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Today we continue with our series on birth control by identifying and classifying the variety of pills available to women.
There are nearly 60 varieties of birth control pills. They are, as I mentioned in the first post of the series, grouped by whether they are progesterone-only or progesterone-estrogen combination pills, by which kinds and amounts of progesterone and estrogen they use, by being mono, di, tri, or quadri phasic, by lasting one month before a withdrawal bleed, or by lasting three months before a withdrawal bleed. Below is a table I use for reference that details the phase and drug type of each type of birth control.
| MONOPHASIC PRODUCTS | ||
| BRAND NAME(S) | ESTROGEN | PROGESTIN |
| Alesse-28 | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Apri | ethinyl estradiol | desogestrel |
| Aviane | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Brevicon | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Demulen 1/35-21 Demulen 1/35-28 Demulen 1/50-21 Demulen 1/50-28 | ethinyl estradiol | ethynodiol diacetate |
| Desogen | ethinyl estradiol | desogestrel |
| Genora 1/35 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Genora 1/50 | mestranol | norethindrone |
| Levlite 28 | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Levlen 21 Levlen 28 | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Levora 0.15/30-21 Levora 0.15/30-28 | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Loestrin 21 1/20 Loestrin 21 1.5/30 Loestrin FE 1/20 Loestrin FE 1.5/30 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone acetate |
| Lo-Ovral 28 Ovral 28 | ethinyl estradiol | norgestrel |
| Low-Ogestrel 28 Ogestrel 0.5/50-28 | ethinyl estradiol | norgestrel |
| Microgestin 1/20 Microgestin 1.5/30 Microgestin FE 1/20 Microgestin FE 1/5/30 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone acetate |
| Modicon | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Necon 0.5/35-21 Necon 0.5/35-28 Necon 1/50-21 Necon 1/50-28 Necon 1/35-21 Necon 1/35-28 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Nordette 28 | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Norinyl 1/50 | mestranol | norethindrone |
| Norinyl 1/35 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Nortrel 0.5/35 Nortrel 1/35 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Ortho-Cept | ethinyl estradiol | desogestrel |
| Ortho-Novum 1/35 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Ortho-Novum 1/50 | mestranol | norethindrone |
| Ortho-Cyclen | ethinyl estradiol | norgestimate |
| Ovcon 50 Ovcon 35 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Tri-Norinyl 28 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Yasmin 28 | ethinyl estradiol | drospirenone |
| Zovia 1/50E Zovia 1/35E | ethinyl estradiol | ethynodiol diacetate |
| BIPHASIC PRODUCTS | ||
| BRAND NAME(S) | ESTROGEN | PROGESTIN |
| Jenest 28 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Mircette | ethinyl estradiol | desogestrel |
| Necon 10/11-21 Necon 10/11-28 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Ortho-Novum 10/11 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| TRIPHASIC PRODUCTS | ||
| BRAND NAME(S) | ESTROGEN | PROGESTIN |
| Estrostep 21 Estrostep FE | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Ortho-Novum 7/7/7 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Ortho Tri-Cyclen Ortho Tri-Cyclen LO | ethinyl estradiol | norgestimate |
| Tri-Levlen 21 Tri-Levlen 28 | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Tri-Norinyl 28 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone |
| Triphasil 28 | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Trivora 28 | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| 24-4 PREPARATIONS (24 days of hormone pills and 4 days of placebo pills) | ||
| Yaz | ethinyl estradiol | drospirenone |
| Lo Estrin 24-4 | ethinyl estradiol | norethindrone acetate |
| EXTENDED-CYCLE PREPARATIONS | ||
| Seasonale | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| Seasonique | ethinyl estradiol | levonorgestrel |
| PROGESTIN-ONLY PRODUCTS | ||
| BRAND NAME(S) | ESTROGEN | PROGESTIN |
| Micronor | norethindrone | |
| Nor-QD | norethindrone | |
| Ovrette | norgestrel | |
Table from Medicine Net.
For more on the birth control series, see:
Part I: Birth control pills: How they work, benefits, and risks
Part II: The Drosiprenone Pill Warning
You can also learn more in my book, Birth Control Unlocked: Your Body, Your Options, Your Guide.
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Will you be going into the injectables?
I’m curious about the differences between having a constant dose and a periodic dose.
Curently I am using Nuva ring, will you discuss that? and then we are thinking of go to Implanon, something that sits in my arm for 3 years.
i have loved the research you have done so far. It’s organized so well and easy to follow 🙂
thanks for your hard work.
Sam
Are you going to address some of the negative long-term effects of being on bcp? I went on them when I was 19 and got hypothalamic amenorrhea. But I really think they made my hormones even more out-of-whack and messed with my gut health. It’s important for women to know the downsides of the pill besides the immediate side effects they might notice.
how about the patch and the ring? (ortho evra and nuvaring)
An important, often overlooked point:
Natural progesterone and synthetic progesterone are NOT the same thing, even though the names are often interchanged by laymen and MDs alike.
Natural progesterone is not patentable. The “progesterone” in contraceptives and HRT is synthetic, and is properly named a “progestin”. Progestins are not biochemically identical to the body’s progesterone, and therefore cannot function identically to progesterone.
Progestins are not natural, and they disrupt fundamental processes in the body (“side effects”).
Hi! You’re the best and really help me a lot. Sorry for my English, I know just a little …
So, I am virgin and this is gonna change in the next 3 months. For be the first time, my only options are the pills or condoms. And is be the first time, I think condoms is not a good option (I meet the guy have years and both make exams and tests). In my country (Brazil <3), the pill I used (When They said I have PCOS) was 'Selene'. Your composition use another progestin. Please give a look and what you think of I use it? I used pills from 14 years at 19 years (when the paleo diet change me and I have a cycle of 26 days), and the last months sprouted some acne (I never had this way – in my cheek – before). Is a good choice for provisional something? This is the composition:
ethinyl estradiol ….. 0.035 mg
cyproterone acetate ….. 2,000 mg
And course, I gonna see some gynecologist before the day …
Thank you !!! A lot of love for you.
Very thanks really! 😉
Yes of course! Thank you for taking the time to write. I know it’s not easy communicating in another language. 🙂
I think, if you decide to use the pill, it might just take you some time to figure out which ones work best for you. If you start a pill and you develop symptoms, you may wish to try a different pill. Definintely do see your gynecologist – and don’t be afraid to insist to use condoms! This is YOUR body and YOUR health 🙂