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oral contraceptive

A Dictionary of Biology | 2004 | © A Dictionary of Biology 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

oral contraceptive Any hormonal preparation taken in the form of a pill to prevent conception (see birth control). The most common form is the combined pill, which contains an oestrogen and a progestogen. Both act to suppress ovulation, while the progestogen additionally causes changes in the viscosity of cervical mucus and alters the lining of the womb, both of which decrease the chances of fertilization should ovulation occur. The so-called ‘minipill’ contains only a progestogen and has fewer side effects than the combined pill. Emergency contraception (the so-called ‘morning-after pill’), to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sexual intercourse, consists of two spaced doses of either a combined oestrogen–progestogen preparation or an oestrogen alone, the first dose being taken within 72 hours of intercourse.

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