What is the combined oral contraceptive pill?
Q: What is the combined oral contraceptive pill?
A: The combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) is a form of contraception for women that contains hormones to make them infertile.
Q: How does the COCP work?
A: When taken as prescribed, the pills prevent pregnancy by stopping ovulation and making it so that a woman cannot become pregnant during sexual intercourse.
Q: Who discovered the hormone progesterone's effect on fertility?
A: Scientists such as Carl Djerassi, George Rosenkranz and Alejandro Zaffaroni realized in the 1950s that progesterone stopped women from making eggs (stopped ovulation).
Q: What are two female hormones found in COCP?
A: The combined oral contraceptive pill has two female hormones - estrogen and progesterone. Some pills only contain progesterone, which are often called "minipills".
Q: When was COCP first given to women in the United States?
A: The combined oral contraceptive pill was first given to women in 1960 in the United States.
Q: Why is COCP popular among couples?
A: Couples find it convenient because they don't need to interrupt foreplay or use any barrier methods during sex; they can just take a pill and have natural-feeling intercourse without worrying about pregnancy. It also makes menses shorter with less bleeding, as well as helping with complexion, which most women like.
Q: Are there any risks associated with taking COCP?
A: There are some slight risks for side effects such as mood swings, weight gain or loss of sex drive; however these risks are usually small. In rare cases these side effects may be serious enough to make a woman decide to stop using the Pill.
