How to Know Which Birth Control Pill Is Right for You
As early on as 1912, Margaret Sanger moved science frontward to discover the "magic pill"—what we now call the birth control pill, or simply, "the pill".
The pill has made a huge difference for the world. Perhaps the largest do good the pill can offer you is a measure of control over your future.
But did y'all know there are over 250+ brand names of nascency control pills, as listed in the FDA's drug database? Fortunately, you can narrow it downwards if you lot know where to start. Finding the all-time nativity control pill for you may have some trial and error (no magic crystal brawl, unfortunately!), but knowing the facts can help you make the correct decision.
If y'all'd similar to go straight to the experts, run across if you're eligible to talk to our medical team for complimentary about the best pill for y'all.
What is the best nascency command pill?
In the m scheme of things, the all-time nativity command pill for you is: (one) a pill that is highly effective in preventing pregnancy and 2) as well provides other benefits along the fashion if you lot need them; for example, a pill that too helps acne.
If yous decide you lot desire to try nativity control pills, your physician volition first consider if the medication is condom for you lot. Overall, they'll desire to prescribe the everyman dosage of hormones that volition still exist effective.
Which birth control pill is right for me?
Yous should consider your gamble of unpleasant side effects, how easy it is to admission, and the toll of the particular brand your doctor recommends.
When searching for the best birth command pill, you and your physician might ask:
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Is the pill safe for y'all?
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Which pill has a depression hormone dose, but is yet effective?
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What type of pill will work the best, without unpleasant side furnishings?
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Exercise you lot need whatsoever secondary benefits from the pill (eastward.1000., treating acne)?
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Will your insurance plan cover the pill?
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Is the pill affordable?
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Practise y'all demand additional health or lifestyle benefits (e.g., skipping periods)?
The nascency command pill is very effective at preventing pregnancy, with only a 7% failure rate. You can compare that to the 13% failure rate of male condoms (though condoms can protect you from STIs, while the pill cannot).
Besides preventing pregnancy, the pill offers other advantages for women because information technology may help with:
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Irregular periods by regulating the menstrual cycle
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Painful menses cramps
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Acne
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PMS
Let your physician know if you're looking for whatsoever secondary benefits from the pill.
Next, we'll become into our recommendations and common questions.
Is there a best birth command pill for weight loss?
If you're trying to lose weight, you lot don't have to worry about your birth control pills getting in the style. Many women and girls ask questions about nativity command pills and weight gain or weight loss. Science has shown that nascence command pills don't cause weight changes.
You wouldn't need to observe a nativity command pill that helps with weight loss. Instead, you can create a weight loss plan that works for you. The Function on Women's Wellness says that virtually women will demand to swallow fewer calories and become the right amount of salubrious foods to lose weight.
What is the best nativity control pill for acne?
In general, the all-time birth command for acne is any 1 of the combination birth command pills on the market. Doctors say that well-nigh combined birth control pills (which have a combination of progestin and estrogen) can exist good for acne. But among the entire group of combination oral contraceptives, there are a few specific brands that have been approved by the FDA for preventing pregnancy and treating acne.
Specifically, the best make names of birth control pills for acne include:
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Yaz™
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Ortho Tri-Cyclen™
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Beyaz™
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Estrostep™
*Editor's Note: Ortho Tri-Cyclen has been discontinued, merely there are many other equivalent brands, like Tri-Sprintec.
Yaz is great for treating acne, just the brand name version can be expensive. That'south why many women go for a generic version.
The generic brands (same ingredients, dissimilar manufacturer) include Nikki, Loryna, Gianvi, and Vestura. Generic brands are less expensive, so yous tin go the benefits of Yaz from i of the generic brands, but for a cheaper cost.
The Ortho Tri-Cyclen family works similarly to Yaz, and is a good low-cost option. The generic brands of Ortho Tri-Cyclen include Tri-Estarylla, TriNessa, Tri-Previfem, and Tri-Sprintec.
What is the best brand of birth control pill?
Here we give you 5 popular brands of birth control pills. Every bit we mentioned, the "best" nascence control pill varies across women, and you should speak with a health professional about what would work all-time for you.
These are some of the pinnacle birth command pill brands prescribed in the U.Due south.:
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Lutera™: (aka Vienva™)
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Apri™: (aka Isibloom™)
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Loestrin/Loestrin Fe™: (aka Junel™/Junel Atomic number 26™)
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Ortho-Cyclen™: (aka Sprintec™)
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Yaz™: (aka Loryna™)
Larn more than about these top five brands of oral contraceptives below.
1. Lutera™ birth control pill
Active ingredients: levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol
Other names: Vienva™, Aubra EQ™, Aviane™, Larissia™, Falmina™, Lessina™, Orsythia™, and Sronyx™
Blazon of pill: Combination
Average cost: As low as $0 with insurance. The average cash price for Vienva without insurance is nearly $14/month for a 3-month supply, and could be even lower (about $ten/month) for a twelvemonth's supply.
Lutera is i of the most pop and affordable combination birth control pills around. You may find Lutera under the generic proper noun "Vienva." The standard pill pack of Lutera comes with 21 active pills and seven inactive pills.
Researchers reviewed several studies and found that women taking pills with this specific combination of hormones were more likely to go on using it, when compared to other mixtures of hormones in nascency command pills.
At Pill Club, you can get Vienva for every bit depression as $0. Even if you lot don't take insurance, the cost per month can range between $10 to $25 equally of this writing, depending on if yous buy a 1-month supply or a 12-calendar month supply. Currently, it is the nearly affordable birth control pill nosotros offer. Run into if you're eligible to go Vienva prescribed online and delivered to your door for free.
2. Apri™
Active ingredients: desogestrel and ethinyl estradiol
Other names: Cyred EQ™, Emoquette™, Enskyce™, Isibloom™, Juleber™, and Reclipsen™
Type of pill: Combination
Average Toll: Every bit low as $0 with insurance. The average cash price for Isibloom is around $thirteen a calendar month for a 3-month supply without insurance.
Apri is another popular combination nativity control pill. The standard pack contains 21 active pills and 7 inactive pills. Apri is normally prescribed under the generic name Isibloom.
3. Loestrin/Loestrin Fe™
Active ingredients: norethindrone/ethinyl estradiol
Other names: Junel™, Larin™, Microgestin / Blisovi Fe™, Junel Fe™, Larin Atomic number 26™, Microgestin Fe™, and Tarina Fe™, Hailey Iron™
Blazon of pill: Combination
Average toll: As depression as $0 with insurance. The average cash price is more expensive than some other generic brands, with the make Hailey Atomic number 26 having an average cash price of $12 a month with a three-calendar month supply. However, some RX sites list it at $15 with a coupon.
There is a low-dose version of Loestrin, called Lo Loestrin Iron™. It's contains the everyman dose of estrogen on the market today.
The most common side outcome reported from using Loestrin was headaches. Some doctors might recommend this pill for acne.
iv. Ortho-Cyclen™
Active ingredients: norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol
Other names: Estarylla™, Femynor™, Mono-Linyah™, Mononessa™, Previfem™, Sprintec™, VyLibra™
Type of pill: Combination
Average Toll: Equally low as $0 with insurance. The average cash price for Sprintec is about $15 per month for a 6-calendar month supply.
Ortho-Cyclen is some other popular, combined birth command pill. This birth control pack comes with 21 agile days and 7 inactive days.
The about common side result reported using Ortho-Cyclen is a headache. Some doctors might recommend this pill for acne.
5. Yaz™
Active ingredients: Drospirenone/Ethinyl Estradiol
Other names: Nikki™, Loryna™, Gianvi™, Vestura™
Type of pill: Combination
Average Price: As low as $0 with insurance. The boilerplate cash price for Loryna is about $52/month for a 3-month supply.
Yaz is a popular combination birth control pill and is canonical for use with acne.
What is the all-time depression-dose birth control pill?
The nativity control pills available today have lower doses than they did when they first came out, which has really decreased the take chances of side effects. In fact, 1 pill in 1960 is the equivalent of taking i week of pills today!
Because of these changes, most birth control brands today are low-dose pills. The Mayo Clinic says that most combination birth command pills, which combine the hormones progestin and estrogen, have ten--35 micrograms of estrogen. Low-dose pills would so incorporate estrogen levels at the lower end of this range.
Lo Loestrin Fe™
Lo Loestrin Fe has the lowest dose of estrogen bachelor today on the market, at x micrograms of estrogen.
However, women who took Lo Loestrin Fe yet experienced side effects. In a clinical written report, some common side effects for women (and the percentage of women who experienced them) were:
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Nausea/vomiting (7%)
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Headaches (vii%)
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Spotting/bleeding betwixt periods (5%)
Annotation there isn't a generic equivalent of Lo Loestrin Fe, so you lot'll have to make sure it'due south covered past your insurance if you want to avoid high costs.
What is the best birth control pill for women over twoscore?
Though technically there is no 1 "all-time" nativity control pill according to age, in that location are certain considerations you lot can think nigh that relate to women over 40.
Unless your doctor advises confronting it, you should exist able to take nascence command pills in your 40s and early 50s. Though fertility rates go down after 40, if a adult female is still getting her period, she tin can get significant.
Experts say that a lower-dose combined nativity control pill may be a good fit for women over xl, especially since it tin can provide other benefits during perimenopause for symptoms similar irregular periods, excessive menstrual bleeding, or the start of hot flashes. There is no restriction on taking the mini-pill (progestin-only pill) for this age group equally well, for women who should avoid taking estrogen-containing pills.
What is the best birth command pill for teens?
Out of the 2 types of nascency control pills (combined birth control pills and mini-pills), it'south more than common for teens to have a combined birth control pill. The American University of Pediatrics says the mini-pill is not recommended equally the first selection for teens. Combination birth control pills can be a practiced option for adolescents who can recall to have it every day.
Though the pill is easy to utilise, there are other methods of birth control that might be even more convenient for young women. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the IUD and the arm implant should be the start-line selection for young women who are sexually active. These methods could serve teens all-time, because they're busy, and unlike the pill, yous don't have to recall to accept it every day.
What is the all-time birth control pill for PMDD?
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is similar to PMS, but it's a more serious health problem.
For premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), enquiry has shown that 1 specific combination of hormones works best: a combination of drospirenone (progestin hormone) and ethinyl estradiol (estrogen hormone). In improver to blessing them for preventing pregnancy, the FDA has as well approved some nascency command pills containing the hormone drospirenone to treat symptoms of PMDD.
The following brands contain drospirenone and are approved past the FDA to treat PMDD:
one. Best for PMDD: Yaz birth control pill
The brand-name drug Yaz tends to be more than expensive than most pills, simply there are more affordable pills with the aforementioned active ingredients. The generic brands Nikki, Loryna, Gianvi, and Vestura tin be substituted for Yaz.
2. Too good for PMDD: Beyaz nativity command pill
Beyaz has also been approved by the FDA for treatment for PMDD. Beyaz doesn't have a generic version, and so it volition run more than expensive than the generic brands of Yaz listed above.
What is the best birth control pill for PCOS?
The treatment for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is focused on your individual concerns, such every bit infertility, acne, or obesity. Doctors recommend nativity control pills to regulate your periods and aid with concerns like acne and backlog facial growth.
In general, doctors recommend a brand of combination birth control pills for treating the symptoms of PCOS. There are many combination nascency command pill brands to choose from, and you can ask your doctor which one is right for you lot.
Which nativity control pills accept the to the lowest degree side effects?
Over time the pill has improved and has fewer side effects while still beingness effective. The Office on Women's Wellness says that the pill is rubber for most women.
That said, there are nativity control pills that are considered low-dose, like Lo Loestrin Fe mentioned to a higher place. However, women still report side effects from taking Lo Loestrin Atomic number 26, like headaches, nausea, and bleeding betwixt periods (spotting).
The other type of birth control pill is chosen a mini-pill and only has 1 hormone, progestin. Mini-pills are unremarkably prescribed if you're sensitive to the effects of estrogen. The level of the hormone progestin is lower than the progestin level in combined birth control pills.
Though the side furnishings of nascence control pills are generally the same, regardless of the brand or type, every woman'southward feel of taking hormonal nativity control is different.
FAQs: Birth control basics
What are the common side effects of birth control pills?
Some mutual side effects of birth command pills are:
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Spotting or bleeding betwixt periods (besides called breakthrough bleeding)
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Nausea (can be avoided if the pill is taken at night)
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Chest tenderness
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Headache
Breakthrough haemorrhage is actually the most mutual side upshot from oral contraceptives. All in all, small side effects may disappear over fourth dimension, or may improve if you lot switch to some other pill.
Other minor side furnishings include:
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Irregular haemorrhage
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Intestinal pain
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Bloating (from water retentivity)
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Contact lens intolerance
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Depression
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Yeast infections
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Weight fluctuations*
*Editor'due south note: To date, studies have shown that birth control pills do non cause weight gain, so any weight changes may just be normal weight changes over time.
Are there serious side effects of birth control pills?
Yes. An uncommon side effect of the pill is high blood pressure level, and rare side effects include blood clots, centre attacks, and strokes. If you take high blood force per unit area or whatsoever family history of blood clots, permit your md know. Birth control can present a risk of claret clots for some women, depending on your wellness and family unit history.
Nosotros recommend existence on a new pill for at to the lowest degree 2-3 months before switching brands. If yous are worried near side effects or have intolerable side effects talk to your doc.
How does the pill work?
Compared to other nativity control methods, the pill is hormonal contraception that is taken daily. The pill works past making it harder for sperm to reach the egg. Specifically, it prevents the egg from being released from the ovaries. It besides thickens the cervical fungus and changes the uterus' lining. Each pack of nascency control contains "agile" pills and "inactive" pills, meaning pills that have hormones, and ones that don't. You would typically have your period when taking the inactive pills. Each brand varies, but you volition commonly see 21 active, 7 inactive; or, 28 active, 4 inactive pills.
Exist mindful that the pill does not protect confronting sexually transmitted infections.
Is 1 pill more effective than another?
In general, all birth control brands are found to be an incredibly effective method of pregnancy prevention. The pill has a very depression failure rate, significant it is successful at preventing pregnancy. Specifically it works around 95-99% of the time, when taken at the same time every day, as your dr. directs. The American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) states that with typical apply, both the combined pill and mini pill are 91% effective in preventing pregnancy.
The effectiveness drops if you skip, miss, or switch the times when y'all accept pills. For example, if you are on the pill just miss more 3 pills that calendar month, you lot should use emergency contraception if you accept unprotected sexual practice.
If you know taking a pill every day is going to be a struggle, you may want to consider using a different method of contraception. For some women, an IUD, shot, arm implant,vaginal ring, or patch could work amend with their lifestyle. If you want to know more nigh the specifics, inquire your doctor.
What's the divergence between monophasic and multiphasic?
A monophasic birth control pack means that the same amount of hormones are delivered throughout the month. If y'all have a multiphasic pill pack, the levels of hormones would vary throughout the calendar month to simulate the torso'southward natural hormone cycle. 1 of the FDA-approved brands is Tri-Sprintec, which is multiphasic.
What are the main types of birth control pills?
The 2 chief categories of nascency command pills are combined oral contraceptive pills (COC) and mini-pills. Both types of pills take hormones that interact with a woman's ovulation wheel to prevent pregnancy. A combination pill combines the two hormones estrogen and progestin, while a mini-pill (also known as a progestin-only pill, or Popular) only contains progestin.
*Both pills are effective contraceptives and approved by the FDA.
What is a mini-pill (progestin-just pill)?
The mini pill contains only 1 hormone, progestin. A progestin-only pill (POP) may be suitable for:
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Women unable to take estrogen
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Women breastfeeding
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Women who smoke over 35
Yet, the mini pill may still produce hormonal side effects.
What are some of the long-term benefits of combined oral contraceptive pills?
The combination pill for some women has other advantages besides contraception like:
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Less acne
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Less trunk hair or growth
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Reduces the risk for ovarian, endometrial, and colon cancer
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Reduces the risk of ovarian cysts
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May reduce perimenopausal symptoms
However, the combination pill is non recommended for women over the age of 35 that fume, as they are at an increased chance of more than serious side furnishings.
What is the departure between a brand name and a generic name?
Each birth control pill on the market is named by either a brand name or a generic make name. This can be confusing, but for now, think of the brand proper name and generic name as referring to the same thing.
If y'all're confused, yous tin always wait at the agile ingredient in the pill. If you run across that 2 names have the same active ingredients, then they're essentially the same hormones going into your trunk, regardless of the proper name.
For case, the brand name Yaz™ has a couple of generic versions named Nikki, Loryna, Gianvi, and Vestura. The active ingredients they all accept in mutual are the hormones drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol.
How to choose the best birth control pill for you
Because every woman is different, your body may tolerate some brands of birth command pills ameliorate than others.
Here are a couple of steps nosotros suggest you consider when thinking nigh what birth control is best for you:
What are the side effects? Most doctors recommend staying on a new birth control pill for at least two-iii months. Nonetheless, different women feel unlike side effects, so if you try one and information technology's not the right fit, be sure to tell your physician so you lot can try a dissimilar pill.
What hormones would work all-time in my body? About doctors will probably recommend a combined contraceptive, only if estrogen is a business concern (considering of wellness concerns or other reasons), you may desire to consider a progestin-only pill.
Is it name-brand or generic? In general, when you are looking at proper name-brand birth controls, they will be more expensive. Depending on your insurance or budget, you may want to ask almost the generic version of nativity control (good news is almost every ingredient philharmonic has a generic make!)
Why do I want to exist on nascence control? If you are only looking for a contraception method, the pill you choose may be different from if you are looking for nascence control for acne, or PMDD, etc. Exist mindful of the fact that the pill does not protect against STDs.
What if I'yard nevertheless not sure? Birth control is different for everybody, if yous accept any questions yous should contact your doctor, or sign upward for Pill Club to arrive touch with an expert.
What is the best birth control method overall?
Virtually women who want to protect themselves from pregnancy get a prescription for the pill. All the same there are other forms of contraception, like the IUD for example, that last longer and are fifty-fifty more effective. The pill is a short-term method that suits many people, though you'd have to remember to have the pill every solar day.
Ultimately, the best birth control for you depends on many things and could change over fourth dimension. The Function on Women'south Health says there is no best method of birth control for every woman, just that you should consider things like:
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Whether yous want to go pregnant soon or in the next few years
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Possible side furnishings
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Your overall wellness
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How comfy you lot are with the method, such as having to have a pill everyday
Nosotros've come up a long way from ane birth control pill option. The number of brands of pills might be a lilliputian overwhelming, merely we promise that this article volition give you confidence when you talk to your medico. With so many brands of pills and combinations of different ingredients, at that place is truly a nascence control choice out in that location for about everybody who's eligible to take it. The best birth command pill is the pill that works best for you!
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National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus.gov. Estrogen and Progestin (Oral Contraceptives). Revised September 15, 2015.
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Stewart M and Blackness K. Choosing a combined oral contraceptive pill. Australian Prescriber. 2015 Feb; 38(1): 6--11. Published February 2015.
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Schindler A. Non-contraceptive Benefits of Oral Hormonal Contraceptives. International Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism. Published Dec 2012.
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Gallo M et al. Cochrane Library. Combination contraceptives: Effects on weight. Published Jan 29, 2014.
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Office on Women's Health. Weight loss and women. Updated March 14, 2019.
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Marks, L. (2010). Sexual chemistry: a history of the contraceptive pill. Yale University Press.
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Allen R, Cwiak C, & Kaunitz A. Contraception in women over 40 years of historic period. Canadian Medical Association Journal. Published April xvi, 2013.
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American University of Pediatrics. Contraception for Adolescents. Pediatrics. Published October 2014.
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Rapkin A, Korotkaya Y, & Taylor K. Contraception counseling for women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD): current perspectives. Open up Access Periodical of Contraception. Published September 20, 2019.
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Sanches de Melo A et al. Hormonal contraception in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: choices, challenges, and noncraceptive benefits. Open Access Periodical of Contraception. Published February 2, 2017.
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Dragoman, One thousand. The combined oral contraceptive pill-recent developments, risks and benefits. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Published Baronial 2014.
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Lawrie TA et al. Cochrane Library. Types of progestogens in combined oral contraception: effectiveness and side-effects. Published May 11, 2011.
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Cooper D & Mahdy H. Oral Contraceptive Pills. Updated Baronial 23, 2020.
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Source: https://blog.thepillclub.com/best-birth-control-pill-for-me-guide/
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