why does birth control need to be taken at the same time every day? If you take it randomly what happens?
In: Biology
Every month, a female’s uterus prepares for a potential baby. Hormones (FSH and LH) are released by the glands in the brain to (1) tell the uterus to thicken into a “nest” for implantation and also (2) tell eggs to mature and later be released. At the end of the cycle, if there is no sperm and egg implanting a baby into the “nest”, all the hormones drop suddenly. As a result, the uterus gets rid of the old nest and the woman has a period.
Birth control pills contain hormones (progesterone and estrogen) that prevents release of the brain gland hormones (FSH and LH). As a result, (1) and (2) above do not happen. The woman’s egg does not get released, hence “birth control”. Also, the woman’s periods are lighter because the “nest” isn’t built.
It is ideal to take a “drug” at the same time each day because it helps the level of “drug” in your system stay consistent. Say you took a pill at 12 AM one night and then 7 AM the next. This would mean that at 7 AM, you still have some of the “12 AM drug” in your system as it has not been fully processed by your liver and/or peed out yet. If pills are taken too far apart, your body may notice a drop in hormones. Remember, a drop in hormones results in the uterus shedding its “nest” (aka a period)… so some women may have spotting in this case.
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