The Pill

This paper is a compilation of the research I have gathered pertaining to a birth contraceptive commonly referred to as “the pill.” Before this drug was created, women had few reliable methods of birth control. The oldest practices were the withdrawal and rhythm methods. Some women would make a homemade herbal douche in efforts of preventing pregnancy. The first big breakthrough in birth contraception was lead by Charles Goodyear in 1839. Condoms, intrauterine devices, douching syringes, and diaphrams became available to the public. None of these methods, however, have a higher success rate than the pill. (4)

In order to fully understand how this oral contraceptive works, one must understand what happens during a menstrual cycle, including the names and roles of a few key hormones. The menstrual cycle is caused by various hormones that are released by certain glands. The whole process is controlled by the brain. Just below the brain is the pituitary gland. Hormones FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone) are produced in this gland. FSH causes estrogen to be produced, resulting in the maturing of an egg cell. LH causes the egg to be released. Estrogen is one of the main female sex hormones produced by the ovaries throughout the menstrual cycle. The other main hormone also produced by the ovaries is progesterone. This hormone is only produced in the second half of the menstrual cycle. It prepares the body, specifically the uterus, for pregnancy. Any hormone released into the blood stream can cause its own specific effects anywhere in the body. (1)

Birth control pills contain hormones similar to estrogen and progesterone. When these artificial hormones enter the body, the pituitary gland drastically cuts its output of hormones FSH and LH because it “thinks” the woman is pregnant. Since such a small number of hormones reach the ovaries, they go into a resting state, producing minimal amounts of natural estrogen and progesterone. The pill stops the normal menstruation cycle all together. Periods,