The hormones in the pill stop you from ovulating, which is what makes them effective birth control methods.
This article discusses how different types of birth control pills affect ovulation.
How Birth Control Affects Ovulation
Ovulation happens when one of your ovaries releases an egg.
Illustration by Laura Porter for Verywell Health
When ovulation happens, the egg can be fertilized by a sperm and pregnancy can occur.
If youareusing hormonal birth control, that changes the scenario.
Generally speaking, hormonal birth control sends messages to your brain saying you’ve already ovulated.
This stops ovulation from occurring.
The way in which this works depends on the method of birth control you are using.
You won’t lose eggs if you’re on hormonal birth control.
The hormones in the birth control tell your brain that you’ve already ovulated.
This stops your body from releasing an egg, which prevents pregnancy.
They prevent ovulation by tricking your brain into thinking you’ve already ovulated.
These hormones communicate with thepituitary gland, which controls ovulation.
If you use combination birth control pills, the hormone levels remain fairly steady throughout your cycle.
This tells the pituitary gland that ovulation is not necessary.
The risk of ovulation increases if youmiss more than one pillin a row.
You won’t know if you are ovulating unless you test for luteinizing hormone.
Rising levels of this hormone tell the ovary to release the egg.
Estrogens and progesterone in birth control pills lower the amount of this hormone.
Summary
Combination birth control pills that contain estrogen and progestin keep your body from ovulating.
Since there’s no egg for the sperm to fertilize, this method prevents pregnancy.
Progestin-only birth control pills may stop ovulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fertility returns quickly once you’re no longer taking hormone birth control pills.
However, studies suggest this jot down of contraception works by preventing an egg from being released and fertilized.
Overall, it reduces your chances of becoming pregnant by about 75%.
Hormone birth control can stop you from ovulating, but there are also several possible medical causes.
These include:
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