Question

Oral contraceptive pills work by delivering synthetic progestins to a woman every day. Describe why this is an effective method of birth control.

Short answer

Birth control pills (BCPs) contain synthetic versions of the hormones progestin and oestrogen.

Step-by-step solution

Ovulation

• The ovaries of a woman naturally produce these hormones. BCPs may just contain progestin or they may contain both of these hormones.
• For the duration of a woman's menstrual cycle, neither hormone allows the ovary to release an egg (called ovulation).

Progestins

• They accomplish this by altering the body's normal hormone production levels.
• Progestins also thicken and make sticky the mucus that surrounds a woman's cervix. As a result, sperm are less likely to penetrate the uterus.