Types of Combination Pills:
Combination birth control pills are categorized as monophasic, biphasic, or triphasic depending on whether the level of hormones stays the same during the first three weeks of the menstrual cycle or if it changes.21-Day Packs:In this type of pack, the pills are taken for the first three weeks, and a woman takes nothing during the fourth week. She will start a new pack of pills eight days after the previous pack is completed.
- Yaz 28: the dosage regimen of YAZ is unique in that it contains 24 days of active therapy, followed by 4 days of placebo. This option may offer patients fewer hormone fluctuations than the traditional 21 days of active pills per 28 day cycle
- Loestrin 24 Fe: approved by the FDA in February 2006, was the first 24-day oral contraceptive approved in the US
- Seasonale, a new 'continuous dosage' product of ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel, can be taken continuously for 84 days and was FDA approved for routine contraception in September 2003. This regimen allows women to have less menstrual periods per year. This pill pack has have 77 active pills and 7 placebo pills
- Seasonique, is another continuous dosage contraceptive pill and was approved by the FDA in May 2006. Seasonique is similar to Seasonale in that ethinyl estradiol/levonorgestrel is taken continuously for 77 days; however, with Seasonique, the lfinal 7 days of the 3 month cycle contain low-dose ethinyl estradiol rather than placebo tablets
- In May 2007, the FDA gave approval for Lybrel, a low-dose continuous (taken all 365 days of the year) birth control pill meant to stop to a woman's monthly period
Women can check the package insert to find out exactly which hormones are present and at what dosages throughout the cycle.
How They Work:
They thicken the cervical mucus (the substance at the opening of the uterus) which makes it harder for sperm to reach and fertilize the egg. Combination pills also prevent a woman's body from ovulating during her monthly menstrual cycle.Low Dose Combination Pills:
These pills contain the lowest amount of estrogen (20 mcg ) plus one of the types of progestin. Brand names of this type of pill include:Regular Dose Combination Pills:
These pills contain 3035 mcg estrogen plus one of the types of progestin. Brand names of this type of pill include:- Brevicon
- Demulen 1/35
- Desogen
- Femcon Fe
- Levlen
- Lo/Ovral
- Modicon
- Nordette
- Levora
- Loestrin
- Low-Ogestrel
- Necon 1/35
- Norinyl 1/35
- Ortho-Cept
- Ortho-Cyclen
- Ortho-Novum 1/35
- Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo
- Ovcon 35
- Seasona
- Yasmin
- Zovia 1/35E
Phasic Combination Pills:
These pills have changing levels of estrogen and progestin to more closely mimic the hormonal phases during a womans menstrual cycle. Brand names of this type of pill include:- Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo
- Jenest-28
- Ortho-Tri-Cyclen
- Cyclessa
- Triphasil
- Tri-Levlen
- Ortho-Novum 10/11
- Trivora
- Tri-Norinyl
- Estrostep Fe
- Ortho-Novum 7/7/7


