How to Take Birth Control Pills. Ask your doctor when you should start birth control pills. If you’re still having your period on the day you’ve been told to start your pill pack, start it anyway.

This happens in a similar way when you give your body these hormones through the birth control pill. Estrogen and progestin will stop or slow down ovulation (when your ovary releases an egg).

If this happens, here's what you should do if you miss multiple birth control pills: For birth control packs with a "day one start" pill, you should get rid of the entire pack and start a new one.

If a man only takes one singular contraceptive pill, it probably won’t have any impact. But if he starts regularly taking birth control, he might notice a few differences according to which form ...

When taken correctly, birth control pills are about 99% effective. However, in real-world usage, where women may occasionally ...

If you smoke or vape nicotine at all, talk with your doctor about what birth control method is safe for you. It’s safe to use progestin-only pills or other non-estrogen methods like the shot ...

Birth control patch: Do not use tape or gauze to hold the patch in place if it comes even partially loose. Replace it with a new one right away. You'll need to use a backup form of birth control ...

Taking birth control pills during early pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of birth problems. However, a 2023 study notes that it may increase the risk of preeclampsia , premature ...

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the oral contraceptive Opill for over-the-counter use, making it the first nonprescription birth control pill in the United States.