The first birth control pill was born in the 1960s. It has been an eventful journey since then, with emergency and regular contraceptive pills making distinct niches for themselves. This article traces the history and development of oral contraceptives.
The history of birth control can be dated back to the ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations, when people used diaphragms as contraceptive methods. Ancient Greek people used certain plants having contraceptive qualities. With the progress of medical science these primitive methods were gradually replaced by more sophisticated birth control pills and different emergency contraception techniques.
The first birth control pill hit the market in the early 1960s. It belonged to the category of what we know today as combined oral contraceptive pills (also known as 'the pill' ) that contain synthetic versions of oestrogen and progesterone and are meant to be taken daily for prevention of unwanted pregnancy. The second type of oral contraception, e.g. emergency contraceptive pill, also came to be used in the 1960s, but it was not before the 1990s that it became a popular form of contraception. Unlike regular pills, emergency contraceptive pills contain a derivative of only progesterone and can be quite effective in preventing ovulation.
Combined contraceptive pills are considered to be more effective than progesterone-only 'mini' pills. Combined pills have a success rate of almost 100% in comparison with 95% efficacy of emergency contraceptives. But to make either form of contraception work, you need to use them correctly and consistently. Emergency birth control pills are usually recommended for women who are nursing or feel sick because of oestrogen. On the other hand, regular pills can be helpful in treating painful menstrual cycles, endometriosis and premenstrual syndrome.
Pregnancy occurs when an egg released from the ovary is fertilized by sperm. Combined oral contraceptive pills help prevent pregnancy by tricking the body into believing that an egg has already been released by the ovary. This form of contraception also inhibits hormonal actions to help prevent pregnancy. In the event of an egg being released by accident, regular birth control pills make changes in the cervical mucus to make it difficult for sperm to reach it. These pills also thicken the lining of the womb to prevent implantation of an egg.
Birth control pills that are meant to be taken in emergency work almost in the same way as regular hormonal pills. Popular emergency contraceptives such as ellaOne, Levonelle and Cerazette can provide you a threefold protection against pregnancy. But you have to take a mini pill right after unprotected sexual intercourse to optimize the chance of preventing an unwanted pregnancy.
Thanks to the incredible boom in information technology in the last couple of decades, both forms of oral contraception are now available online. You can buy them on valid prescription which you can get after consulting a doctor online. Majority of the on-demand oral contraceptive pills are sold only to women aged 18 years or above. But under certain circumstances and depending on the legal jurisdiction in a particular country, some pills can be sold to minors aged 16 years or above.
There is not even an iota of doubt that birth control methods have come of ages. What used to be very crude and unsafe in traditional times is now replaced by pills that you can rely on to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
The history of birth control can be dated back to the ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations, when people used diaphragms as contraceptive methods. Ancient Greek people used certain plants having contraceptive qualities. With the progress of medical science these primitive methods were gradually replaced by more sophisticated birth control pills and different emergency contraception techniques.
The first birth control pill hit the market in the early 1960s. It belonged to the category of what we know today as combined oral contraceptive pills (also known as 'the pill' ) that contain synthetic versions of oestrogen and progesterone and are meant to be taken daily for prevention of unwanted pregnancy. The second type of oral contraception, e.g. emergency contraceptive pill, also came to be used in the 1960s, but it was not before the 1990s that it became a popular form of contraception. Unlike regular pills, emergency contraceptive pills contain a derivative of only progesterone and can be quite effective in preventing ovulation.
Combined contraceptive pills are considered to be more effective than progesterone-only 'mini' pills. Combined pills have a success rate of almost 100% in comparison with 95% efficacy of emergency contraceptives. But to make either form of contraception work, you need to use them correctly and consistently. Emergency birth control pills are usually recommended for women who are nursing or feel sick because of oestrogen. On the other hand, regular pills can be helpful in treating painful menstrual cycles, endometriosis and premenstrual syndrome.
Pregnancy occurs when an egg released from the ovary is fertilized by sperm. Combined oral contraceptive pills help prevent pregnancy by tricking the body into believing that an egg has already been released by the ovary. This form of contraception also inhibits hormonal actions to help prevent pregnancy. In the event of an egg being released by accident, regular birth control pills make changes in the cervical mucus to make it difficult for sperm to reach it. These pills also thicken the lining of the womb to prevent implantation of an egg.
Birth control pills that are meant to be taken in emergency work almost in the same way as regular hormonal pills. Popular emergency contraceptives such as ellaOne, Levonelle and Cerazette can provide you a threefold protection against pregnancy. But you have to take a mini pill right after unprotected sexual intercourse to optimize the chance of preventing an unwanted pregnancy.
Thanks to the incredible boom in information technology in the last couple of decades, both forms of oral contraception are now available online. You can buy them on valid prescription which you can get after consulting a doctor online. Majority of the on-demand oral contraceptive pills are sold only to women aged 18 years or above. But under certain circumstances and depending on the legal jurisdiction in a particular country, some pills can be sold to minors aged 16 years or above.
There is not even an iota of doubt that birth control methods have come of ages. What used to be very crude and unsafe in traditional times is now replaced by pills that you can rely on to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
