Oral contraceptives

• • The pill is an oral contraceptive, taken by the mouth to decrease fertility
  • First version was made in the 1950s and contained high levels of oestrogen and progesterone
  • However there were concerns about a link between oestrogen and side effects such as blood clots
  • The pill now contains lower doses of oestrogen and has fewer side effects
• • There's also a progesterone only pill- has fewer side effects than combined pill and just as effective
• Benefits of combined oral contraceptive pill:

  • Over 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy
  • Also been shown to reduce the risk of some cancers
• Problems with combined oral contraceptive pill

  • Isn't 100 percent effective - still a slight chance of getting pregnant
  • Can cause side effects such as headaches, nausea, irregular menstrual bleeding
  • Doesn't protect against STDs