Birth control medications alter hormones in the body, interfering with ovulation. There are several hormones and processes that affect the process of ovulation and understanding the physiology behind them is important.
There are several ways birth control medications may affect ovulation or prevent ovulation. I will only talk about the commonest method and the commonest birth control pills that give progestin to the body. Progestin is a hormone that mimics progesterone, a hormone known to maintain pregnancy.
It is natural that when a woman is pregnant, there is no ovulation-taking place until the end of pregnancy. Progesterone is the hormone responsible for maintaining pregnancy. Progestin birth control pills give the body synthetic progesterone like hormone. This makes the body to “feel pregnant” hence preventing ovulation.
Pituitary gland produces a hormone called follicle-stimulating hormone. This hormone stimulates graffian follicles to produce leutenizing hormone that stimulates ovulation. Ovulation is bursting open of graffian follicle releasing the ovum in the ovaries.
When the ovaries release the ovum (the egg), the egg travels to the fallopian tubes where fertilization occurs. Any viable sperm at this time will fertilize the egg and pregnancy would occur.
The other types of birth contol pills make the mucous this so that the sperm cannot travel to fallopian tubes. They also make the uterus unfavorable for fetus implantation, preventing pregnancy. With these types of birth control pills, you should not be having menstruation. Having menstruation tells you that your uterus was ready for implantation of a new pregnancy but there was none.
Your best bet is progestin birth control pills, which prevents ovulation. Preventing release of the ovum (egg) is the best way of preventing pregnancy.
I hope my short article helped you to understand how birth control pills work. I will be writing more in this specialty and I would encourage you to bookmark my blog.
GREG
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