Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Birth control pills
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Oral contraceptives are medications taken by mouth for the purpose of birth control.
Types of Oral Contraceptives
Types of Oral Contraceptives
Female
- Two types of female oral contraceptive pill are widely available:
- The combined oral contraceptive pill contains oestrogen and a progestogen, and is taken once per day.
- The progestogen only pill contains only a progestogen, and is also taken once per day.
- Other types of female oral contraceptive are experimental or only available in limited areas:
- Mifepristone is an antiprogestogen which has been used as a daily oral contraceptive in investigational clinical trials.
- Ormeloxifene (also known as Centchroman) is a selective oestrogen receptor modulator which is taken one to two times per week. Ormeloxifene is approved as an oral contraceptive only in India.
Male
- Male oral contraceptives do not currently exist, although several possibilities are in various stages of research and development.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]