Understanding the female cycle

In order to understand how the oral contraceptive pill works, you need to know something about the female reproductive cycle. From the time of the first menstrual period your body goes through the following process:

• The female ovaries usually release one egg every month
• When the egg is released (ovulation) it makes its way to the uterus through one of the fallopian tubes.
• Meanwhile sperm traverse cervix and uterus into the fallopian tube where it may or may not fertilize the egg.
• If fertilized, the cells begin to divide and make their way to the uterus.
• Once in the uterus, if things go well, implantation occurs.
• If implantation occurs, then pregnancy proceeds. If not, then uterus sheds its lining. This means that the lining sheds in the event of either non-fertilization or non-implantation. result is a menstrual period.

Oral contraceptive pills (OCs) are usually made from two types of hormones (estrogen and progestogen). They prevent pregnancy by stopping the production and release of eggs from the ovaries.