Benefits and Side Effects of Hormonal Birth Control

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Hormonal Birth Control WorksBenefitsSide EffectsRisksThings to Consider

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Hormonal Birth Control Works

Benefits

Side Effects

Risks

Things to Consider

Close

If you’re considering going on the pill or another form of hormonalbirth control, you may wonder how it works and whether it has any side effects. This article explores the benefits and side effects of hormonal birth control methods.

Important Information About Birth Control Side EffectsBirth control is usually safe and well-tolerated, but you may have side effects such as headaches, nausea, bloating, breast tenderness, or irregular menstrual bleeding.There are risks associated with birth control, including high blood pressure, blood clots, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. Your doctor will assess your risks and help you decide if hormonal birth control is right for you.

Important Information About Birth Control Side Effects

Birth control is usually safe and well-tolerated, but you may have side effects such as headaches, nausea, bloating, breast tenderness, or irregular menstrual bleeding.There are risks associated with birth control, including high blood pressure, blood clots, breast cancer, and cervical cancer. Your doctor will assess your risks and help you decide if hormonal birth control is right for you.

Hormones are chemical messengers in the body that affect several bodily functions, including reproduction, mood, growth, and metabolism.

Hormonal birth control methods use hormones likeestrogenand progesterone to prevent pregnancy.Some people also take hormonal birth control for other health reasons.

Hormonal birth control methods include:

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Benefits of Hormonal Birth Control

In addition to preventing pregnancy, hormonal contraceptives like the pill can offer health benefits and help improve conditions such as:

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Side Effects of Hormonal Birth Control

Hormonal birth control is generally considered safe, effective, and well-tolerated—most people don’t experience side effects when they take it.

However, some people may experience physical or emotional side effects such as:

You may experience side effects when you first go on hormonal birth control, but they generally improve after the first few months. Report any side effects you experience to your healthcare provider.

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Risks of Hormonal Birth Control

Some forms of hormonal birth control can cause health risks such as:

Your healthcare provider will assess your health as well as your personal and family medical history in order to determine whether you are at risk for any of these conditions and which form of birth control may be most appropriate for you.

These are some factors to consider while choosing a hormonal birth control method:

Hormonal contraceptives can help prevent pregnancy and offer other health benefits. However, sincehormonesalso affect the body in different ways, they can also cause side effects, particularly in the first few months of starting hormonal birth control, as the body adjusts to it.

It’s important to discuss any potential health risks with your healthcare provider before you go on hormonal birth control and report any side effects to them. You can work with them to determine the most appropriate form of birth control or change your birth control method if it’s not suiting you.

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13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Hormones.Medline Plus.National Institute of Health.Hormonal contraception.Słopień R, Milewska E, Rynio P, Męczekalski B.Use of oral contraceptives for management of acne vulgaris and hirsutism in women of reproductive and late reproductive age.Prz Menopauzalny. 2018;17(1):1-4. doi:10.5114/pm.2018.74895Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Contraception.Nelson AL, Massoudi N.New developments in intrauterine device use: focus on the US.Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:127-141. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85755Regidor PA.Clinical relevance in present day hormonal contraception.Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2018;37(1). doi:10.1515/hmbci-2018-0030The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: Pill, patch, and ring.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STDs.Nemours Foundation.Birth control pill.Brown University.What are the side effects of birth control pills?Keenan L, Kerr T, Duane M, Van Gundy K.Systematic review of hormonal contraception and risk of venous thrombosis.Linacre Q. 2018;85(4):470-477. doi:10.1177/0024363918816683Shufelt C, LeVee A.Hormonal contraception in women with hypertension.JAMA. 2020;324(14):1451-1452. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.11935National Library of Medicine.Birth control and family planning.Medline Plus.

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Hormones.Medline Plus.National Institute of Health.Hormonal contraception.Słopień R, Milewska E, Rynio P, Męczekalski B.Use of oral contraceptives for management of acne vulgaris and hirsutism in women of reproductive and late reproductive age.Prz Menopauzalny. 2018;17(1):1-4. doi:10.5114/pm.2018.74895Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Contraception.Nelson AL, Massoudi N.New developments in intrauterine device use: focus on the US.Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:127-141. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85755Regidor PA.Clinical relevance in present day hormonal contraception.Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2018;37(1). doi:10.1515/hmbci-2018-0030The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: Pill, patch, and ring.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STDs.Nemours Foundation.Birth control pill.Brown University.What are the side effects of birth control pills?Keenan L, Kerr T, Duane M, Van Gundy K.Systematic review of hormonal contraception and risk of venous thrombosis.Linacre Q. 2018;85(4):470-477. doi:10.1177/0024363918816683Shufelt C, LeVee A.Hormonal contraception in women with hypertension.JAMA. 2020;324(14):1451-1452. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.11935National Library of Medicine.Birth control and family planning.Medline Plus.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Library of Medicine.Hormones.Medline Plus.National Institute of Health.Hormonal contraception.Słopień R, Milewska E, Rynio P, Męczekalski B.Use of oral contraceptives for management of acne vulgaris and hirsutism in women of reproductive and late reproductive age.Prz Menopauzalny. 2018;17(1):1-4. doi:10.5114/pm.2018.74895Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Contraception.Nelson AL, Massoudi N.New developments in intrauterine device use: focus on the US.Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:127-141. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85755Regidor PA.Clinical relevance in present day hormonal contraception.Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2018;37(1). doi:10.1515/hmbci-2018-0030The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: Pill, patch, and ring.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STDs.Nemours Foundation.Birth control pill.Brown University.What are the side effects of birth control pills?Keenan L, Kerr T, Duane M, Van Gundy K.Systematic review of hormonal contraception and risk of venous thrombosis.Linacre Q. 2018;85(4):470-477. doi:10.1177/0024363918816683Shufelt C, LeVee A.Hormonal contraception in women with hypertension.JAMA. 2020;324(14):1451-1452. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.11935National Library of Medicine.Birth control and family planning.Medline Plus.

National Library of Medicine.Hormones.Medline Plus.

National Institute of Health.Hormonal contraception.

Słopień R, Milewska E, Rynio P, Męczekalski B.Use of oral contraceptives for management of acne vulgaris and hirsutism in women of reproductive and late reproductive age.Prz Menopauzalny. 2018;17(1):1-4. doi:10.5114/pm.2018.74895

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Contraception.

Nelson AL, Massoudi N.New developments in intrauterine device use: focus on the US.Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:127-141. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85755

Regidor PA.Clinical relevance in present day hormonal contraception.Horm Mol Biol Clin Investig. 2018;37(1). doi:10.1515/hmbci-2018-0030

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Combined hormonal birth control: Pill, patch, and ring.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.STDs.

Nemours Foundation.Birth control pill.

Brown University.What are the side effects of birth control pills?

Keenan L, Kerr T, Duane M, Van Gundy K.Systematic review of hormonal contraception and risk of venous thrombosis.Linacre Q. 2018;85(4):470-477. doi:10.1177/0024363918816683

Shufelt C, LeVee A.Hormonal contraception in women with hypertension.JAMA. 2020;324(14):1451-1452. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.11935

National Library of Medicine.Birth control and family planning.Medline Plus.

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