The Pill for Birth Control: 7 Facts an Ob/Gyn Insists You Know

Since its FDA approval in the 60s, “the Pill” has become one of the most popular and effective forms of reversible birth control ever invented. A 2013 National Health Statistics Report says that of the women who’ve opted to use some form of birth control, 82 percent of them had also used the Pill at some point.

Birth control pills contain different combinations of the hormones estrogen and progestin to prevent pregnancy. There many different kinds, so it’s important to talk with your doctor to find the right one for you. Here’s what Kecia Gaither, MD, director of perinatal services at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, tells her patients about taking birth control pills

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Written by:

Brittany Doohan

Brittany Doohan was the Content Director at HealthiNation and is currently the Editorial Director at Medscape. Through her work with Medscape, she won a Silver Telly Award in May 2022 for "Sleepless Nation: A Public Health Epidemic — Episode 2: A Decade Without a Diagnosis." She has worked in health journalism and video production for more than 8 years, and loves the challenge of explaining complex topics in an easy-to-understand and creative way.

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Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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