What Are the Side Effects of Birth Control?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSide EffectsAre There Risks Associated With Hormonal Birth Control?Who Should Not Use Hormonal Birth Control?Other Methods of Birth Control

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Side Effects

Are There Risks Associated With Hormonal Birth Control?

Who Should Not Use Hormonal Birth Control?

Other Methods of Birth Control

Hormonal birth control is a type of birth control that contains either the hormonesestrogenandprogestinor progestin alone.

There are several types of hormonal birth control, including oral contraceptives (commonly known asbirth control pills), injections,intrauterine devices(IUDs), vaginal rings, implants, and skin patches.As with any medication, there are potential side effects associated with hormonal birth control, such as headache, nausea, breast soreness, vaginal yeast infections, mood swings, and spotting between periods.

Getty Images | Peter Dazeley

People who take hormonal birth control may experience some side effects. Side effects can vary from person to person and based on the type of birth control. General side effects may include:

There is a small risk ofblood clots. People who are over 40 years old, who smoke, are very overweight, or have a family history of clotting may have a higher risk of blood clots.

A Word From VerywellThere are many different birth control options available, which can be a double-edged sword at times. For many people, there may be some trial and error to find which form of birth control is best for you in terms of side effects, lifestyle, interactions with other medications, etc. Do not be discouraged if one form of birth control does not work well for you, and always have open communication with your provider to make finding the best option as easy as possible.—LINDSAY COOK, PHARMD

A Word From Verywell

There are many different birth control options available, which can be a double-edged sword at times. For many people, there may be some trial and error to find which form of birth control is best for you in terms of side effects, lifestyle, interactions with other medications, etc. Do not be discouraged if one form of birth control does not work well for you, and always have open communication with your provider to make finding the best option as easy as possible.—LINDSAY COOK, PHARMD

There are many different birth control options available, which can be a double-edged sword at times. For many people, there may be some trial and error to find which form of birth control is best for you in terms of side effects, lifestyle, interactions with other medications, etc. Do not be discouraged if one form of birth control does not work well for you, and always have open communication with your provider to make finding the best option as easy as possible.

—LINDSAY COOK, PHARMD

Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills are 99%effectivewith perfect use, which means that you take your pill every day around the same time each day and do not skip pills. Given that people generally do not take their pills perfectly, the actual effectiveness tends to be around 93%. So, about 7 out of 100 people who take birth control pills get pregnant each year.

Birth control pills contain estrogen and progestin hormones (combination birth control pills) or aprogestin hormone alone(often referred to as the minipill).

Common side effects of birth control pills include:

Side effects tend to start when you start taking birth control and tend to go away after a few months.

Injectable Birth Control

Depo Provera is an injectable birth control. It contains a progestin hormone. A healthcare provider administers this birth control every three months.It is more than 99% effective with perfect use or when a person gets the shot on time. With actual use, it is about 96% effective.

Commonside effectsofDepo Provera, which tend to go away after a few months, include:

Implant

Nexplanonis a birth control implant, a tiny rod that releases a progestin hormone into your body. It protects against pregnancy for up to three years.It is over 99% effective as a method of birth control.

The most common side effects include:

Intrauterine Device (IUD)

Common side effects of IUDs generally last three to six months and may include:

Vaginal Rings

A vaginal ring, such asNuvaringor Annovera, is a flexible plastic ring that is inserted into the vagina. Estrogen and progestin hormones are slowly absorbed into the body to prevent pregnancy.Used perfectly, a vaginal ring is about 99% effective, but real-life use makes it about 93% effective.

Common side effects, which generally last up to three months, include:

Skin Patches

Birth control skin patches, such asXulaneorTwirla, contain both estrogen and progestin hormones. They are similar to the pill in terms of how effective they are in pregnancy prevention.

Common side effects, which tend to go away after a few months, include:

Each form of hormonal birth control may have some slight variations in benefits and risks. You should always consult your healthcare provider for professional medical advice regarding your medical conditions and treatment, as they can weigh the benefits vs risks of any type of birth control for your specific medical history.

Although there are some benefits of combination hormonal birth control,such as lower risk ofovarian,endometrial(uterine), andcolorectal cancer, some examples of general risks associated with combination hormonal birth control include:

Consult your healthcare provider for more information about the benefits and risks of hormonal birth control.

Hormonal birth control is not safe for everyone. You should always consult your healthcare provider for medical advice regarding the safety of hormonal birth control for you.

Some examples of people who should not take birth control pills include those who:

People with other conditions, such ashigh blood pressure,epilepsy(seizures), ordiabetes, should check with their healthcare provider for medical advice.

The following lists some additional types of birth control that are not hormonal. You should always discuss the pros and cons of each type of birth control with your healthcare provider.

Summary

Hormonal birth control contains estrogen and progestin hormones or progestin alone. Common side effects may include changes in bleeding, spotting, headache, nausea, and breast tenderness. Often, these side effects lessen or go away as you continue with your treatment. Consult your healthcare provider for more information about hormonal birth control.

29 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UpToDate.​​Patient education: hormonal methods of birth control (beyond the basics).National Library of Medicine.Oral contraceptive pills.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control pill?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control pill?Planned Parenthood.Birth control shot.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control shot?Planned Parenthood.Are there birth control shot side effects?National Institutes of Health. DailyMed.Nexplanon.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control implant?Planned Parenthood.How effective are IUDs?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of IUDs?Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control ring?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control ring?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control patch?Brabaharan S, Veettil SK, Kaiser JE, et al.Association of hormonal contraceptive use with adverse health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials and cohort studies.JAMA Netw Open.2022;5(1):e2143730. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.43730Teal S, Edelman A.Contraception selection, effectiveness, and adverse effects: a review.JAMA.2021;326(24):2507–2518. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.21392National Blood Clot Alliance.Women’s health.Fitzpatrick D, Pirie K, Reeves G, et al.Combined and progestagen-only hormonal contraceptives and breast cancer risk: a UK nested case–control study and meta-analysis.PLOS Med. 2023;20(3):e1004188. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004188National Cancer Institute.Oral contraceptives and cancer risk.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Condoms.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Paragard.Nemours Foundation.The diaphragm.Nemours Foundation.Birth control: cervical caps.Nemours Foundation.Spermicide.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Phexxi.Nemours Foundation.Abstinence.Nemours Foundation.Withdrawal.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tubal ligation.MedlinePlus.Vasectomy.

29 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UpToDate.​​Patient education: hormonal methods of birth control (beyond the basics).National Library of Medicine.Oral contraceptive pills.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control pill?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control pill?Planned Parenthood.Birth control shot.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control shot?Planned Parenthood.Are there birth control shot side effects?National Institutes of Health. DailyMed.Nexplanon.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control implant?Planned Parenthood.How effective are IUDs?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of IUDs?Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control ring?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control ring?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control patch?Brabaharan S, Veettil SK, Kaiser JE, et al.Association of hormonal contraceptive use with adverse health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials and cohort studies.JAMA Netw Open.2022;5(1):e2143730. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.43730Teal S, Edelman A.Contraception selection, effectiveness, and adverse effects: a review.JAMA.2021;326(24):2507–2518. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.21392National Blood Clot Alliance.Women’s health.Fitzpatrick D, Pirie K, Reeves G, et al.Combined and progestagen-only hormonal contraceptives and breast cancer risk: a UK nested case–control study and meta-analysis.PLOS Med. 2023;20(3):e1004188. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004188National Cancer Institute.Oral contraceptives and cancer risk.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Condoms.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Paragard.Nemours Foundation.The diaphragm.Nemours Foundation.Birth control: cervical caps.Nemours Foundation.Spermicide.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Phexxi.Nemours Foundation.Abstinence.Nemours Foundation.Withdrawal.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tubal ligation.MedlinePlus.Vasectomy.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

UpToDate.​​Patient education: hormonal methods of birth control (beyond the basics).National Library of Medicine.Oral contraceptive pills.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control pill?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control pill?Planned Parenthood.Birth control shot.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control shot?Planned Parenthood.Are there birth control shot side effects?National Institutes of Health. DailyMed.Nexplanon.Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control implant?Planned Parenthood.How effective are IUDs?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of IUDs?Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control ring?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control ring?Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control patch?Brabaharan S, Veettil SK, Kaiser JE, et al.Association of hormonal contraceptive use with adverse health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials and cohort studies.JAMA Netw Open.2022;5(1):e2143730. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.43730Teal S, Edelman A.Contraception selection, effectiveness, and adverse effects: a review.JAMA.2021;326(24):2507–2518. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.21392National Blood Clot Alliance.Women’s health.Fitzpatrick D, Pirie K, Reeves G, et al.Combined and progestagen-only hormonal contraceptives and breast cancer risk: a UK nested case–control study and meta-analysis.PLOS Med. 2023;20(3):e1004188. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004188National Cancer Institute.Oral contraceptives and cancer risk.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Condoms.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Paragard.Nemours Foundation.The diaphragm.Nemours Foundation.Birth control: cervical caps.Nemours Foundation.Spermicide.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Phexxi.Nemours Foundation.Abstinence.Nemours Foundation.Withdrawal.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tubal ligation.MedlinePlus.Vasectomy.

UpToDate.​​Patient education: hormonal methods of birth control (beyond the basics).

National Library of Medicine.Oral contraceptive pills.

Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control pill?

Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control pill?

Planned Parenthood.Birth control shot.

Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control shot?

Planned Parenthood.Are there birth control shot side effects?

National Institutes of Health. DailyMed.Nexplanon.

Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control implant?

Planned Parenthood.How effective are IUDs?

Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of IUDs?

Planned Parenthood.How effective is the birth control ring?

Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control ring?

Planned Parenthood.What are the side effects of the birth control patch?

Brabaharan S, Veettil SK, Kaiser JE, et al.Association of hormonal contraceptive use with adverse health outcomes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials and cohort studies.JAMA Netw Open.2022;5(1):e2143730. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.43730

Teal S, Edelman A.Contraception selection, effectiveness, and adverse effects: a review.JAMA.2021;326(24):2507–2518. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.21392

National Blood Clot Alliance.Women’s health.

Fitzpatrick D, Pirie K, Reeves G, et al.Combined and progestagen-only hormonal contraceptives and breast cancer risk: a UK nested case–control study and meta-analysis.PLOS Med. 2023;20(3):e1004188. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1004188

National Cancer Institute.Oral contraceptives and cancer risk.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Condoms.

U.S. National Library of Medicine.Paragard.

Nemours Foundation.The diaphragm.

Nemours Foundation.Birth control: cervical caps.

Nemours Foundation.Spermicide.

U.S. National Library of Medicine.Phexxi.

Nemours Foundation.Abstinence.

Nemours Foundation.Withdrawal.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tubal ligation.

MedlinePlus.Vasectomy.

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