A birth control pill may soon be available without a prescription. Here’s what you need to know.

It’s also designed to prevent ovulation, but the low dose of progestin means the pill doesn’t consistently do that, said Dr. Heyrana. About four out of ten women on the minipill continue to ovulate the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Each Opill box contains 28 pills and if it is taken at about the same time each day with no breaks between packs it is considered very effective in preventing pregnancy, with a failure rate of about 7 percent. (This is similar to combination birth control pills containing both estrogen and progestin.) Research shows that progestin-only pills are more effective than the contraceptives currently available over the counter, such as condoms and spermicides. higher dropout rates. Birth control pills are less effective than IUDs or sterilizations.

If you’re sure you’re not pregnant, you can start taking the pill at any time during your menstrual cycle, Dr. Heyrana said. It should start preventing pregnancies within 48 hours of taking the first pill, so you may need a backup method of contraception within that window, she said.

What are the side effects and risks of Opill?

Opill has fewer side effects and a lower risk profile than other birth control options, especially combination pills, said Dr. Carolyn Westhoff, a professor of reproductive health at Columbia University, at the meeting.

The most common side effect is unscheduled bleeding throughout the cycle that is heavier than spotting and rarely follows patterns, said Dr. Heyrana, “which can be quite bothersome to people.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that combined oral contraception is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and blood clots. In contrast, according to the CDC, the minipill is not associated with many serious long-term risks.

Research has suggested that taking a progestin pill, such as Opill, may worsen severe liver disease or breast cancer, so people who have had these conditions should avoid it.