Oestrogen - progestogen pills as contraception

Women in today's society have become more and more dependent on oral contraceptive pills for preventing themselves from having an unplanned pregnancy. Oral contraceptive pills come in the form of combination pills or mini pills, which consist of female hormones that work towards preventing pregnancy in women. Combination pills are those that consist of two artificial female hormones of oestrogen and progestogen. Mini pills, on the other hand, consist of only one artificial female hormone of progestogen. These pills come under the category of hormonal contraceptions, which are quite popular among women because of its success rate. The other popular forms of hormonal contraceptions are patches and rings. Apart from providing protection against pregnancy, these pills carry additional benefits such as treating acne, reducing painful and heavy periods, reducing menstrual pain and preventing endometriosis.

Microgynon is one of the most popular oral combination pill available on the market, and has been proven to be almost 100% effective. It consists of ethinylestradiol (artificial oestrogen, 30 micrograms) and levonorgestrel (artificial progestogen, 150 micrograms) as its active ingredients. Being a combination pill, it protects you against pregnancy in three ways, by preventing ovulation, thickening the cervical mucus and altering the womb lining. Women who are 18 years old or above can take this pill safely, but it should be avoided by those who are pregnant or are breastfeeding. Women who are suffering from kidney, heart, liver or circulation problems should avoid taking Microgynon. You are required to take this pill for 21 days of your menstrual cycle with a break of 7 days, during which you can have your periods.

Marvelon is another daily combination contraceptive pill, which has been proven to be almost 100% effective.  It consists of ethinylestradiol (artificial oestrogen, 30 micrograms) and desogestrel (artificial progestogen, 0.15 milligrams) as its active ingredients. Marvelon can be safely used by women who are 18 years old or above, but those women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, have heart, liver or kidney problems, should avoid using this pill. You are required to take this pill for 21 days of your menstrual cycle, with a break of 7 days before you start the next set of pills. Some of the side effects that you can suffer from while taking Marvelon includes changes in your weight, decrease in your sex drive, changes in your menstrual patterns, headaches, nausea, bloating and vomiting.

Mercilon is also a combination pill that is used by women as a daily contraception, and is quite popularly used as it reduces the chances of weight gain. It consists of ethinylestradiol (an artificial oestrogen, 20 micrograms) and desogestrel (artificial progestogen, 150 micrograms) as its active ingredient. Mercilon works by preventing ovulation from occurring, thickening cervical mucus to prevent sperm from entering and fertilizing an egg and altering the womb lining to prevent an egg from growing further. Women who are 18 years old or above can take this pill, and are required to take the pill for 21 days of their menstrual cycle. Some of the side effects of Mercilon include nausea, breast tenderness, mood changes and bleeding between periods.