Birth control serves the vital purpose of helping a woman family plan. But birth control can also help regulate irregular periods, acne, and various other issues. At Capital Women's Care: Division 66, with locations in Bowie, Greenbelt, and North Bethesda, MD, our providers can help you find the right hormonal birth control for you, whether it's pills, patches, or injections.
Pills
With birth control pills, you take a tablet each day that'll provide hormones that work to prevent pregnancy. Combination pills, which contain estrogen and progestin, work by preventing your body from releasing an egg each month. The progestin in them will thin the uterine lining and thicken cervical mucus, making it more difficult for the sperm to reach the egg.
With progestin-only, they thicken the cervical mucus and thin the uterine lining to make it more difficult for the sperm to get to the egg.
You can have pills that stop your menstrual cycle completely, allow for monthly bleeding, or only cause you to have periods four times per year.
We'll discuss your options, such as dosage and if you want any placebos, if this is the choice for you.
Patches
Birth control patches contain both estrogen and progestin, and the hormones work the same in the patch as they do in the pill, preventing ovulation and making it more difficult for the sperm to fertilize the egg.
You wear the patch for three weeks out of the month, and during the fourth, you remove it, which allows for menstruation to occur.
With this option, you receive a steady stream of hormones.
Injections
You'll often hear the birth control injection being referred to as "Depo." That's because it contains the hormone depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), which is similar to progesterone.
You get one shot every three months. During that time, the hormone will slowly be released into your blood. It stops ovulation and thickens mucus, preventing pregnancy in two ways.
Choosing One
All of these birth control methods can prevent pregnancy well, with very low failure rates. However, there are pros and cons to each one. And if you're looking to decrease the number of periods you have, shorten them, or stop hormonal symptoms, when you visit one of our offices, locations in Bowie, Greenbelt, and North Bethesda, MD, we'll discuss which options will be most beneficial.
The providers of Capital Women's Care: Division 66, with locations in Bowie, Greenbelt, and North Bethesda, MD, can help you find the right hormonal birth control option for you.