  • Dienogest
  • Drospirenone

Progestins work together with ethinyl estradiol towards preventing unwanted pregnancies by thickening cervical mucus to make it more difficult for sperm to reach an egg, decreasing the chances of ovulation, and in some cases even thinning out the uterine lining so a fertilized egg has less chance of implanting (wowza, talk about multitasking!)

Inactive ingredients

Now it’s all good and well to focus on the important stuff (i.e. preventing pregnancy) but we can’t neglect those inactive ingredients that are just as essential for delivering those hormones to our bodies. Here’s what they may contain:

  • Lactose
  • Cellulose
  • Magnesium stearate
  • Corn starch
  • Titanium dioxide

These might sound scary if you read them off your shampoo bottle, but don’t worry – these amounts are generally so small that they won’t make any measurable impact.

One thing worth noting is that not all birth control pill brands have identical inactive ingredients – sometimes different pills will include added colorings or flavorings (if only they could taste like gummy bears). It’s always good practice to read up about specific products beforehand especially given individual allergies one might have.

Combination versus Progestin-only

So far we’ve talked about combination birth control pills which contain both estrogen and progestin, but there are also options available containing just progestin. These mini-pills work in similar ways by thickening cervical mucus but do not necessarily prevent ovulation, therefore requiring one be very diligent when it comes to time taken every day at a specific hour (not exactly suitable for ladies who forget things easily) The benefit here though would mean fewer side effects often associated with higher levels of estrogen; such as breast tenderness or risk of blood clots.

No matter which type you choose (or how dare-you consider relying entirely on luck) , it goes without saying that always talking through this choice with a Health Care Professional would never hurt.

Conclusion

Well folks,hopefully you have been entertained and learned at least a snippet about what lies behind those much depended on tablets. The key phrase to note here is: do not hesitate to ask questions if ever in doubt even if your mind stretches into uncommon worries such as “will it make me grow taller?” Seriously though, no question (within good taste of course) would be too small to get squared away. Now excuse us while we go ponder who decided that pink was the ‘designated’ color for these things…

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