Pros: Very low chance of menstrual changes and breakthrough bleedingĬons: Most likely to cause side effects, like mood changes and headachesĮxamples: tri-previfem (around $11), necon 7/7/7 (around $11)Ĥ. The most common pattern is 7 days of one strength, 7 days of another strength, 7 days of a third strength, and then 7 days of inactive pills. The level of progestin gradually increases as you go through the pack, similar to what the body does naturally. Triphasic pills provide a steady dose of estrogen but three different doses of progestin throughout the pack. Pros: Reduces the likelihood of menstrual changes and breakthrough bleedingĬons: Higher chance of side effects like acne, headaches, and bloating than monophasic pillsĮxamples: azurette (around $12), Viorele (around $10)ģ.

Usually, the amount of progestin changes and the amount of estrogen stays the same throughout the entire pack until you get to the inactive, or placebo, pills. Biphasic pills contain two sets of pills at different strengths. Pros: Helps lighten or shorten the menstrual cycle and reduces crampsĬons: Can cause changes to menstrual cycles, missed periods, and breakthrough bleeding or spottingĮxamples: aviane (around $7), junel FE 1/20 (around $11), apri (around $8)Ģ. Healthcare providers will usually prescribe you a low dose of estrogen to curb your risk of stroke, and have you switch to a higher dose if you experience too much breakthrough bleeding or spotting. They are “single phase,” meaning they provide a steady dose of hormones throughout the entire pack. Monophasic pills are the most common type of birth control pill. Most birth control pills fall into this category, but there are several sub-categories, which we have broken down for you below:ġ. Combination pillĪs mentioned above, a “combo” pill contains both progestin and estrogen. All pricing is for one pack of pills, unless otherwise specified. We’ve also included the lowest GoodRx price available for each type of pill at certain pharmacies as of March 2022. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of combination and progestin-only pills below. Progestin-only pills are also referred to as the “mini-pill.” If a pill contains both estrogen and progestin it is called a combination pill. Depending on your health and medical history, estrogen may raise your risk for certain medical complications like stroke or blood clots. Adding estrogen improves ovulation prevention, making the pill more effective. But it does not consistently stop ovulation. Progestin alone can do all three functions on its own. This prevents a fertilized egg from properly implanting in the uterus. They cause the lining of the uterus to thin out. They form a thick plug at the cervix (cervical mucus) to prevent sperm from entering the uterus. They prevent ovulation (releasing of the egg) Estrogen and progestin do three things to prevent pregnancy:

The hormones used in birth control pills are estrogen and progestin. It is how they work to prevent pregnancy. Hormones are the active medication in birth control pills. In a nutshell, each brand of birth control pills contain a different combination of hormones. 1–4 of 6 Why are there so many different birth control brands?

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