FAQs

How does the Pill work?

Answer

Good question! It can be really handy to have an idea about how the Pill works, as it helps you understand how to take it correctly.

It goes like this. In a normal fertile cycle without the Pill, a woman mostly ovulates once a month (produces an egg from one of her ovaries).

If she has sex around the time the egg is released, the woman may get pregnant.

The synthetic hormones of the Pill stop the release of an egg (ovulation). This prevents pregnancy.

The constant dose of hormones in the Pill causes less build up of the lining of the uterus. This generally makes bleeds on the pill much lighter than a normal period. A lot of women who have very heavy natural periods take the pill for the benefit of lighter bleeds.

The Pill period or 'withdrawal bleed' happens in the pill free break because the woman has stopped taking hormones. It is an artificial bleed that generally starts 2-3 days after the last hormone pill.

See also our Fact Sheets on the Pill: http://www.fpnsw.org.au/sex-matters/factsheets/54.html and the Menstrual Cycle: http://www.fpnsw.org.au/sex-matters/factsheets/48.html.