Question: What if Hormonal Contraceptives Backfire and Ovulation Occurs Anyway?
Answer: Even if ovulation and fertilization occur, there are three other ways hormonal contraceptives prevent pregnancy.
Two of these additional ways occur pre-fertilization:
- Changes occur in the cervical mucous
- Decreased ability of Fallopian Tubes to move the egg toward the sperm
- Estrogen generally initiates the thickening of the lining of the uterus in the first part of a female's cycle
- Progesterone then triggers the lining to mature
- Since either one or both of these hormones are being continuously supplied, the lining does not have the opportunity thicken enough to nurture a fertilized egg
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